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
Heavenly Father, what an awesome Scripture this is, for claiming, fueling, and filling our hearts, this Monday in October. Help us to know you more fully as the “God of hope”—the Sovereign Lord who has everything and everyone in every place under his control, and our loving Father who is working in all things all the time for our good.
Indeed, fill us with all joy and peace—the joy of knowing you are with us and for us, and that nothing can separate us from your love; the joy of knowing that you love us as much as you love Jesus, for you have clothed us in his righteousness and have hidden our lives safely in his; the joy of experiencing your presence in our storms, your grace in our weakness, and your mercy in our messes.
And Father… fill us with your peace—the peace that things aren’t just going to be okay, but they’re going to be beyond all we can ask or imagine; the peace of knowing your heart and hand are engaged in the lives of our children, and in the crazy presidential election we are enduring; the peace of believing that history is still your story and that you’ll send Jesus back, right on time.
Ah yes, Father, we’d LOVE to “abound in hope”—to be so alive to the future you’ve planned and secured for us, it will impact how we live, work, and play… right now, right here. Thank you for a week to gospel more than we gossip, to offer more gratitude than gripes, to worship more than we worry, and to walk more by faith than fear. May we love others this week as you love us in Jesus, period. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ triumphant and tender name.
