Category Archives: Daily Devotionals

The Easy Way To Rest When You’re Exhausted

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by: Asheritah Ciuciu

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

I eyed the bright numbers on the clock telling me I’d be lucky to get four hours of sleep that night. Hitting “send” on my paper, I stumbled into bed, murmuring, “Once I graduate, then I’ll be able to rest.”

But over the years that followed, that midnight promise morphed to match new seasons:

“Once I meet this work deadline, then I’ll be able to rest.”
“Once our baby sleeps through the night, then I’ll be able to rest.”
“Once the children are in school, then I’ll be able to rest.”

Those refrains pushed me out of bed every morning and kept me working late into the night, until one day I found myself at our kitchen table, head in my hands and sobbing the words “I can’t do this anymore.”

I was exhausted.

And from talking with older women, I knew they were repeating the same worn refrain, merely aged to match their own challenges:

“Once we pay off the mortgage …”
“Once the kids leave for college …”
“Once we retire from our jobs …”

Women of all ages and stages are chasing rest, but that coveted rest eludes us all.

In a moment of clarity, I realized that rest won’t arrive on the other side of “someday” because, no matter how much we get done, there’s always more left to do.

Wiping my tears, I cried out: “God, I need You. I can’t do this anymore.” And in His kindness, God reminded me that we’re not the first generation to struggle with such things, nor are we alone.

In fact, 2,000 years ago, Jesus looked at a crowd of women and men just as exhausted as you and me, and He said:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV).

Jesus doesn’t tell us to wake up early and go to bed late in order to hustle our way into His Kingdom. Quite the opposite. He invites us to lay down our heavy burdens and find rest in Him.

What does that look like in real life? I developed an easy-to-remember R.E.S.T. acronym to guide me toward Jesus when I feel overwhelmed, and you can use it too:

  • R: Recite God’s goodness. The next time we find ourselves hustling, let’s pause to praise God for who He is and what He’s already doing (see Psalm 103:1-2). What can we thank Him for? Let’s start there.
  • E: Express your neediness. Then we get honest with God about our struggles and sins, casting our burdens on Him because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7)
  • S: Seek His stillness. Next, we take time to “be still, and know” that He is God (Psalm 46:10a, ESV). We quiet our hearts to listen to His still, small voice. Is there anything He wants to say to us? Are there any burdens or to-dos He’s asking us to lay down?
  • T: Trust His faithfulness. Finally, we declare our confidence that our good God, who began a good work in us, will be faithful to complete it. (Philippians 1:6)

We don’t have to wait for that elusive “someday” to experience God’s rest. The gentle and humble Jesus opens wide His arms, and He says, “Come.” Today, just as you are, come.

Is God Your Source of Encouragement?

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By Victoria Riollano

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6

En·cour·age- to give support, confidence, or hope to someone.

Many of us are looking to be encouraged or supported.

We look to family.
We look to pastors.
We look to our friends.
We look to self-help books.
We look to influencers.

We look to man to give us that boost that will change our lives and perspective. However, at some point your friend will decline your call, your books will get lost, and your pastor will disappoint. This is the sad reality of life. Eventually, you will have to dig deep and find your encouragement from someone who cannot fail you… EVER!

In 2017, I learned very quickly that our source of encouragement must come from the Lord. The year started off seemingly normal. However, just three weeks in, my father-in-law passed away. Following this, my husband became severely ill as well. Thus, the person who was typically my source of encouragement was grieving and in need of physical and emotional support. Even more so, many of my personal relationships with friends had started to fade. I found myself in need of someone who could encourage me. Being a military spouse far away from home only added to this frustration of needing someone to stand alongside me. Amid all the trials, I was isolated and had very little strength to continue. 

It was during this time of my life, I realized how much I relied on other people to be my source of hope and encouragement. When all was stripped away, and I had no family, friends, or the support of my husband, I realized how I had not leaned on God as much I had pretended to for so many years. This took me on a journey of asking, “What would it look like to depend on God for my encouragement?” In other words, what would happen if God was the source of my hope and joy? I learned day by day that if I could shift my perspective on who God is and allow Him to be what keeps me going, I could get through the most difficult times of my life.

Let’s reconsider the word encourage. Encourage…or IN-courage! The truth is when someone “encourages you” they are really giving you that extra needed push to walk “in courage.” They are helping you to be fearless and keep going when you want to give up. In order to move forward and be successful, you have to learn that true encouragement comes from withIN! This is where God comes in to shake things up.

He says… Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

In other words, your courage comes from knowing that He will never leave you or forsake you. Your courage comes from knowing that everything that happens will work out in the end (Romans 8:28). YOUR courage comes from knowing that no matter what you are going through the Lord has a plan (Jeremiah 29:11). Your inner courage comes from knowing that the Lord is on your side.

When we have this viewpoint, we can walk confidently in any situation. We can know full well that even when everyone and everything fails, you serve a God who sees you and who has a plan. Although God has created us to be in a community, we recognize that others do not dictate our hope. Our friends now become a resource, not our source. God is the source of our encouragement. The bible is now your personal love letter and instruction book for the midst of every trial.

It took the hardest time of my life to realize this important aspect of who God MUST be in my life. However, in learning to trust God and look Him above all else, I gained such confidence. Even more so, I was able to help my husband through his low times. The key, however, is I was able to direct Him to the Lord versus just being dependent on me. I was able to remind him that his ability to get through those hard moments will be found in God’s presence. Thus, looking to the Lord for courage and directing others to do so, puts the ball in God’s court to bring peace and support. 

Truly, there is nothing more refreshing than having God lift you up! May you be encouraged in the Lord.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

A Prayer to Have Faith in Difficult Moments

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 By Victoria Riollano

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going – Hebrews 11:8

The lights started to flicker. 

Before long, the slight flickering turned into a multi-county power outage. On a chilly day in January, what started off as a small snowstorm turned into a family emergency. The first day with no power, cell services down, and or heat source was uncomfortable, to say the least. That night, my family bundled in layers and prayed that we would soon get relief from the 30-degree house. Yet, with the estimated time for power restoration being a week and downed trees covering the streets, it was certain we needed to find a place of refuge quickly. 

The next day, with the help of many neighbors, we managed to get our 13-passenger van out of our icy snow-trapped home. With no family in sight and all our friends in the same predicament, we knew we had to go, but certainly didn’t know where. All we knew was that the Lord prompted us to leave quickly to keep everyone from getting very sick. With little money and no hotel in sight, we simply drove away and trusted in the Lord.

As we traveled for hours in traffic and icy roads, I was reminded of the story of Abraham. In Genesis 12, Lord speaks to Abraham and says, “Leave your land and go to a place I will show you.” I can only imagine how unsettling it was to pick up and suddenly go. Leaving his place of comfort and having no real direction, Abraham had to trust God with every aspect of his journey. He had to trust him for the provision. He had to trust him for protection. Abraham was a perfect example of walking and changing his entire life by faith! Hebrews 11:8 says it like this,

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. (NIV).

God is our refuge, inspirational image

Today, the Lord is searching for those who, like Abraham, will make a choice to follow when it’s not easy. Abraham’s obedience set the platform for many to be blessed. I believe we’ve all found ourselves in this position of having to trust God in a big way. Maybe the Lord was leading you to a new job or out of a toxic relationship? Perhaps, He asked you to go back to school or start a business. In these moments, we seem to have more questions than answers. Do we leave our place of comfort or step out on faith? Do we risk failing or trust the Lord for success? I want to encourage you with this: the Lord will never lead you somewhere to leave you stranded! There will be many times when we won’t know all the details. Yet, there is comfort in knowing that He does. We can walk in pure confidence that He will take care of us, no matter what the circumstance. 

That wintery week taught was a powerful lesson. Though the power outage was unexpected for us, it wasn’t for God. As expected, He took care of everything. He helped us to get to the only available hotel within 50 miles. He sent family, members, and church members who willingly sent money to us, without being asked. When it was all over, every day of the hotel was paid, the food for our family of nine was covered. Even the gas money needed was provided. Once again, the Lord showed that we could trust Him for our every need. Certainly, we can trust Him as we go through the unforeseen trials and the unknown places. Like Abraham, may we be brave and move when He tells us, even when we don’t know all details.

Dear Lord, 

I thank you that you never leave me or forsake me. I ask that you always remind me of your ability to protect, comfort, and lead me. Thank you for going before me in every scenario. Lord, I ask that you help me to trust you in difficult situations. Teach me to have faith when I feel out of control. I ask that you give me courage and help me to keep my eyes on you. You are my safe place and my refuge.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Still Lost, Despite Handheld Directions

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By: Meg Bucher

"The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” - Jeremiah 31:3 NIV

I blindly began to follow the directions after clicking on the linked address, but a quick glance revealed the wrong state map. Thankfully I hadn’t gotten far, because my sense of direction is not reliable!

How easily we trust our hand-held directions, and so often we let our little devices direct our thoughts as well as our traveling routes. Our portable screens can hijack what we think about, are upset over, discontent in, or jealous of. Accessibility can make it incredibly easy to lose our sense of direction, even when we’re grounded in Truth. Though created in God’s image, we have the innate temptation to wander away from Jesus’ lead.

Jeremiah had a troubling message to deliver to God’s people, who had continually chosen to wander the side trails of idolatry, which means putting anything above God in importance. Even though God had made His love for them so evident and clear with centuries full of miracles and rescue moments, their attention remained easily diverted. The consequences wouldn’t be easy for them to hear, or walk through. Many would never return to the land God promised for them, for it would be seventy years before anyone went home. But God still cared so deeply for the state of their hearts, He assured them in today’s verse, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.”

They would not lose God’s love. Not even in consequence for their rebellious wandering. Though it would be a long and hard journey, Jeremiah prophesied of a Messiah that would be born from the line of David. Something unimaginable for God’s people. When the small remnant promised to survive the exile returned home as God promised, they were still the same easily distracted people they were before. Many missed Jesus when He did, in fact, come exactly the way God said He would. (Fulfilling over 300 prophesies!)

The VOICE paraphrase of today’s verse reads: “I have loved you with an everlasting love- out of faithfulness I have drawn you close.” 

God’s love cannot be earned by what we do, or lost by what we’ve done or will do.

He is God, and His love does not waver like human love. He is not like our earthly caregivers, who become exhausted with our antics. His embrace is always at the ready, faithful and steady. Our Rock. Our Redeemer. When we get lost, we can drop to our knees,  and in an instant remember who we are. There is power in the name of Jesus, and when we are lost, whether on the road or in our thoughts, we can call it out knowing He will calm our souls and guide our minds.

Important for us, today, is the sacrifice Jesus made for ALL. Meaning, we will share in the inheritance of God’s people, all who believe in Jesus Christ, and the salvation He died to give us. God’s plan cannot be overturned. He faithfully reminds us, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.”

Skydiving with JesusBarb Roose

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Today’s Truth:

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here” (Matthew 14:27 NLT).

During a Monday morning planning meeting, I was given two choices: pet a tarantula or jump out of an airplane. I picked jumping out of an airplane because I am that afraid of spiders! Which one would you choose?

The next morning, I drove across my home state with two co-workers to go skydiving. As I passed the highway exit near my hometown, I considered giving my parents a call. However, wisdom, or maybe self-preservation, prevailed. I figured that if I didn’t die skydiving, my mother would surely kill me to keep me from jumping out of the plane.

After I arrived, the training staff taught us the basics of how to jump and how parachutes worked. I appreciated the information; however, thousands of nervous butterflies were skydiving in my stomach. It was knowing that my experienced jump instructor would be present and tethered to me during the jump that made the difference with my anxiety.

In Matthew 14:27, Jesus reminds the disciples of His presence in perilous circumstances. Shortly after feeding 5,000 men and their families, Jesus sent the disciples across the lake to wait for Him. Even though the disciples knew how to manage the boat, that didn’t take away their fear when a fierce storm blew across the lake. The disciples were in trouble and in Mark’s account, he wrote that the disciples were rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves (Mark 6:48).

Are you “rowing hard and struggling” in one of life’s storms? It’s easy to panic when you’re doing all that you can and you still fear that all will be lost. Perhaps you’re facing a parenting challenge and no matter what you’ve learned from the therapists or books, you’re still pacing the floor at night. Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with a life-changing illness and while you’ve got treatment plans and expert care, the waves of grief and uncertainty pummel you day and night. Not only do you feel the fear, but it’s exhausting, isn’t it?

Jesus speaks eight, powerful and practical words to the disciples that apply to you today, no matter what you’re facing: 

“Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here.”

Notice how Jesus didn’t tell them to steer the boat differently. Furthermore, He didn’t criticize them for being afraid. In their panic, Jesus knew that the only effective measure was to show up with his calming presence. Jesus called the disciples to take their eyes off the storm and focus on Him and experience His peace in the midst of the storm. An interesting note, as the story continued to unfold, Jesus invites Peter to walk on water and yet, the strong winds and waves continue. Yet, in Jesus’ presence, Peter had the courage to step out and walk on water in the midst of the storm.

Today, you can be encouraged! Jesus’ presence is always near, so you can live in bold courage rather than fear. Even as the circumstances of your life whip and whirl around you, courageously do whatever God has called you to do. He is right with you!

When the tiny crop plane reached 10,000 feet over the jump point, my instructor tethered his jumpsuit to mine and opened the door. The loud rush of cold wind filled my ears, but I heard his voice in the wind: “I’m right here.” Even though we would free-fall at 120 mph back toward earth, I felt the intensity of the fall, but never the fear because my instructor was near.

What are those waves named in your life? Imagine yourself sitting in a boat and picture Jesus walking toward you saying, “Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here.” Even if you can’t see him in your difficult moment, he is near to you today.

Let’s Pray

God, I am grateful that I can face the storms of life with peace and courage because Your presence is always with me. Whisper Jesus’ words to my heart and soul today whenever I focus too much on the waves of fear, uncertainty or stressful circumstances. Thank You that I am never alone! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A Prayer to Remember Where Our Help Comes From

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By: Maggie Meadows Cooper

I look up to the mountains- does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! – Psalm 121:1

Over the years there have been many people and places that we turn to when we need help: Facebook friends, Dear Abby, Google, our moms. But so often, in spite of good intentions, their advice leaves us longing for more. Many times the advice hurts more than helps, and sometimes they are simply dead wrong. So why do we choose them? Convenience, proximity, or maybe a secret hope that they will tell us what we want to hear? All possible reasons that each of us can identify with, I think. But when Mary was faced with a problem and needed help in John 2:3, she turned to the only One who could be her Helper that day. The only One who is the Helper we all need: Jesus.

Mary, Jesus, and the disciples were attending a wedding in Cana, and the hosts ran out of wine. According to their culture and that time in history, they risked great humiliation. Mary called Jesus for help and told the servants to “do whatever He tells you.” So they did. And Jesus performed his first public miracle, turning water into wine. If only our problems were that simple to solve, right? But maybe they are. The truth is that their problem was resolved because of two simple choices, the same choices we all have to make:

First – Who will we ask for help?

“I look up to the mountains- does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” -Psalm 121:1

Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.” – John 6:68

Our problems do not always have simple solutions, but the decision of who to ask for help should be the simplest of all. David, Peter, and many others knew Who to go to. It didn’t mean they didn’t fear or fret or doubt at times. But they made a choice to trust, to hope, to turn their hearts and minds and souls and spirits to the One who is able to do so much more than we could ever ask or imagine (Eph.3:20). And sometimes the help that the Lord offers may come in the form of Godly counsel from other Believers or counselors. It may mean waiting and doing nothing. But seek His will and wisdom and guidance first, and the rest will fall into place.

Psalm 121:1, inspirational image

Second – Will we do whatever Jesus tells us to do?

“If you love me, obey my commandments.” John 14:15

I sure wish this was easier to carry out. I know from experience that my heart wants to obey. I want to speak and act and love like Jesus would have me do. But carrying those things out with my earthly flesh that wants what I want when I want, that gets offended and hurt and embarrassed, that, truth be told, wants to rebel many times because of my feelings and judgments, is much easier said than done. And I find myself half-obeying many times. I may feel His nudge to forgive and actively serve the person who hurt me. So I agree to forgive…but don’t carry out that action of love and service. The “whatever” He tells me may seem unreasonable at times. Too odd or unjust. And I don’t know what people will think…so I choose to blend in with the crowd rather than risk looking foolish.

“Whatever He tells you…” Those servants risked looking foolish that day as they filled jars used to cleanse others with water, expecting it to somehow become wine. Noah, Moses, Esther, John the Baptist and so many others risked looking foolish because they agreed to do what the Lord told them to do. His directions take faith, y’all. They take extreme courage and a longing to please God rather than men. And in this world, that is so very hard. But the choice is ours to make.

Pray. Pray hard and seek the Lord and His will above all else. Avoid the temptation to seek earthly wisdom first. Then wait. And see how the Lord will help you when you choose to seek His approval above all else.

Dear Jesus, 

Forgive me for running to the people and things of this world for help before coming to you. Thank you for being my Helper and loving me in spite of my shortcomings. Help me remember Who you are and where my help comes from. Give me strength, courage, and a boldness to seek you and your approval above all else.

In Your Mighty Name,

Amen

A Prayer for You, God’s Masterpiece

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By: Alisha Headley

“The Lord will work out his plans for my life — for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not abandon me, the works of your hands.” – Psalm 138:8

I love the idea that God, through the work of His own mighty hands, created me and only me once. Like paintings by a world-renown artist – there’s something unique about the first one. Anything else after the first one, are copies and replicas.

How beautiful to know that we were worth the work the first time. God threw away the mold because one of us is enough for Him. We are enough. We are a sacred painting, the original piece. And God has made us for our own unique purpose.

Psalm 138:8, inspirational image

Today’s scripture verse reminds us that he will never abandon us, His beautiful creation, His “masterpiece – His workmanship.” (Ephesians 2:10) He won’t abandon the work He created.

Yes, He will work out His plans for our life. He didn’t just create us and then leave us. Oh no, He created us with intention, His very own masterpiece.

Whatever God has called you to, He will equip you for it. He will work His plans for your life. You might not feel ready, or feel you have the tools or the skills to do what you feel God calling you to do. But if He’s called you to it, you better believe He’s also equipped you for it.

You are his work of art, created by Him for a purpose of doing good works for His kingdom. He didn’t create you for nothing. You were beautifully created for a purpose, a one of kind, unique purpose. He will accomplish what he started by the work of His own hands.

Rest in the promise today that He will work out all that He planned to work out for you. Rest in the knowledge that He is our faithful God, and you “can be confident, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until it is finally finished on the day that Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6)

Dear Lord,

Thank you that your love is so personal, that you created me, and that there is only one of me. You set your eyes on me from the beginning. You created me with a purpose and you promise to work out all the plans you have for my life.

Thank you that you are a faithful God. That all throughout Scripture, time, and time again, you showed your faithful love to your people. Lord, remind me in moments of doubt, that you will never abandon me, for I am your unique workmanship. I am yours. I am your creation.

Lord, help me to not compare myself to others. You created me, just as I am, and you view me as your masterpiece. Help me to see myself the way that you see me, not as the world sees me. Remind me that you have given me everything I need to work out the plans you have set before me. Help me remember that if you have called me to it, you have also equipped me for it.

Thank you for your Word as my guide, the “lamp unto my feet” (Psalm 119:105), and for the Holy Spirit as my “Helper” (John 14:26). Allow us to rest in the confidence that you will finish what you began in us. We worship you, Lord, praising you for your everlasting love for us.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

A Prayer to Our Longsuffering God –

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A Prayer to Our Long-Suffering God
By Meg Bucher

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9 NIV

The love the Father has for us is displayed in His patience with us. He is a long-suffering God! Long-suffering means enduring injury, trouble, or provocation long and patiently.

“Scoffers use the delay of His second coming to question if He is going to return at all,” the Voice Translation says, “Peter responds by saying that God’s perspective on time is not like ours. What seems long from a finite, human perspective is incredibly short from an eternal one.”

The Voice paraphrase of 2 Peter 3:9 says,

“Now the Lord is not slow about enacting His promise – slow is how some people want to characterize it – no, He is not slow but patient and merciful to you, not wanting anyone to be destroyed, but wanting everyone to turn away from following his own path and to turn toward God’s.”

2 Peter 3:9, inspirational image

The word slow, as Peter used it, means to delay. “Delays are not denials,” the NIV Study Bible clarifies. God’s delays don’t nullify His promises. The LORD is patient with us. He does not lose heart. He preservers patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and troubles. He is patient in bearing our offenses and injuries. He is mild, slow in avenging. He is long-suffering, slow to anger, and slow to punish. (Strongs.) No matter how crazy the world becomes, we can rely on God. He is the same yesterday, today, and always.

Father,

We thank you for your faithfulness. We praise you for your promises. Great are you, Lord, who has made a way for us to come to you, through Jesus.

Father, I pray you are quick to stir our hearts through the Spirit living in us. Remind us that your presence is with us always through Christ Jesus. Help us to be long-suffering, God, as you are. Teach us to be patient, willing to wait, slow to anger and slow to punish.

God, you are a promise keeper. Some of the direct answers to the questions of pain and suffering in the world will allude us on this side of eternity, but your promises reign true. And eternal life, beyond this world, awaits all who embrace Christ Jesus as their Savior.

You are not slow in keeping your promise, Lord. Not as some understand slowness. You are patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish, but all of us to come to you in repentance. Thank you for being long-suffering.

Bless our lives, Father. Keep us safe, healthy, and guard our hearts in Christ Jesus.

In Jesus’ Name, 

Amen.

A Prayer of Praise and Gratitude

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By Kristine Brown

“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30 NIV

As I began my prayer time this morning, so many needs came to mind. I started right away calling out those needs to God. I love bringing requests to Him in my prayers and trusting His faithfulness to provide in each situation. I also love thanking Him for the blessings in my life. But I realized as I prayed, that I’d left out one important thing. Besides praying and giving thanks, I’d forgotten to praise God.

The psalmist David reminds us in Psalm 69:30 how important it is to give God our best praise, along with our gratitude. David demonstrates a valuable truth through his example of praising the Lord while giving Him thanks. Even in the most difficult times when we are surrounded by discouragement, praise and thanksgiving together will make a difference. They can transform our hearts.

Psalm 69:30, inspirational image

Praising God brings us into His presence. Bringing worship and a grateful heart before the Lord deepens our relationship with Him.

Adding worship to our prayers changes our conversations with God. It creates a beautiful atmosphere where His presence can be felt as we pray. So I’m pausing to add praise into my prayers of gratitude today. Will you join me? As we pray, let’s praise the Lord for who He is and thank Him for what He’s done.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I worship you because you are Almighty God. You are worthy of my praise each day. Thank you for your faithfulness to me, whatever I’m going through in my life. Forgive me for forgetting to worship you in a way that you deserve. I want to offer you my best praise for who you are.

The more I worship you, Lord, the more I sense your presence in my life. You are a merciful and loving Father. I praise the name of your son, Jesus, who died so that those who believe can have eternal life with you. Thank you for that amazing promise. You are awesome and wonderful.

In Jesus’ Name I pray, 

Amen.

A Prayer for Hope When Life Seems Hopeless

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By: Emily Rose Massey

“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness” (Romans 8:24-26, ESV).

My husband and I recently celebrated twelve years of marriage. Although I enjoy reflecting and focusing on all the wonderful and joyous memories together over these last twelve years, it can be said that our faith has been tested under waves of chaos and storms and under the weight and pressures of life.

It would be amazing to have a life full of happy times only, but it’s in the fire, the trials, and the storms of life that we are truly strengthened. We can choose to rise above the chaos or allow hopelessness and despair to overtake us. 

Our faith in Jesus Christ has given us hope to remain steadfast because we know He is faithful. 
This hope is what has been our anchor through all. 

This anchor is what holds you to your trust and faith in the Lord. Hope isn’t something that can be created or conjured up. Sure, we can give ourselves a pep-talk when we are feeling downcast or be encouraged by a friend to keep putting one foot in front of the other, but true hope is given to us by the Holy Spirit. He endows us with the faith that God’s promises are true; He is not a liar- He can be trusted completely and that ultimately, His sovereign hand is working in our life; we will not be put to shame.

Having an eternal perspective lifts your eyes from the cares of this life and helps you move forward when you are going through a storm to remind you that ultimately, this place is not our home; Being heavenly-minded during earthly trials is what fuels your hope in God. Romans 8 speaks of this kind of hope:

“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness” (Romans 8:24-26, ESV).

Romans 8:24-25

We eagerly wait for the return of Christ and the day we will abide with God forever in our heavenly home. No matter how dark things may become around us in our world or in our personal lives, we must ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with hope. We must renew our minds with God’s Word so we will be able to seek and understand God’s perfect will in our lives more clearly. He has a purpose for us to fulfill here on earth and that is to share with others His glorious Gospel so that they may also find the hope that is available to God’s children.

As a child of God, we may feel a hopelessness in our hearts, but we must move beyond our feelings and remind our hearts of the great hope we have in Christ. The Holy Spirit can help us in our weaknesses. Let us ask Him for help when hopelessness tries to overwhelm us, moving beyond what we see and connecting ourselves to the hope that is attached to our trust in God’s promise of eternal life in Christ.

Father God, 

I am experiencing a heaviness, a weariness in my soul. Our world is in a constant state of chaos it seems, and my own soul is in turmoil from the weight of the cares of this life. But I refuse to live by what I feel for I know You are faithful and will not let me drown in the waves of the storms of life. Holy Spirit, fill my heart with a hope that can only come from heaven. 

Help me fix my eyes on eternity and give me the boldness to share the Gospel with others so they would know of this hope that heaven awaits those who repent of their sin and put their full trust in Christ alone. Thank You for never leaving me in my weakness and for strengthening me with Your grace each day.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.