Hope in the Storm

Read:

Hebrews 6:19 (NLT): “This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.”

Philippians 4:4–7 (NIV): “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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.”

Romans 15:13 (NIV): “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Act:

 Let us be determined this week to:

Remember that our hope is anchored in the unchanging nature and promises of God. The word “HOPE” means ‘joyful anticipation and expectation’. The hope we find in Jesus is steadfast and reliable, not flimsy or fleeting, but a firm foundation guiding us through life’s uncertainties and challenges, offering us a confident expectation and the promise of eternal life with Him. When fear and uncertainty overwhelm us, let us hold fast to God, trusting that no matter how fierce the storm, with God on our side, there is always HOPE. His plans are for our good, promising a hopeful future filled with JOY – as stated in Colossians 1:27b (NIV): “…Christ in you, the hope of glory.” By embracing this divine HOPE, we find the strength, courage and peace we need to run our race well and persevere towards the finish line.

Find comfort in the truth that God is always near. Even when we don’t know what today or tomorrow holds for us, we can find HOPE in the fact that God knows. As it is written in Psalm 42:5 (NIV): “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.” Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have direct access to God’s presence. Therefore, we can be still and assured, knowing that God will sustain us through every day.

Persist in prayer, whether in times of joy or hardships, peace or chaos. God desires an intimate relationship with us. By faithfully turning to Him, we can find comfort, guidance and strength and be assured that He knows every word spoken and every thought we think. He knows, He is in control, and He will bless us beyond anything we can think or imagine if we put our HOPE in Him. So, let us approach God with hearts full of thanksgiving, acknowledging His power to make the impossible possible and bring into being that which does not yet exist (Romans 4:17). Let us thank Him for His boundless creativity and faithfulness, trusting that He’s always at work even when we cannot see it.

Let us today proclaim:
“To this I hold, my HOPE is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat
Yet not I, but Christ in me.”
(Song by Michael Farren / Rich Thompson / Jonny Robinson)

Pray:

Jesus, thank You that we can put our hope in You. Our hope is a sure foundation because You are a sure foundation. Thank You Jesus, that You’ve known about us before the foundation of the earth. None of this is a surprise to You, God. So, Lord, I just pray for every person. You know their stories, their circumstances, and their level of hope, expectation and trust is at. So, Lord, I pray by Your Spirit for a fresh impartation of hope. We thank You, and we love You that You are a God that is close and trustworthy, and You’re a God who keeps His promises. We love You and we thank You. In Jesus’ name.

Father, I thank You for who You are. I thank You for Your faithfulness in all that we say and do. Lord, I pray for those online today that if there are any problems or if there are any illnesses or anything they need help for, Lord, there is hope in You. So, Father God, I pray that You will walk with us, be with us. We know You love us. You’re faithful. So, thank You, Lord. Thank You for who You are and for what You’ve done for all of us. In Jesus’ name.

Father, in times of waiting and hardship, I just ask for Your comfort and peace. You are doing a mighty work even when we can’t see it. In Jesus’ name.

Thank You, Father that You know us. You know the longings of our hearts. And I pray that because we know how deeply loved we are, we would be able to enter our prayer times, the secret place, with thanksgiving, with faith, knowing that we are Your beloved, we present our requests and petitions to You calmly, in faith, knowing that we’re heard. In Jesus’ name

Lord, we thank You that we have the opportunity to reach out to You. Lord, we don’t have to go through some complicated process or be at a specific level of spiritual maturity in order to be able to just speak to You. Lord, You’ve invited each and every one of us into a relationship with You. You want us to spend time with You. You want us to speak with You. Lord, and so I pray that that persistence, that commitment, that discipline of coming, being with You, making the time in what’s sometimes a busy day, Lord, to sit with You, to spend time in prayer. Lord, for those for whom that’s not a reality, Lord, I pray that You’d reveal Yourself in a way that really draws us into that reality. Lord, where that is already a reality, Lord, I pray that You’d deepen that resolve, that You deepen that discipline, that pattern, that behaviour, that habit of spending time with You, Father. My prayer for every person is that You draw us into a deeper, more meaningful, powerful, persistence in our prayer life. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

(This WRAP is with great appreciation to Lucinda, Denise, Tanya, Shirley, Beth and Heinz)

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