Devotion: Hope Pulls all the Pieces Together
I have never experienced a day quite like it. July 7, 2017, the day my precious daughter was born early in the morning and my sweet grandmother entered eternity with Jesus that evening. It is hard to put into words the wave of emotions that surrounded that day. I remember great joy and adrenaline as I gave birth and held that brand-new life for the first time and the sadness and shock that accompanied a phone call in the hospital room with the news of my grandmother breathing her last breath.
But regardless of the wave of emotions, the exhaustion, and surprise that occurred throughout the day, what I remember the most vividly was the hope in Christ that pulled all the pieces together.
My grandmother was a witness of the Gospel. She lived with eyes wide open and saw people with compassion and a deep desire for them to meet the Jesus she loved. Early that morning on the day she met Jesus in eternity, her great-granddaughter was born and given the name Reneé which means “rebirth or born again.” Every person who is born again into relationship with Jesus has hope for eternity.
I wonder about the emotions that may have occurred at the birth of Jesus. I imagine Mary and Joseph walked through joy, exhaustion, uncertainty, surprise, and hope because their God, Yahweh, was sending His Son to step down from heaven to be born as a human. They did not know what the future would look like. They did not know the grief they would one day encounter with Christ’s death, but I can imagine they had much hope as they held a miracle baby who embodied both God and humanity.
Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen.
He is my Beloved, who pleases me.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
He will not fight or shout
or raise his voice in public.
He will not crush the weakest reed
or put out a flickering candle.
Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.
And his name will be the hope
of all the world.”
‒ Matthew 12:18-21
Take some time to answer these questions as a group:
- Have you ever had an experience in your life when you struggled through a variety of emotions but knew that there was hope in it?
- What do you think Mary and Joseph would have been feeling in the birth of Christ?
- How has God given you hope this year? What are your hopes for this holiday season?
- How can this group pray for areas in your life where you are struggling to hope?
As you enter this Christmas season, would you join me in praying and asking God to remind us of the beautiful hope He has given us through the birth of Jesus and our redemption through the Christ? May it also continue to stir in each of our lives a deep desire for the people we encounter to meet the Jesus we love!
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
‒ 1 Peter 1:3, NIV
Sarah LeBlanc
Director of Field Ministry
Prayer Preparation
What brings you hope? Take a few minutes to share your responses with one another. Open with a prayer filled with God’s promise and love for all people.
Our focus for this month is on the Power of Hope.
Read: Romans 5:5
“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”
Pray: Emmanuel, we join with You, Jesus, in prayers of hope because You are our deliverer. We are grateful for Your presence with us. We are grateful that a holy God can have a relationship with us because of Your birth and later work on the cross that paid for our debts and gave us new life!
Optional: If someone has a song of praise to share with the group, take time for praise and worship. Listen to a Christmas song if you like. Feel free to sing along.
Thank God:
- that the power of hope is God’s promise to us in Christ Jesus.
- for His Spirit of hope that refreshes our mind, body, and soul.
- that the power of hope is living in us through the Holy Spirit and can renew us as we remember that Jesus is active and present with us and can change lives.
Pray for Your Group’s Upcoming Outreach Event
Read: Colossians 1:27
“For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This give you assurance of sharing his glory.”
Pray: Oh Lord Jesus, we thank You that You are the hope of our future glory. We are grateful that You indwell with us and empower us to reach women with the Good News that Christ’s birth brings healing and eternal hope to hurting women.
Pray:
- that we would be His ambassadors of hope at our outreach.
- that guests will see and hear the transformational testimony of our Speaker and of all the women on the Planning Team, that we might bring renewed hope to those in need.
- for God’s Holy Spirit power to anoint all that is said and done at our outreach event, so that women might be curious about the Christ and the Christmas story which brings us all great hope!
Sharing Your Faith
Read: 1 Corinthians 15:19-20
“And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.”
Pray: Oh Lord, there are so many women around us who do not know the powerful hope that can come from a heart rescued from darkness to light. We know the world often looks to materialism this time of year to fill the void in women’s hearts, but we know that only Jesus Christ can meet that need.
Pray for:
- joyful hearts with the willingness to see women who are broken and not living in hope.
- open spirits to allow the power of Christ’s hope to move in and through us.
- the ability to be hopeful even when circumstances were not what we planned. “Please help us, God, to be a hopeful witness for You.”
Pray for our Nation and Leaders
Read: Psalm 9:18
“But the needy will not be ignored forever; the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.”
Pray: Dear God, please grant our nation and our leaders spiritual understanding to grow in their knowledge and hope in You, and to care for those in need.
Pray for:
- our nation and world leaders to see and provide for the needy in their locations.
- renewal in believers in this country to live in joyful anticipation of the reminder of the birth and coming of Christ.
- protection from Satan who is the author of lies. Pray that we might be aware of misleading ways our nation and leaders sometimes try to misguide us, and that we might intercede with prayers of hopeful faith found in Jesus Christ.
Pray for the Stonecroft Family
Read: Psalm 94:19
“When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”
Pray: Father, as a Stonecroft family we ask that You fill us with great hope as we remember “with God all things are possible”! We desire optimistic hearts that can reveal to a broken world the love of Christ and the power of hope.
Pray for:
- a reminder to live in the spirit of hope as a testimony of our unity in Christ Jesus.
- God to revive our hearts to live as women who are hopeful and satisfied in Him.
- unity by the power of hope among all Stonecroft believers serving joyfully in Christ’s love.
Prayer Points for Stonecroft staff:
Scott Wright – Chief Financial Officer
- for my grandkids (Leander and Cailyn), that they will come to know the Lord in the next few years as they grow.
- for good health for my wife and me.
- for wisdom in managing time, staff, and resources at Stonecroft.
- Mandy Coltharp – Accounting and Payroll Processing Clerk
that God will continue grafting me into healthy spiritual community and provide three close, God-honoring, healthy friendships with women in this community.- that the Holy Spirit will stir within my brother and give him a heart of repentance. Pray that he will return to the One True God.
- that God will help each Financial Coordinator during this fundraiser season with clarity and joy in reporting because the role she serves in is a big responsibility!
- Pray for Stonecroft leaders such as Stonecroft Regional Administrators, District Consulting Coordinators, Regional Speaker Trainers, Regional Representatives, Area Representatives, Chairs, Prayer Consultants, and hub leaders as they demonstrate the hope of Christ to those around them this Christmas season.
- Pray for our international partners that they might be filled with the power of hope to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ which changes everything for those who believe.
- Pray for Friends of Stonecroft – In this month’s Friends of Stonecroft script, we learn about an Anchorage, Alaska, group that serves a nice teatime for the women who spend their nights at a local homeless shelter. After a time of tea and sweets, they are invited for Bible study where they discuss the hard issues of life. The group recently used the Whole conversation guide on rejection, something these women experience on a regular basis. Please pray:
- for the homeless women there, that they continue to feel valued and loved. Pray that they come to receive Jesus and feel surrounded by His love.
- that Stonecroft women around the country find similar ways to show love in dark places.
- that women from all walks of life who deal with rejection come to know that Jesus highly values and loves them.
Share Personal Requests
Pray for the power of hope in Jesus to strengthen us ‒ mind, body, and soul – this season.
Closing Prayer
Father, we thank You for this Prayer Connection time. We ask You to give us Your power to live with hopeful hearts, as we adore our Savior and Lord this Advent season, and to let that light of hope shine for all to see. Amen.