Thursday - Don't Lose Heart (Hope)

Welcome to Daily Prayer. This week, our prayers focus on hope. Because of who God is and because He has promised to never leave us, our hope has a secure foundation. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope." (Romans 15:13).

Let us quiet our hearts and minds before the Lord.

Father, today we give everyone and everything to You.

A Scripture reading from Romans 5:3–5:

"We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit."

A word of encouragement:

God does not call suffering good, but He is so powerful that He can produce good fruit through it. Perseverance can deepen our faith, soften our hearts, increase our compassion, and teach us to depend upon God. The trial may not be what we would have chosen, but it does not have to be wasted. Your struggle may be producing something you cannot see yet. We naturally want trials to end quickly, but God is often producing something within us while we wait.

A prayer of petition:

Father, I ask You for the grace to persevere. I admit that I am tired of some battles and discouraged by some delays. There are places where I struggle to believe that change is possible. Give me the strength I need for today. Help me continue praying, loving, serving, forgiving, and obeying. Help me to endure without losing my heart.

A prayer of trust:

God, I trust that You are working, even when I cannot see progress. I trust that waiting does not mean You have forgotten me. I trust You to use this season to deepen my faith, strengthen my character, purify my motives, and increase my compassion. I may not have chosen this road, but I believe it does not have to be wasted. I trust the work of Your hands, including the work that remains hidden from me.

A prayer of intercession:

Father, I pray for those who are tired, discouraged, grieving, or close to giving up. Strengthen the person who has prayed for years without seeing an answer. Comfort the one who feels forgotten. Sustain the caregiver who is exhausted. Encourage the parent who is worried, and the person whose pain remains unseen by others. Bring someone specific to my mind whom I can encourage.

A closing prayer:

During these last few moments, hold your unanswered situation before God. You may still have questions, but thank God that He is working in places you cannot see. Take time remembering ways that the Lord has been faithful in the past, and worship Him for the ways He will continue to work everything together for good.

*Prayers by Kate and Drew Krenkle. Written by Brad Bowen