Hope That Keeps Growing - Your Nightly Prayer - April 8th

Hope That Keeps Growing
Your Nightly Prayer
by Rachel Wojo, host of the Untangling Prayer podcast

TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him.”  - Romans 15:13

SOMETHING TO PONDER

There's a particular kind of discouragement that doesn't announce itself loudly. It creeps in on a weekday afternoon when you've been praying for the same thing for months, and nothing seems to be changing. You're not hopeless or giving up, but you're tired of waiting. It gets old trying to believe or look for signs of progress that just aren't there yet. I watched a time-lapse video once that I’ve never forgotten. It began with a single bulb pressed into dark soil. The start was just a small, unremarkable lump of nothing. Then the camera kept rolling. Slowly, roots pushed downward. A small green bud broke through the surface. Leaves unfurled and buds formed, one by one. And finally, eighty-three days later, full blooms opened wide. It took eighty-three days. Almost an entire season.

If you'd looked at that bulb on day twelve and declared nothing was happening, you'd have been wrong. Everything was happening. It just wasn't visible yet. I think about that when I consider Psalm 40 and the way David began it with a phrase that makes most of us cringe: "I waited patiently for the Lord." We read those words and picture some serene saints sipping tea, perfectly at ease. But keep reading. David wasn't sitting in calm stillness. He was crying out. He was in what he himself called a slimy pit. He describes being stuck in the mud and mire, unable to get his footing. He was a mess, waiting. Both at the same time. That's the part we miss. 

Waiting on God and falling apart in front of God aren't opposites. David's waiting was active, desperate, and loud. He didn't go quiet and try to look spiritual. He prayed and cried. He kept asking. God answered, though not immediately. The answer didn’t come on David's schedule. But it arrived at the perfect time, because God's timing always is.

"He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." - Psalm 40:1-2

Maybe you're in the mud tonight. Maybe the prayer you've been praying feels like it's going nowhere. Can I encourage you to see that growth is happening, even though it's buried underground and you can't see it yet. Friend, keep showing up to God, because even when you can't see progress, growth may be happening below the surface. Trust that your God is faithful. Hope grows in the dark, even before you see the blooms.

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Father,
Sometimes hope feels fragile, and I wonder if anything is really changing. But you are the God of hope.
Help me trust you in the dark seasons. When I can't see what you're doing, remind me that roots grow before blooms. When the waiting feels empty, remind me that David prayed from the pit and you heard him. Remind me that your timing is never less than perfect.
Help me rest in sleep tonight, and help me rest with the steady, quiet confidence that You are near and that hope is still growing.
In Jesus' name, Amen.

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

1. The Season You're In: What does your waiting look like right now? Maybe it's a relationship that hasn't healed, a prayer that hasn't been answered, a situation that just won't seem to move. God sees every single day of it. He hasn't lost track of you in the mud.
2. The Growth You Can't See: What if something is actually happening beneath the surface? Roots grow long before blooms appear. The process isn't proof that God is absent; it may be proof that He's working in ways you simply can't see yet. Trust the unseen work.
3. The Hope He Offers: Romans 15:13 doesn't say God gives you a little hope to get by. He fills you with joy, with peace, as you trust. Tonight, let that be enough. You don't have to have it all figured out. Just trust the God who holds the whole every season in His hands.

As you close your eyes tonight, remember this: hope isn't lost just because it's slow. God is still growing something beautiful. As you close your eyes tonight, remember this: God sees. He knows. He values the small, hidden sacrifices you make in His name.

If you're looking for more guidance on anchoring your heart in God's faithful promises, especially His promises about how well He knows and loves you, you’ll want to check out this beautiful prayer journal, Praying the Promises of God: 52 Week Guided Journal at https://promisesprayerjournal.com. In this journal, you'll find space to meditate on the promises that remind you of your incredible worth to God and help you experience His intimate love in tangible ways. Until next time, remember, God sees you, hears you, and He knows your needs.

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Elvira Podolinska

Rachel Wojo is an inspirational author, public speaker, and podcaster known for her popular blog, rachelwojo.com. Through her biblical approach and personal life experiences, Rachel empowers women to discover strength and hope in everyday situations. Despite enduring the loss of her mother, adult special needs daughter, and father, Rachel remains resilient. She has authored the uplifting book,  Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life's Darkest Moments  and a new beautiful, spiral-bound prayer journal, Praying the Promises of God,  Rachel is crazy in love with her husband, Matt, and cherishes her motherhood with six children on earth and two in heaven.

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