There are moments in life when you may feel hopeless due to your personal situations. Sometimes you may even look at the state of the world and feel a sense of hopelessness. Well-meaning people may tell you to “have hope”, which may lead you to the question, “How do I have hope when I feel hopeless?”
You may be facing job loss due to the economic difficulties caused by the global coronavirus pandemic or even financial emergencies that you did not foresee at the beginning of the year. Financial difficulties are enough to cause the pressures of hopelessness, however, there is always a reason to hope.
Perhaps you are suffering unimaginable grief due to the death of a loved one. Their death may have left you with more questions than answers and a sense that all your hope is lost. Watching the news can also trigger feelings of hopelessness and despair during this time of crisis as headline after headline often broadcasts doom and gloom. The good news is, even during your personal hardships, God is ever present and is the source of an endless amount of hope.
Romans 15:13 (KJV) says, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” Our heavenly Father is the God of hope and He wants us to abound in hope, even when hopelessness surrounds us. When we rely on God and not our own strength, we allow Him to empower us to walk in hope through His Holy Spirit.
4 Steps to Having Hope When You’re Feeling So Hopeless
- Acknowledge your situation.
Acknowledge that your situation is real and that you are experiencing difficulty. Even as a person of faith, hardships occur, and this is a time to allow God to help you through them so that He receives the glory. - Ask the God of hope to step into your heart and mind.
Make a request to the God of hope to come into your heart and your mind to give you peace and clarity to grasp the hope that He has to offer. - Read scriptures about hope.
Scriptures are a lifeline to us, especially in times of great need. Psalm 130:5 states, “I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.” The Bible is filled with scriptures about hope such as Psalm 31:24, Psalm 71:14, Psalm 119:114, and Psalm 130:5. - Ask trusted Christian friends or church leaders to pray for you.
When we feel too weak to pray, it is great to have trusted Christian friends or church leaders to pray for us. This is a built-in support system that God intends to be a blessing to us.
Remember, the God of hope is always present, even when we feel hopeless. Even in our times of difficulty, God can see us through. Even in the face of great pain and tribulation, hope is possible.
Dayna Lovelady, M.Div., MBA, is a minister, intercessor, writer, musician, and communicator. She recently graduated from Regent University with a Master’s of Divinity and works full-time at The Christian Broadcasting Network. www.LinkedIn.com/in/DaynaLovelady
