Abounding in hope in times of turmoil

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

With the turmoil in our country, the fear of Covid-19, and our personal turmoil of loss, financial insecurity, and many other factors that trouble us we wonder how we’re going to get through life. As Christians we aren’t exempt from trouble. However, God assures us of his presence and the fact that he’s an ever-present help in times of trouble. He is our strength when we are weak; he is our security in times of insecurity; he is our comfort in times of loss. He never takes us around trouble so that we can avoid it altogether; neither does he leave us in the midst of trouble; he takes us through trouble and carries us until we are out of it on the other side.

In the midst of trouble, we need to hold on to the encouragement of His Word, as in the prayer of Paul.

• Where we don’t have joy in our lives may he fill us with all joy.
• Where our hearts and minds are troubled may he fill them with a peace beyond all understanding.
• Where we have grown disheartened by personal or national circumstances may he renew our faith in him who is still in complete control of everything even when it doesn’t seem so.
• Where we feel weak may the power of the Holy Spirit sustain us.
• Where life seems hopeless may he open the eyes of our hearts and understanding so that we may abound in hope. Christ in us is the hope of glory.

Let us pray for:

• Those who are sick, including those with Covid
• Those who have lost loved ones
• Stability in our country. That the violence and looting may stop
• For wisdom for our government to make the right decisions during the dual crisis of the covid pandemic as well as the unrest
• For the recovery of our economy. There has been a loss of over R16 billion, over 40,000 business affected, and over 129,000 jobs lost due to the riots.
• For the unemployed to have their needs met by philanthropists, and that employment opportunities will be created for them.