Prayer for Hope-Filling Experience

Father, You have revealed to us that You are the God of Hope. You declared in Your Word that I could be filled with all joy and peace by the power of the Spirit if I believe with a sincere and expectant heart. You said that as I go on believing, all You promised to be for me in Jesus, You will be, so that I can abound in hope.

Our pastor preaches that this hope is designed to permeate, enliven, fill, embolden, and energize the believer – enabling us to enjoy God and to display the love and power of God to others irrespective of how dark the times, difficult our troubles, or how powerful our enemy appears!

I ask that You cause this hope that I have in Christ – who is the Person of all hope living in me, the person of all helplessness -- to rise up to new levels of confident expectation and anticipation in believing that this hope will never disappoint me. Release the power of this hope that comes in the gospel’s provision so that I can daily experience it’s life-giving, faith-supporting, love-affirming, joy-creating, peace- giving, power-imparting, and victory-assuring power and then exhibit it before a hopeless world.

May I like Jesus possess this power of abounding hope and ability to proclaim the kingdom has come in power and yet not be possessed by the thrill of the works of power. Empower us to set the example for others by carrying the ultimate "power tool" -- a towel. May we have a foot-washing spirit, bent not upon the love of power, but the power of love.