prayer for hope

3 Empowering Prayers for Hope in Difficult Times

Are you looking for prayers for hope for yourself or those you love? Keep reading for examples of prayers for hope in the bible and a few prayers that you can pray for yourself and your family.

The word “hope” is one of those words that can be overused. We can hope for a convenient parking space at the grocery store when shopping with all of the kids is necessary. We hope gas prices come back down before we have to fill up the tank again. We hope that the package you ordered will be delivered on time.

But in a season of uncertainty, it seems that the word “hope” is the one we desperately need. We hope that the chemotherapy takes care of the cancer. We hope the funds in our bank account are sufficient to pay the onslaught of bills when our spouse loses his job. We hope our child’s mounting depression and anxiety will somehow disappear before things get worse.

Hope is used throughout the Bible in a variety of ways. In the Old Testament, it’s more desperate and painful. In the New Testament, the word “hope” is more positive, meaning expectation, trust, and confidence.

There are times when hope feels more desperate, and other times, much more confident. Either way, when you find yourself searching for hope, maybe it’s time to go a little deeper. Let’s cling to the giver of hope and go to God in prayer.

prayers for hope

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Prayers for Hope from the Bible

When we are in need of prayer and looking for hope, the best place to start is always the Word of the Lord. Let’s look at a few people from the bible and how they expressed their need for hope and how the Lord answered their prayers.

Praying for Hope when you are weak and broken

When you weather storm after storm, it’s hard to hold on to hope. You keep getting knocked down by the waves, so you try to muster the strength to tread water. Even that is exhausting, and you fight to keep your head above the water.

God is our hope that fills us to overflowing

In the New Testament, we are given the embodiment of hope through the birth, life, and especially the resurrection of Jesus Christ. God, who raised the broken body of his one and only son to life, can certainly do the same for you. 

After Christ’s resurrection and ascension to heaven, God gave the believers the gift of the Holy Spirit. Described as the Counselor and Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit gives the weak and broken another gift.

In Romans 15:13 CSB, the apostle Paul writes to the house churches of Rome,

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Overflowing Hope. When your body is weak from stress and worry, when your body is broken from grief and pain, the Holy Spirit within you is waiting to flood your soul with hope until it overflows on those around you who may also need a little hope.

Also Read: Praying for peace of mind: 21 Powerful and Encouraging Prayers for anxiety

Looking for more Guided prayers and resources to help you transform your prayer life? Check out all of our prayer resources for tips, guides, and printables to help you deepen your prayer life!

Praying for Hope when you need lifting up

There are times in life when the “hits just keep coming.” Nothing seems to be going smoothly. Your children are sick with another illness from school, and antibiotics are not cheap. Money is tight, and that electric bill is twice as much as last month. We just don’t know how much more we can handle.

Job lost hope but the Lord restores him

Job sought hope when he had lost everything and everyone close to him. He asked,

“What strength do I have, that I should continue to hope? What is my future, that I should be patient?”

Job 6:11 CSB

His friends tried to console him with “ignorant words.” Job 38:2 CSB His wife told him to curse God. But as Job cried out to God, the Lord responded,

“Where were you when I established the earth?”

Job 38:4 CSB

Sometimes, when all seems lost, we forget to run to the One who isn’t lost. He’s right there with us, in control of everything. He can lift us to our feet to start walking again.  Just as the Lord told the prophet Isaiah,

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.”

Isaiah 55:8 CSB

God’s ways are unknown to us, so when we lose hope, we have to remember that his ways and thoughts are higher than ours. There is comfort in knowing God’s perspective is different from ours.  

prayers for hope

Praying Hope when you need a miracle

God is a miracle-working God. We have read about miracles in the Bible. We have seen miracles happen in the lives of others. But when it comes to our own desperately needed miracle, we struggle. We tend to focus on the circumstances surrounding our desperate situation and not on our miracle-working God who is right there in the middle of it all.

Rahab needed hope but the Lord protects her

Our first introduction to Rahab is in Joshua 2:1-21 when Israelite spies come to Jericho to scout the land in order to conquer it. Immediately, we know two things about her. First, she is a citizen of Jericho, which means she is not Hebrew but pagan, believing in many gods.

Second, she is a prostitute. I am sure her home is not where the spies thought they would end up. I am also positive they never imagined she would save their lives.

And the biggest surprise of all, she acknowledged the might of the Lord God through his miracles over the past forty years and begged them to spare the lives of herself and her family. With the Lord’s chosen people on her doorstep, she needed a miracle from God himself.

The spies offered her hope through a scarlet cord. If she would hang it from her window, she and anyone else in her home would be spared on the day of battle. The Hebrew word for “cord” is “tiqvah.” The word “tiqvah” is also found in Psalm 62:5 CSB

“Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him.” Tiqvah is another word for hope.  

scriptures to pray

Prayers for hope for yourself and your family

Now that we have looked at how prayers for hope were used in the bible and how we can use those same prayers in our life, here are a few examples from each instance in the bible for how to use those prayers in our daily life.

A Prayer for Hope when you need lifting up

Earlier we spoke on Job and how he responds to the Lord in Chapter 42, verses 1–3. We can use his words to form our own prayer when we are desperately in need of hope.

Pray this prayer: “Lord, I know you are all-powerful and can do anything. Thank you for reminding me that you are in control and are walking with me when my hope is struggling and everything seems lost. I trust that your ways and thoughts are higher than mine. Help my hope to remain focused on You and Your plan for my life. Amen ” 

A Prayer for Hope when you need a miracle

Just like Rahab let’s hang our scarlet cord of hope out of the window, asking God for a miracle through our prayer using Psalm 62:5-8 CSB.

Pray this Prayer: “God, thank you for giving me rest. My hope comes from you. Thank you for being my rock. When I am unsteady, I can depend on you for solid hope. Thank you for being my refuge and protector. Help me trust you. I believe in the miracles in my past and know that you can make a way when I don’t see a way. Let me rest in your presence, knowing you are a miracle worker. Amen”

prayer for hope in the bible

A Prayer for hope when you are weak and broken

Paul’s blessing to the churches in Rome in Romans 15:13 is also a blessing for us.  Let’s use Paul’s words to ask God for overflowing hope.

Pray this Prayer: “God of hope, I believe in you. I am weak and broken from trying to stay above the waves. Fill me with all joy and peace so that I may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. I want overflowing hope to flood my soul and pour out onto the hopeless around me. Amen” 

Praying for Hope

As believers, we have been given a gift. Not only do we have a God that fills us with hope, but we also have a Savior who embodies hope and the Holy Spirit whose power overflows us with hope. 

You only need to cling to the cord of hope through prayer as God walks with you, delivering the hope needed when you feel like you have lost everything, when you need a miracle, and you find yourself weak and broken.

Written by: Leah Lively

Leah Lively was born and raised in Virginia. As a mom of four, she has waded through the waters of parenting a child with chronic physical and mental health issues. Leah is passionate about helping others focus on God while walking through the chaos of life. Leah writes to encourage others and grow in their faith. She writes to let other parents know they are not alone. She shares her writing on her blog and social media pages and has also published four Bible studies. In her spare time, Leah enjoys listening to podcasts, hanging out with her kids, settling down with a good book and a cup of coffee, or spending time with friends.

Connect with Leah: Blog | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

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