Prayer life filled with hope

Dare to Hope teaches you day-by-day how to build a prayer life characterized by hope in God and excitement about the future.

     Private, intimate time with God is a sweet privilege that comes about through yieldedness. It is rewarded by grace and power. David wrote, “My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD” (Psalm 104:34 KJV). He knew God loved him and he loved being with God.
     As you set aside time to pray, read the Bible, and write in your journal, you will be making God your focus instead of anything else. You read the Bible not out of duty so that you can say, “I was in the Word today.” You read for fresh revelation from God. You enter into His divine rest.

“For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his”
(Hebrews 4:10 KJV).

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You may have heard the old saying “Prepare to meet your Maker.” When you meet with God in daily devotions, you are meeting with your Maker. The starting place in meeting God is joy that your heavenly Father wants to spend time with you, but you have to keep the right context. You need to remember His greatness and power.

End-of-the-Day Questions

John and Charles Wesley with their  18th-century Holy Club at Oxford prayed privately and wrote down their prayers during the day. Each night, they reviewed the affairs of the day, repented as necessary, and made new resolutions. Before they went to sleep, they recommitted themselves to the care and protection of God. As a result, they slept in peace. At the end of your day, finish anything incomplete in your quest for Christ-likeness. 

Ask yourself at the end of the day:

• Did I give praise and thanksgiving to God for something today?
• Do I need to repent for anything?
• Did I stay humble enough in the midst of challenges?
• Have I neglected my reading, in the Bible or otherwise?
• Do I still need to pray for anyone?
• Did my schedule today reflect a commitment to do the will of God?
• Did I leave undone any acts of kindness that I should have done?
• Are my financial affairs in order?
• Am I preparing for future financial and spiritual prosperity?
• Do I need to take a walk or otherwise complete my exercise?
• Have I controlled my time today, or has it controlled me?
• Did I spend my time doing anything that offended God?
• Did I sleep too much? Eat too much? Watch too much TV?
• If I died tonight, would the Lord say to me, “Well done”?

Then ask God, "May I go to sleep now, Father?"