I want to bring us some hope in our prayer time today, hope that Paul helps us with in Romans 12:12. But I want to start today by just being real about where we are. If you’ve been paying at least a little attention lately, you’ve felt it. There is a heavy cloud over our community right now. We see families struggling, tension in our schools, and a lot of folks who just look... tired. There’s a lot of anger out there, a lot of fear, and if we’re being honest, a whole lot of hopelessness.
It feels like everyone is being backed into a corner, everyone’s on edge and when people feel trapped, they tend to lash out. But here is the danger for us as believers: when we allow that atmosphere of anger and fear to take up residence in our own hearts, it actually creates a problem.
The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:8 that “God is love.” And just a few verses later, it says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.” God and fear are like oil and water—they don't mix. If your heart is full of fear and anger, it’s really hard to hear the voice of Love. It’s like trying to listen to a whisper in a room where a siren is going off. The siren of fear drowns out the whisper of God. So, how do we shut off the siren? How do we find hope when the environment around us is so toxic?
The Apostle Paul gives us a masterclass in this in Romans 12:12. He says: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Paul isn't giving us a suggestion here; he’s giving us a discipline. Hope is something we have to actively work on, especially when the "affliction" is loud.
It reminds me of Elisha in 2 Kings 6. His city was surrounded by a massive enemy army. His servant woke up, saw the troops, and went into a total panic. I can imagine he was experiencing fear, maybe anger, definitely hopelessness and helplessness. But Elisha was calm. Why? Because Elisha was practicing the discipline of hope. He prayed, "Lord, open his eyes so he may see." Suddenly, the servant’s perspective shifted. He saw that the hills were filled with the chariots of fire of the Lord. The army hadn't moved, but the servant’s hope was now bigger than his pain.
That’s what Jesus did for us. Talk about a hopeless situation—Jesus was nailed to a cross and placed in a sealed tomb. To the world, it looked like the ultimate defeat. But Jesus turned the pain of a tomb into the gateway of hope. He proved that no matter how trapped we feel, God always has a way out.
Today, as we head into our prayer time, let’s use Paul’s words to guide us:
Let’s “be joyful in hope.” Are we trying to put hope in things in our world which don’t lead to joy? Or are we proclaiming like Nehemiah 8:10 did, “the joy of the Lord is my strength!” Trusting that God’s perfect plan will prevail (Jeremiah 29:11). Pray those in pain, being persecuted, in fear, suffering loss would be able to have joy in hope.
Let’s be “patient in affliction.” Are we trying to take matters into our own hands, trying to fight back, lashing out in pain or hiding in fear like Elisha’s servant? Or are we humbly waiting on the Lord (Lamentations 3:25-26), surrendering our own understanding, trusting He will make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Let’s be “faithful in prayer.” Are we seeking division, frustration, or our news feed to fuel our days? Or are we seeking His Kingdom first (Matthew 6:33) and humbly calling on God to heal our land by turning from wickedness and seeking His face. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
We can have hope today! Joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer!