Prayer When Feeling Hopeless
Are you feeling far from God? Perhaps you are feeling hopeless in life and you're feeling a heavy weight in your soul with no resolution in sight. During these times, some people may try to combat these negative feelings with substances like alcohol or drugs; however, these will never help truly fulfill someone. As quoted by Pope Francis, "Feelings of spiritual desolation, or a lack of will to live, should be combated with prayer, not with sleeping pills or alcohol; things that only distract us from the problem." Below are some popular prayers that give you hope even in a seemingly hopeless situation. These prayers may help remind you that even though you may be feeling far from God, all you need is a change of perspective, as God is never truly far from you.
"I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I shall not be shaken." Psalm 16:8
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. When we are hurting, God hurts with us." Psalm 34:18
"Lord, help me to hear you saying, "I am your hope" over all the other voices. Lord, your words in Hebrews 6:19-20 says, you are the hope for the hopeless, so I'm running to you with both hands stretched out and grabbing on to you. Fill me up with hope and give me a tangible reminder today that hope is an unbreakable spiritual lifeline. God, you are my hope and I trust you. Amen."
Embrace the Holy Spirit
It is an unfortunate burden of life that we will all encounter seemingly hopeless situations at times. This burden emphasizes how important it is to embrace the Holy Spirit in all aspects of life in order to truly be at peace even during the most undesirable circumstances. Some of the things we face, especially in the turbulent state of the world today, cause us to feel overwhelmed with anxiety and fear. Luckily, Jesus came and gave us the Holy Spirit to give us hope in the deepest parts of ourselves and rid us of these unpleasant feelings.
Reasons to Embrace the Holy Spirit
There are many reasons that one should embrace the Holy Spirit. In doing so, you will achieve great power not only for your own spiritual practice but for those in the world around you.
- It will help you grow your faith
- You can find more purpose in life
- You won't have to face life alone
- You will feel a change
- You can change the world
Praise God When You Can
Many fall into the pattern of only praising God when it's convenient for them or when they're experiencing a multitude of blessings. No matter what situation you are in, whether it be positive or negative, Psalm 150:6 states: "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord". Rather than looking back at the end of your life, wishing you had praised God more, start now.
Praise also facilitates access to God, as seen by Psalm 100:4, which states: “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.” Perpetual praise provides a clear and unhindered passage to God and shows that we believe in His promise to us. Additionally, facilitating such an intense atmosphere of praise even allows for God's presence to intensify in our lives.
The benefits continue even more as praising God also promotes productivity, as shown in Psalm 17:5-6 which states, "the Earth yields its produce in the presence of praise Psalm". Lastly, praise chases away despair, as seen in Isaiah 6:13, which declares that: praise is “the oil of gladness instead of mourning”
God's word inspires and encourages
One of the most famous promises of hope from God in the Bible is God's promise to the Israelites in Jeremiah 29:11, when God speaks into a season of hopelessness and reminds them: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” The readings of the Bible provide daily inspiration for believers and stands by themselves when it comes to its profound impact, a supernatural impact that comes from God.
The Bible contains a multitude of passages that offer encouragement and promises that you can claim as your own. It overflows with God's love and shows us of God’s repeated deliverance. The Bible proves to us that we are a part of something much greater than ourselves, and this should encourage us to be the best we can be. The Bible points us to a better way to live life so we can see the ways in which we may fall short and see how we can do better in order to please God.