Sunday Prayer: When Hope Feels Distant

God, you are my hope when circumstances suggest hopelessness, my anchor when everything else is shifting. You've promised that hope in you never disappoints because your love has been poured into my heart. Even when I can't feel it, that truth remains.

Hope felt like a stranger today, like something other people have but I've lost access to. I looked at my situation and couldn't imagine it improving. I prayed and felt like my words hit the ceiling. I tried to muster optimism but ended up feeling more discouraged. Hope feels naive when reality feels harsh. Thank you for being faithful even when I'm not feeling hopeful. Thank you for working in ways I can't see, for holding onto me when I struggle to hold onto you. Thank you that my hope isn't built on my feelings but on your unchanging character.

Resurrect hope in my weary heart. Remind me of times you came through when I thought you wouldn't. Help me remember that delayed doesn't mean denied, that silence doesn't mean absence. When hope feels distant, bring it close again. Tonight I choose to hope not in my circumstances changing but in you being good regardless. You are my hope and my portion forever.