When You Feel Hopeless, Pray Specifically - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - August 2, 2020
2020Aug 02
When You Feel Hopeless, Pray Specifically By Rick Warren
“I called to the Lord in my distress, and he answered me. From the depths of my watery grave I cried for help, and you heard my cry” (Jonah 2:2 GW).
When you know what’s causing your hopelessness, you can begin to pray specifically for what you need. That’s how God wants you to talk with him.
And as you pray specifically, I encourage you to take Scripture and pray it back to God. It’s the key to asking God for help!
That’s what Jonah did when he sank into the ocean and was swallowed by a large fish. In his short prayer in Jonah 2, he prayed eight different Scriptures. Everything he said is a quote from the book of Psalms. Jonah was obviously well-versed in Scripture.
What verses should you pray back to God?
Pray the laments of God. When you’re angry, go back to one of the laments in Psalms or the book of Lamentations and pray those complaints back to God.
Pray the truth about God. Pray what the Bible says about God—about his goodness, his fairness, and his justice. All of those topics are in the Bible.
Pray the promises of God. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve prayed, “God, I need you to keep your word. I need you to do what you’ve promised.” Then I’ll pray one of the promises of God I’ve memorized.
Make a point to study God’s Word every single day so that, like Jonah, you can pray God’s Word back to him. And as you do, God will bring hope back into your life.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Build a Firm Foundation of Prayer in the Next Generation!
“Perhaps the most important role you can play in the life of a child is teaching them to trust God through prayer. It’s the key to living with hope.” —Pastor Rick
That’s why it’s so important to strengthen the hope of kids by introducing them to Jesus’ model for prayer at an early age. And we’re excited to help you do that with Pastor Rick’s children’s book, The Lord’s Prayer: Words of Hope and Happiness.
Filled with thoughtful insights from Pastor Rick as well as stunning illustrations from award-winning artist, Richard Jesse Watson, this book brings the poetic scripture from the King James Version alive for readers young and old. It’s sure to become a meaningful bedtime ritual, a treasured memory, and by God’s grace, a legacy that bears good fruit for generations to come.
This book is a perfect way to share the beauty and richness of The Lord’s Prayer with the children the Lord has placed in your life. And it’s our thanks for your gift below to help Daily Hope take the Good News to more people everywhere. So please request a copy for yourself or a friend today, and thanks for your generosity!
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