“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7
Oxford Languages defines hope as, “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” When it comes to God, our hope is a sure foundation. He can be fully trusted because anything He says will happen. Having hope in God is not blind hope—it is a sure promise of better things to come.
We often say we “hope” for certain things to happen, yet we actually have no faith in what we hope for. Sometimes our hope can be likened to wishing on a star. We hope it will happen, but we don’t expect anything. Sadly, many of us take this same ideology when it comes to hope in God. Since we have always believed hope to be similar to wishful thinking, we are left with a polluted view of what hope in God means.
Hope in the Lord is not haphazard nor is it risky. Having hope in the Lord is setting our feet on secure ground. Trying to find hope in other things will leave us feeling empty, yet having hope in God will never fail us. Instead of hoping and wishing on shooting stars, we need to find lasting hope in the Lord.
This can be done by going to Him in prayer and getting to know Him. If we never talk with God in prayer, how will we ever truly get to know Him? In the same way, how can we acknowledge our dependence on Him if we are never talking with Him and presenting our prayers at His feet? A lack of praying equals a lack of hope in the Lord.
Many of us turn away from praying to God because we feel it is futile. Maybe we prayed for something in the past, yet it wasn’t answered with a “yes.” This can leave us feeling hurt and alone. If this has happened to you, know that you are not alone as many of us have prayers answered with a “no.” While we may never know on this side of heaven why God answers some prayers with a “yes” and others with a “no,” we know we can trust Him.
God closes the door on many of our prayers for a reason. This reason might not be known to us at the time, but it is for a good reason. The Lord can be fully trusted because He has shown Himself to be faithful and good. Try talking with God in prayer again and see if this helps you develop more hope in the Lord.
As you talk with God, do not be afraid to ask for things you have been hoping for. When you talk with God in prayer, you are not speaking to a magical genie—you are talking to the Creator Himself, who loves you deeply. None of your prayers are in vain nor are they not heard by God.
Pour your heart out to God and pray for anything you need. Offer up thanksgiving and praise as you pray, and don’t be afraid to pray big prayers. Have hope in the Lord and also have trust. If God answers any of these newer prayers with “no,” don’t allow it to diminish your hope or faith. Keep trusting in Him and know that He will answer prayers in accordance with His good will (Romans 8:28).
Micah 7:7 gives us the power to have hope in the Lord. The prophet was going through a distressing time, yet he found his hope in the Lord. Micah tells us that he watches in hope of the Lord and will wait for Him. Acknowledging the Lord’s listening ear to his prayers, Micah says he knows that God hears him.
Knowing that God hears his prayers enables Micah to have hope. Micah waited and watched for the Lord even when there was no hope in sight. This is something that we can learn from as hope is found the more we stay focused on Jesus. We can find lasting hope in the Lord by turning to Him in prayer, developing trust in Him, and relying on Him.
Even when there is no hope in sight, as it was for Micah, we still need to have faith in God. Terrible things happen because we live in a fallen world, yet God is never absent. Where God is, we can rest in knowing that we can have hope. God will never abandon us nor will He forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6). In Him, we can find eternal love, peace, and hope.
Let's pray:
Dear Jesus, help me find lasting hope in You. I have had many prayers answered with a “no,” and it is very hard to cope with. To be honest, it had caused me to lose hope and faith. Please, Lord, help me find hope once again in You. I know You are good, holy, and upright, and that there is no darkness in You. Please protect me and keep my heart focused on You. Help me know that my hope is in You. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Jacqueline Munguia/Unsplash
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Originally published Friday, 31 January 2025.
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