My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness …~ excerpt from hymn written by Christian hymn written by Edward Mote
Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt hopeless? I was reflecting on the words of this hymn that I would hear sung on Sundays at our church. With uplifted voices, we’d sing this song from the depths of our heart.
Jesus is our hope and we as Christians are to place our hope in Him.
During 2020, there were days that I felt hopeless witnessing deaths from the deadly virus, job loss for thousands of employees, financial distress, our young children trying to learn over zoom, and so much more that was now saying this is the “new normal.”
My heart ached over the violence, injustices, and suffering that was now happening throughout the world. The enemy knew exactly how to attack my mind causing fear, anxiety and worry.
After years of battling depression, anxiety, and fear here I was struggling to keep a smile on my face and a song of JOY in my heart.
Lord, where are you?
The hopeful plans for our high school seniors was fading away with online school, no senior prom, no senior trip, and facing maybe no “in-person” graduation.
Lord, how can I see the positive in all this chaos around me. And that’s when He reminded me
“If my people who are called by my name, would humble themselves and pray, and turn from their wicked ways, then I would hear from heaven and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:15 KJV
God was calling the nation, not just our family to return to loving, honoring, and worshipping Him for who He is. God’s character did not change during COVID-19, that is why trusting Him rose up in me as I became more intentional on praying.
Praying takes the focus off of the situation and places it on God, our Abba Father, who does not change and whose word does not return void.
Our family united in focusing on praying for others, spending time with one another, and embracing the unity that we are called to have with the gift of reconciliation.
Fear and anxiety began to leave my body as I made the choice to activate my faith.
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for… Hebrews 11:1. This kind of hope is with expectation of what God will do and trusting in God’s character.
It became more evident to me during this season of quarantine that God was calling me to a deeper level of intimacy in Him, and I could make a difference by showing others how to do the same. And I believe this was not just for me, but for the nations to put God first and remove the distractions and “gods”.
He is the Healer that heals all diseases and His word promises to heal our land.
Yes, plans had to be adjusted, emotions had to be put “in check”, and attitude adjustment took place, thank God for grace, but when I returned my focus to PRAYER, HOPE returned to my life.
Today friend, we can have Hope because Jesus is our solid foundation.
I’d like to encourage you to become intentional about building your prayer life today.
LaVonda is a speaker, author, and Life Coach specializing in women empowerment with a Christian-based approach, helping women find complete freedom as she teaches them to embrace their identity in Christ and build their faith. She lives with her pastor-husband and 3 children in Stuttgart, Germany. Connect with her at www.lavondamccullough.com.
Read LaVonda’s articles HERE.
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