Tuesday: Hope

Prayer for the Day

Prayer will be prayed at the beginning of the day, and at dinner or in the evening. 

(Prayer by Thomas Merton) My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end, nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, thought I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Amen. 
 

Morning Reading

Romans 5: 1-5

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access [by faith] to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us."

Morning Reflection Questions

1. The first line of this reading explains that we don't simply have a checklist of rules that give us access to heaven. Instead, we have received grace as a result of the faith in our hearts. However, that faith is prompted by God, and our faith is actually a response to God's initial reaching out to us. Share a time when you felt that God was calling you to grow closer to him, or a time when God was calling you to do something for someone else.
2. How have you grown stronger or closer to God because of a challenging situation?
3. According to the reading above, why are we supposed to have hope in God? Where does hope come from?
4. How can having hope in Christ change our minds, our hearts, and our actions?
5. Reread our prayer of the day -- how do the words of this prayer bring hope to us when we do not know what to do or how things will work out?