Easter is here again.

We reveal to ourselves and others what is important to us by the way we celebrate. Is the season before Easter mainly a hassle to get to the mall and a strain on our budget, as we purchase clothes, candy, cards, and groceries for a big dinner? Or is it several days or weeks of considering God’s work in our lives through Jesus, along with special activities to help us think about Jesus’ death and resurrection?

Over the course of the Lenten and Easter season, we are remembering the lowest points of sin and the highest peaks of what God has done for us through Jesus. We have a way, the only way, to the Father through Jesus. That’s worth celebrating!

And yet every year it’s so easy for Easter to slip up on us, and suddenly we’re saying, “Oh, my goodness, it’s Palm Sunday already!”

If that’s the case for you, here are a few ways you can begin today to prepare your heart for Easter.

Prepare Your Heart

1. Read the Easter story.

Don’t wait until Easter Sunday to get reacquainted with the good news of Jesus Christ. Each of the four gospels tells the story a little differently. Here’s where you can find the Easter story in each gospel:
Matthew 26–28    Mark 14–16    Luke 22–24    John 18–20

2. Listen to worship music.

Pull out all your CDs or tapes of Easter music. Have them handy to pop into your player.

3. Read books that will deepen your spiritual life and your understanding of what God has done.

Ideas might include missionary biographies or The Pleasures of God (John Piper), in particular the chapter entitled “God’s Pleasure in Bruising His Son”. You could use The Man Born to Be King (Dorothy L. Sayers), a radio play, for an evening of reading aloud with friends.

4. Find a quiet place to reflect.

Set aside a special place for your family’s devotional times.

5. Attend your church’s services during this season.

Prepare yourself and your children for the focus and mood of each service.

6. Pray the following prayers each day of Holy Week.

Portions of the above text were taken from Noël Piper’s
How to Prepare for Easter with Your Family on Crosswalk.com.