Faith and Hope Episode 159
Where do we find faith and hope in our lives? We tackle our mountainous to-do lists daily and find ourselves overwhelmed and floundering. And then we wonder where does our hope comes from, surely not the things we turn to daily for escape. Tune in for the answers.
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I wish I had all the answers for every struggle you are going through right now. But, while I don’t have all the answers I know someone who does. And, that is the focus today, where do we find our faith and where do we place our hope? Is it in the escape of a movie or a book? Is it in micromanaging the lives of others, or reading social media posts in order to find humor or join in a discussion that will surely bring anxiety before it brings peace?
Where does your faith and hope come from? It comes undeniably from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But, that does not mean we do not have to pray for it daily. Here are some helpful ways to pray with the scriptures:
Daily pray: Lord helps me in my unbelief. Give me faith and hope!
- Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
- 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
- Leviticus 26:12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people
- Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee though no one pursues, the righteous are as bold as a lion.
- Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
When we pray with those scriptures as well as others we will find that faith and hope is renewed. Recently I was messaging a friend on Facebook, they sell my books when they travel to speak. And he left me with this – God is good all the time. So I responded in a message back, “And all the time God is good.” – that is so uplifting. It is like a secret handshake when we can acknowledge with another believer that we realize that only in God’s goodness are we redeemed and are we happy. Because even with faith we find ourselves at a loss from time to time. Floundering.
When we find ourselves stressed and out of sorts it is due to relying on ourselves instead of asking our gracious Lord for help. I learned that when I am overwhelmed it is time to Stop. Drop. And Pray. It is the SOS to the Lord that I need help and I need it now. Even in times where there is nothing pressing or weighing on us we use it as a pick-me-up.
In the Scriptures, we feel a sense of urgency often when Jesus is surrounded by crowds. They are urgent to rush him and ask him for a healing or a prayer or some type of favor. Why is there this rush? Because the people who did not fully understand – or had less of an understanding then we do today could sense the holiness surrounding him and they thirsted for this. Just as we thirst for more of Him and less of us in our lives. We pray Lord I do believe, help me in my unbelief. We pray in a way that is foundational for all of the times we have lacked the faith to see our ways through a tough situation. God will not leave us orphans. He is our Father and at the time of challenge, He may be stretching us to grow us in our faith.
God challenges us to grow in our prayer lives as well. Our eternal happiness is in heaven and it awaits us. We must die to self to fully appreciate and understand that this world lacks, by a pale comparison to the bliss of heavenly life. Friends we have absolutely no conception of this life and that is why we cling to our lives here. We have the free will to choose daily. And what do we choose? Matthew 16:26 says “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
I choose the life that the Lord has for me. I choose God. I choose everlasting life.
Let’s pray:
Dear Lord, I ask you to continue to increase my faith and my hope in You. You are the answer for all joy, peace, and love in the world that has turned upside down. I thank you, Lord, for giving me clarity eyes that see and ears that hear. I pray that you continue to give me a sense of discernment and sound judgment. Dear Lord, please continue to bless me, my family, and my friends’ and I pray specifically for the following needs: And I pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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