Overcoming Hopelessness: Restored Hope
Recently my entire family experienced extreme spiritual warfare. We encountered back to back hits & God led me to tell my family to pray against these attacks. In all honesty, the pressure was becoming too much and my spirit man was starting to grow weary. When would the enemy let up? When would God show His mercy upon my loved ones? After a short break, there it was again - another issue. It was beginning to become difficult to remain hopeful. “Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.” Psalms 143:4 KJV
My dad has always been a source of encouragement to me, but over the past few months he had been sick himself and not home for me to sit on the edge of his bed and pour my heart out to him. Instead I had to visit him as he recovered from some health issues at a facility. Something led me to call him though. It was a rare moment on a Saturday where I was alone and needed to talk to my dad the way we used to. After a few rings, my dad answered and in his same fashion he declared that he was “terrific and getting better.” I asked him if he wanted any visitors and he happily replied yes. I zoomed there desperately needing to see hope. I didn't have much time as visiting hours at the hospital were winding down.
Once I arrived, he greeted me with a smile and I got as close as I could to the edge of his bed so we could talk like we used to; how I needed to. My dad with so much confidence said, I'm going to be alright. I gave it to God and I know you are praying for me too. In that moment, I was able to overcome hopelessness. Someone who had gone through so much in the past few months was able to encourage me by reminding me that God is still in control. He could be depressed, anxious, and give up but instead he has learned to trust our Father in Heaven through it all. In essence, my dad reminded me of the power of hope and prayer. “Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope.” Psalms 119:49 NLT “And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.” Psalms 39:7 NLT
Hope defined: A feeling of expectation, desire for a certain thing to happen. I had to refocus my hope on the only one who had the power to change it all - God. I hadn't stopped praying or reading the Word, but my prayers became more intentional as well as my studying time after this. God led me to share this testimony on Periscope as a vlog initially to encourage others who may need their hope restored. If you are reading this and also have experienced spiritual warfare, I encourage you to fight back! With your sword in the spirit and wearing the full armor of God - fight to maintain your peace, hope, and faith in the Lord our Savior.
Encourage yourself in the Lord and surround yourself with other believers who are going to cover you and your situation in prayer. Not those who say they will pray and never do, but those who can pick you up in the spirit and sense that something is wrong. When no one is there to war in the spirit with you, here are some scriptures to confess and meditate on as you cry out to our Heavenly Father. “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” Romans 12:12 NLT “O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord , from childhood.” Psalms 71:5 NLT Side Note: This verse shut me down! I have known God since I was a child (saved at 7 years old) and can recall waiting for my dad to get in from work for us to pray together before bed. When I came upon this scripture, I knew God was there with me affirming His love for me. Let's continue: “You will be rewarded for this; your hope will not be disappointed.” Proverbs 23:18 NLT And finally, let us remember Job, who lost everything only for God to restore it all and then some. “I helped those without hope, and they blessed me. And I caused the widows’ hearts to sing for joy.” Job 29:13 NLT Go out and help someone else who may need their hope restored today. A simple hug, word of encouragement, or prayer could be all the difference in their circumstances. You may even share this with them! Be blessed and remain hopeful in the fact that God is still God no matter what the enemy tries and that means that as His children, we already have the victory!
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