Life-Changing Prayers of Hope for Tough Times

Thin bands of ivory lace the spines of the spruce’s outstretched boughs.  They point to the sky like accusatory fingers wagging at the God who won’t pull back the veil of winter.  I’m tempted to join them, but I know better.  Instead, I ask God to help me offer prayers of hope for long seasons.

It was a long winter, and I’m ready for sunny skies.

You might not be struggling through a long winter season.  Maybe you’re sailing beneath sapphire skies.  I pray you are.  But there will come a time when God fails to meet your expectations.  You’ll face struggles and storms, and you just might need a few prayers of hope.  This post is for you.

Prayers of Hope for Hard Times:

Let’s look at five powerful prayers of hope to pray in tough times:

1. Father, thank you for holding me close in every storm.

We all face storms in life.  Some storms seem like they might drown us.

Do you feel like you’re drowning today?

God’s arm is not too short to reach out and save you in an instant.

We can trust him to hold us through even the most tumultuous storms.  This kind of trust sets us free to live without fear.  You don’t need to fear the future when you trust the One who holds your future in his hand.

You don’t need to fear the future when you trust the One who holds your future in his hand. #trustGod #hope #fear #encounteringGod Click To Tweet

Sit with this for a moment.

These are more than just cliché words.  They are truth and life and living hope.

2. Father, I praise you for being good – all the time.

Did God fail to meet your expectations?

Are you disappointed in him?

There are few situations that call for praise more than those moments when God fails to meet my expectations.  When he fails to swoop in and clean up the mess, save the day, heal the disease, or answer the prayer in the way you hoped, the gateway to hope is to offer a sacrifice of praise for his goodness before you can see it.

3. Father, thank you for your promise to use my struggles for good.

Most of us are familiar with the words of Romans 8:28-29.  God promises to use all things for the good of those who love him.  Let’s remember God’s definition of good: “that we would be conformed to the image of Jesus.”

We can thank God for our struggles when we remember God uses trials to make us look more like Jesus.

4. Father, thank you that when my circumstances fall apart, you are my hope.

Lasting hope is deeper than circumstantial hope.  It is hope fixed on a source outside myself.  It is hope fixed on an anchor that is not inside the haul of the ship.

Thank God that he is your hope – your anchor – even when circumstances unravel.  And then ask him to help you press into him in a way that transforms you. (For more prayers of hope, join me here.)

5. Father, thank you that even if this worst-case scenario unfolds, I can trust you.

We tend to lose hope when circumstances fall apart.  The most powerful prayers for hope are prayers that thank and praise God – even when worst-case scenarios become reality.

Can you pray this kind of prayer for hope today?

Will you trust God with your situation?

He is trustworthy.  He invites you to walk in his hope today.

The Key Ingredient for Your Prayers of Hope

Do you notice what these prayers of hope have in common?

These are prayers of thanksgiving.

I believe God responds to our desperate and pleading prayers.  He hears every prayer uttered by his children.  However, I shift the focus of my heart when I pray with gratitude.  Thankful prayers lead me to look at the One who already paved the way for hope in my life.  My role is to simply step into the path he prepared for me.

Thankful prayers lead me to look at the One who already paved the way for hope in my life. #prayersofhope #prayers #gratitude Click To Tweet

Your Turn to Pray Prayers of Hope:

For the next few minutes, pray through the five prayers listed above, or consider an area of your life that’s difficult right now.  Ask God to help you thank him for the work he is doing through the struggle.  Find even one reason to give thanks in this struggle.  Remember, you don’t have to give thanks for the struggle, but you can find something to thank God for as you walk through the struggle.

We cannot lead others where we have not first traveled.  Do you want to bring God’s kingdom to earth?  It will happen through relationships.  You cannot lead others into a kingdom-centered life if you have not first lived it for yourself.  Every time you give thanks in a struggle, you align yourself with God’s kingdom.  These are powerful prayers – difficult, but world-changing.

An Invitation to Join With Others in Praying Prayers of Hope:

How would you like to spend the next seven days united with other believers as you pray world-shaking kingdom prayers?  Let’s join together in praying for revival to sweep across the globe.  This post contains excerpts from my latest prayer resource: a seven-day prayer guide called Kingdom Prayers.  This guide will help you pray powerful prayers to unleash God’s power in your life and in the world around you.  Get your free download right here.