A Prayer to Replace Despair with Hope
By Lynette Kittle
Bible Reading:
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” - 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
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Sometimes, despair creeps into our lives after losses, hurts, and disappointments, urging us to feel hopeless, to throw in the towel, and to give up. But we can’t ever trust what despair whispers in our ears or shouts in our faces because every word is a lie, telling us things can never change, convincing us there is no future hope for us, often making its play to overtake us at unexpected times.
Floundering through Fishy Times
One such situation in the Bible is Jonah, in which despair captured him at a time when he should have been rejoicing. His story is dramatic, to say the least.
After rejecting and running away from God’s calling in his life to warn wicked Nineveh of coming destruction, Jonah was thrown overboard from a ship and swallowed by a giant fish, which seemed hopeless at the time, like the end for him, spending 3 days and 3 nights inside it (Jonah 1:17). "From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said: ‘In my distress, I called to the Lord, and He answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and You listened to my cry’” (Jonah 2:1-2). God heard Jonah’s prayer and miraculously caused the fish to vomit him out of its belly (Jonah 2:10).
Falling Into Despair
After Jonah’s belly time, God asked him again to warn wicked Nineveh of the coming destruction, and this time he went. But when the evil king and people repented and were spared by God, Jonah fell into deep despair because he hated them and wanted to see their destruction.
As Jonah 4:1-3 chronicles, “Jonah, however, was greatly displeased, and he became angry. So he prayed to the Lord, saying, ‘O Lord, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I was so quick to flee toward Tarshish. I knew You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion—One who relents from sending disaster. And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.’”
But Jonah’s despair didn’t stop there; it spread, as Jonah 4:8 explains. “When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die and said, ‘It would be better for me to die than to live.’” Despair has a way of taking over, like it did with Jonah. “But God said to Jonah, ‘Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?’ ‘It is,’ he said. ‘And I’m so angry I wish I were dead”’ (Jonah 4:9).
Hope Triumphs Over Despair
But when faced with trials, it doesn’t have to be that way; despair doesn’t have to take over our emotions because there is another way: hope.
Although Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had reason to feel despair when faced with a fiery furnace, instead of letting despair overtake them, they put their hope in God. “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to him, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand; but even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up’” (Daniel 3:16-18).
With God, there is hope, and in what may seem like the darkest of hours, when despair tries to capture us, Jesus wants us to know that “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
Let’s Pray:
Dear Father, Free us from fear, which leads to desperate thoughts that open the door in our hearts and minds to hopelessness. When faced with disappointments, losses, and sorrow, help us resist letting despair draw near and overtake us. Whenever we feel shaken, and our future looks uncertain, instead of listening to the lies of despair, open our ears to hear Your voice leading us. As You urge in Isaiah 28:23, “Listen and hear My voice; pay attention and hear what I say.” Strengthen our hearts to trust in You rather than looking at circumstances. Lead us to look to Your word and promises for our hope and future. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/2jenn
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
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