Learning to Hope: Growing in Faith

Lately, the Lord has been teaching me about hope and the connection it has to my faith. As I have been reading through Scripture, I am realizing how often I pray but don’t necessarily have much hope attached to my prayers. I’ll ask the Lord for something, but my mindset is often, “If it happens; it happens.” I think sometimes I can be so focused on surrendering my desires to the Lord that I forget I should also come to Him with expectation, believing that He is able to do far more than I could imagine.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This verse defines faith as having a confidence in what we hope for, even when we can’t see it yet. Faith is not based on having all the answers or knowing how everything will turn out; it is trusting God even when the outcome is still unseen. The word substance points to something firm or assured, while evidence speaks to the conviction we have about what we can’t see. This has challenged me to think about whether I am truly approaching the Lord with faith when I pray. Am I praying with confidence in who He is, or am I simply bringing my requests to Him without really expecting anything? I’m learning that faith means trusting in His character and faithfulness even when I don’t know what He will do. I want to grow in a faith that gives me genuine hope, not because I can see the outcome, but because I know the One in whom I have placed my hope.

I see this playing out in my own life as I pray about the future, opportunities to serve the Lord, relationships, and the different things I’m waiting on Him for. Sometimes, I think it is easier to expect very little because then I won’t be disappointed if things don’t happen the way I wanted. But I’m learning that protecting myself from disappointment and placing my hope in the Lord are two very different things. I can surrender my plans without approaching God with an indifferent heart. I can ask Him boldly, genuinely desire something, and still trust Him if His answer looks different from what I imagined.

Psalm 42:11 says, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” I love how the psalmist speaks directly to his own soul, reminding himself where his hope belongs. He doesn’t pretend that discouragement isn’t there, but he chooses to direct his heart back to God. I want to live that out in my own life. When I feel uncertain, when prayers seem unanswered, or when things aren’t unfolding how I expected, I want to be reminded to hope in the Lord. My circumstances may change, my plans may look different, and I may not understand what He is doing, but He is good and He is God and His character remains the same.

My prayer in this season is that the Lord would strengthen my faith by teaching me to hope more fully in Him. I want to move from a mindset of “if it happens; it happens” to one that says, “Lord, I believe You are able, I trust You, and I have hope because of who You are.” That doesn’t mean I expect God to give me everything I ask for. It means I can pray with confidence while leaving the outcome in His hands. I can hope for specific things while keeping my greatest hope rooted in Him.

Scripture I’m holding onto:

• Hebrews 11:1 – Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.
• Psalm 42:11 – When my soul is discouraged, I can remind myself to hope in God.
• Romans 15:13 – God is the source of my hope.
• Ephesians 3:20 – God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I ask or think.