With Easter upon us, now is the time to come once more to God through prayer and petition both corporately and individually to remember the greatest gift God has given us - His one and only Son.

Easter is a special time for Christians to know once more the power of Christ's redemptive work. But sadly, though many people know of Christ's finished work, not many internalize and apply it to their lives.

One way we can do that is to approach God once more in prayer and petition this coming resurrection Sunday. Not that we are to pray only at Easter, but think of Easter as an opportunity to stretch your prayer muscles and approach God openly and speak to Him of certain things that connect us to the message of Easter.

What then are we to pray for? Here are five things to start off with.

Thank Jesus for the cross. The best response to the power and gift of the cross is to come with a prayer of gratitude. Jesus' death, burial and resurrection was a free gift given by God to all mankind. What's the best response to receiving a free gift? It's to receive it with a thankful heart that can't stop praising. This is a great way to start off a prayer this Easter.

Be reminded that Jesus is the only way. It's easy to forget that Jesus is the only way to life and life to the full. The great news is we can partner with the Holy Spirit during this season asking God to always remind us that there is no other way to life on earth and in heaven apart from Christ.

Receive the fullness that comes through Christ's resurrection. The best news about Jesus' free gift is that we don't have to work for it or pay for it. He tells us simply to receive by faith. Take the time this Easter to pray a prayer of receiving the free gift of eternal life through Christ.

Ask for the resurrection power of your life. We all need and want more power in our life to take control of certain areas and see breakthroughs happen for us. There is no power greater than the power that resurrected Jesus from the dead and that power is now made available for us. Are you asking for that power in your career, relationships, or even finances?

Pray that others may recognize Jesus as risen. It's great that we know and experience the power that is in Christ, but how about the people around you that don't? There is plenty of power in God's work for everyone and we can and must pray for that to come to each person we know and even those that we don't know.