For Hope – The Presidential Prayer Team

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that…we might have hope. – Romans 15:4

Bible stories offer hope to believers today. Genesis opens with the description of a powerful God that created Heaven and Earth. The story of Abraham provides hope through a God who keeps His promises. Exodus shows how the Heavenly Father desires a loving relationship with His own family. The stories of Daniel in the lion’s den and of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fire relate the way God protects. The book of Jonah reveals a God who knows how to get His servants back on track and call sinners to repentance. The book of Hosea reveals a God who hates sin but loves the sinner.

The book of John tells of a God who loved the world so much He sent Jesus to save and forgive. All through the New Testament, God shows He is the Healer. By Jesus feeding the crowds, He declares that God supplies every need. Jesus spoke of the Father who knows your hair count. The book of Acts relates the story of how God responds to intercession, sending angels to release Peter from prison. Through Paul’s life, you see God is the Rescuer from a long list of troubles and hardships. And many scriptures are written describing the promises of Jesus’ return and your eternal life.

As you read the Scripture today, take hope in this wonderful God. Look to Him for answers to the problems in the United States. Ask Him to have His way in government officials and their policies. Know that all things are possible with God and if you ask anything according to His will, He hears you.

Today’s Verse: Romans 15:4

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: Hebrews 11:1-6, 32-40

11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ²For by it the people of old received their commendation. ³By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
⁴By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. ⁵By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. ⁶And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

³²And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— ³³who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, ³⁴quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. ³⁵Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. ³⁶Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. ³⁷They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— ³⁸of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
³⁹And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.