4 Steps To Have Hope In Hard Times

Written By:

Written By:

have hope in hard times 1

This article will help you learn how to have hope in hard times. We find hope not in ourselves, our friends, government, or media, but from our Living God.




On May 6, a local man was burning illegal materials in a burn barrel. He neglected to extinguish the fire and the combustion escaped the barrel to burn the surrounding areas.

Dry windy conditions carried the fire to 343 acres of wildlands and suburbs. It completely destroyed 33 homes and severely damaged 26 more.[1]



Neighbors lost everything they owned, all their earthly possessions, cars, computers, pets, photographs, important papers, everything in one evening.

Can you imagine the feeling of learning that everything you own, all the things you worked hard for, are completely wiped out?

Gone forever.




Hope is stronger than prayer

David In Hard Times

When David and his army looked over the horizon to Ziklag, the city had burned to the ground.  Even their wives and children were gone.

They wept until their strength was gone. Such bitter despair filled their hearts that the men talked of stoning David to death.

In this horrific situation, where no comfort was to be found, the Scriptures say David โ€œencouraged [strengthened] himself in the Lord his Godโ€ (1 Sam 30:6).

Then he โ€œinquired of the Lordโ€ as to his next steps.

David found his hope in God.

You may not be facing a burned-out home like some of our neighbors, but during this COVID-19 pandemic, we have all stared down fearโ€™s eyes. We have encountered stress upon stress.

Many people face loss of jobs and the future they dreamed of. Many people continue to face life-threatening situations.




Our lives have changed. Then even worse than what has already happened is the anxiety of not knowing what will happen.

Hard times are blessing in disguise

Life is hard right now. Change is hard, and there seems to be no encouraging news.

But, . . .   

In the middle of the dark times we can find hopeโ€“not in ourselves, friends, government, scientists, or mediaโ€“but we can find hope in God.

We can take Davidโ€™s example of how to have hope in hard times with the Holy Spirit as our Guide.

4 Steps To Have Hope In Hard Times

1. Honestly Acknowledge the Situation and Grieve

First, honestly take time to acknowledge the situation you are facing. If you feel like crying, cry. Even Davidโ€™s warrior men cried.

God gave us emotions to be the thermometer of our souls. Do not ignore things as if they arenโ€™t real. This is real. This is really hard.

Please donโ€™t feel like you donโ€™t have faith if you get real about your problems. It takes faith to be honest with God about your feelings. In order to heal and go forward, you have to face problems. You canโ€™t ignore things.




If you try to ignore problems, they become emotional wounds that rub and remain sore until they are faced and healed.

We are all going through a season of grieving life as it used to be. Grieving is a normal process.

Stay as long as you need, but do not get stuck.

Grief is a place we travel through.

hope

Read 5 Steps To Find The Deeper Meaning Of Life

2. Encourage Yourself In The Lord To Find Hope

David encouraged himself in Godโ€™s love. You have Christ living in your heart. You have the anointing of the Holy One.




Your Lord has promised never to leave you nor forsake you. That is an eternal promise.

God has given you faith to overcome, so you have enough faith already, inside you.

Faith doesnโ€™t always take you out of a problem, but the God of your faith will always walk with you through problems.

Faith doesnโ€™t always take away the pain, but the God of your faith will always give you the grace to handle the pain.

Faith doesnโ€™t always take you out of the storm, but the God of your faith will calm you through the storm.

The Lord knows you inside and out. He knows what you face and wants to face it with you. You can find your hope in God.

3. Inquire Of The Lord To Find Hope

In the face of devastation, David turned to inquire of the Lord for himself.



He did not ask his buddies what they thought. He did not ask the priest, and he did not complain on Facebook.

When life got hard, he went to his place of prayer.

He knew God was for him and not against him.

So, David inquired of the Lord, saying, โ€œShall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?โ€

And He answered him, โ€œPursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover allโ€ (1 Sam 30:8).

The key to success is to encourage yourself in Godโ€™s love, and inquire of God for strategies to move forward.

Read 10 Pieces Of Timeless Spiritual Wisdom To Help You Get Through Hard Times


4. Believe And Obey

David believed and obeyed Godโ€™s direction and he recovered allโ€” plus additional spoils besides.

David and his mighty warriors obtained enough spoils to share with the people who did not fight in the battle and enough to send as gifts to others.

Believe God to recover all the things in your life the enemy has stolen.

You are more than a conqueror; you get spoils besides!

Believe for enough to bless other people around you!



Believe God for the restoration of all things! Believe for things in your life to be better than they were before!

Believe God for miracles in every area of life!

Read 10 Ways Youโ€™re Making Your Life Harder Than It Has To Be

Practical Steps For How To Have Hope In Hard Times:

Here are a couple of practical things that will help you have hope in the Lord.

  • Remember good things from your past and be thankful. Remember how God has brought you through previous tough times. David probably thought about how God delivered him from the lion, the bear, and Goliath.
  • Think about things that could have happened but didnโ€™t. Remind yourself who your God is to you. Shake off victim mentality. Stand up on the inside. David probably poured out his soul in song. Take some time away to pour out your soul to God and praise the only One who can bring victory to your life. You can hope in the Lord!
  • Think about what kinds of things bring you peace? What kinds of things keep you upset and on edge? You can learn how to recognize Godโ€™s work in your life by knowing how he shows up in your daily life. He brings peace, love, and joy. Anything else is not God. So, begin to think about the things that bring peace to your heart. Cultivate a more peaceful life. Go out into nature and take time to observe the little things. Notice Godโ€™s beauty. Be thankful. Notice the encouraging, hopeful things.

Read 10 Healthy Ways to Get Through Difficult Times (Insights From Stoic Philosophy)

Practical Prayers For How To Have Hope In Hard Times:

Action Steps:

Prayer doesnโ€™t always have to be a long-drawn-out ordeal. Of course, some things require more prayer than others, but try the simple little prayer ideas below and expect your Lord to answer.

  • Come before the Lord thankfully and humbly as a curious child.
  • Quiet your mind of all the busy life things. Simply and quietly offer thanks and praise.
  • Yield your heart to Him. Notice His sweet peaceful presence. Linger in His peace.
  • Ask Him your questions. Ask for help. Ask for Hope. Ask specifically for what you need.
  • Ask that His will be done on earth as it is done in Heaven.
  • Ask for the grace to keep going and to face your fears.
  • Ask for wisdom and strategies to go forward.
  • Be quiet and aware in that moment of thoughts or pictures that spontaneously come into your mind. Take note of those things. You can always ask Him for clarification.
  • It can be helpful to write those things down. If you did not feel as though God answered your questions at this moment, do not despair. He will answer your questions!

Continue to go about daily life with an expectant attitude. God uses many ways to answer our questions. He will answer one way or another, at one time or another.

โ€œMay the God of hope fill you with all joy and peaceย as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.โ€

Romans 15:13

Read Prayers to Angels for Help: 10 Tips for Praying to Angels



Notes:

[1] https://waltonso.org/arrest-made-in-343-acre-mussett-bayou-wildfire-in-walton-county-florida/


Written by: Cynthia Johnson
Originally appeared on: Drcynthiajohnson.com
Republished with permission
have hope in hard times pin


— Share —

Published On:

Last updated on:

— About the Author —

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Up Next

Mindfulness And The Spirit of Buddhist Meditation

Mindfulness And The Spirit of Buddhist Meditation

Ever felt overwhelmed by your thoughts and emotions? What if you could train your mind to stay present, calm, and balanced? Learn more about Buddhist meditation below!

How mindfulness can help cultivate self-awareness and emotional regulation.

In recent years, mindfulness meditation, rooted in Buddhist traditions, has gained widespread interest in psychology and beyond. Amid a performance-driven culture, where achievement often outweighs presence, mindfulness offers a collective yearning for balance.

Up Next

The Psychology of Emotional Shopping

Psychology of Emotional Shopping: Important Ways To Tackle

You often buy things to lift your mood, but have you ever wondered why? Emotional shopping is more psychological than practical. So let’s learn more about it!

How to tackle a tendency toward emotional shopping.

In a globalized market, we are daily faced with a great variety of products and services that are meticulously planned and proficiently marketed to us, having an emotional influence on our brain centres and activating a desire to acquire them.

All of us want to experience the thrill of intense positive emotions that will raise the generation of our happy hormones which will eventually ensure the experience of such positive emotions as excitement, happiness, joy, glee, delight, hilarity, or amusement.

Up Next

Mel Robbinsโ€™ Viral โ€˜Let Them Theoryโ€™: Can It Really Transform Your Life?

Mel Robbinsโ€™ Viral โ€˜Let Them Theoryโ€™: Can It Really Transform Your Life?

The Let Them theory psychology is a simple yet powerful self help mantra made popular by Mel Robbins; a reminder that you canโ€™t control other peopleโ€™s actions, only your own reactions.

Is there anything more frustrating than other people? You try to control situations, influence decisions, and shape outcomes, but people keep doing whatever they want. Itโ€™s exhausting, isnโ€™t it?

You find yourself overanalyzing why someone didnโ€™t text back, why a coworker got a promotion instead of you, or why your friend refuses to leave that toxic relationship. You waste time, energy, and peace of mind obsessing over things that, frankly, arenโ€™t yours to control.

Instead of over analyzing, stressing, or trying to change things beyond your control, you simply let it be.

Up Next

5 Ways To Find Peace When You Are Taking The High Road

Taking The High Road? Ways To Let Go And Find Peace

Taking the high road can feel like a challenge, especially when things get messy. But letting go of attachments can help you a lot in doing that. Itโ€™s also one of the best ways to maintain your peace and stay true to who you are.

KEY POINTS

Taking the high road means behaving in line with our moral and ethical values even when others don’t.

Fear of being misunderstood, judged, or rejected by our peers can make it challenging to take the high road.

We can find a sense of peace if we recognize that our suffering on the high road stems from attachment.

Releasin

Up Next

Boomerasking: The Silent Conversation Killer You Didn’t Know You Had

What Is Boomerasking? Signs You're Guilty Of This Bad Habit

We need to talk. And no, not about you, though thatโ€™s kind of the point. If youโ€™ve ever asked someone a question only to immediately shift the conversation back to yourself, you might be guilty of boomerasking.

What Is Boomerasking?

It is a conversational tactic identified by Harvard Business School’s professor Alison Wood Brooks, wherein a question that seems to show interest serves as a guise for the speaker to center the conversation about themself.

Up Next

Power Colors For Zodiac Signs: Learn To Supercharge Your Life!

Power Colors For Zodiac Signs Interesting Hues

Ever felt drawn to a certain color without knowing why? Or maybe youโ€™ve noticed how certain colors boost your mood and energy. Below are 12 power colors for zodiac signs. Find a hue that aligns with your strengths and helps supercharge your life. 

Wearing the zodiac sign power colors can help you feel more centered, confident, and in sync with your true self. 

So, do you want to learn more about the colors that can enhance your energy and success? Letโ€™s explore the power colors for zodiac signs!

Up Next

10 Subtle Signs Youโ€™re Secretly Becoming Your Best Self

Signs Youโ€™re Becoming Your Best Self

We always hear about green flags in relationships, but what about green flags in yourself? The truth is, youโ€™ve probably grown more than you realize. Itโ€™s easy to focus on what still needs work, but if youโ€™ve been showing up for yourselfโ€”whether in your mindset, habits, relationships, or careerโ€”youโ€™re already on the right track.

Becoming your best self isnโ€™t about waking up one day with everything figured out. Itโ€™s about the small shifts, the quiet wins, and the moments where you choose growth over comfort. So if youโ€™ve been wondering whether youโ€™re heading in the right direction, take this as a sign: Youโ€™re doing better than you think.

Ahead, weโ€™re diving into the green flags that prove youโ€™re stepping into your happiest, most authentic selfโ€”because real growth is happening, even if you donโ€™t see it yet.