Arise and Have Hope | Celebration | 01/03/26

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13

Hope is not self-generated, it flows from the God of hope, as we trust in him, by the power of the Holy Spirit which dwells in us.

Reflect

Are there areas of your life in which you aren’t trusting God right now?

This month, we’re taking part in Arise again. Join us as we prayer walk our streets to bring about hope. If we’re ‘overflowing’ with it, it’s only right to let it overflow into our streets, right?

But how can we possibly have hope right now when you look at all the things going on in the news? Or at the suffering of our friends, family, maybe even yourself?

The Bible doesn’t ignore suffering; In fact, some of the most powerful passages on hope come at times of great devastation:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. – Lamentations 3:22-26

The writer (traditionally understood to be Jeremiah), after pouring out his heart to God about the suffering he is experiencing, declares, with hope, how despite all that he is going through, God is still good. He says to himself: The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for him.

Reflect

What do you need to say to yourself today?

Pray & Listen (and dance if you want)

God of hope, fill us with joy so that we may overflow with hope…

Go Deeper

Let’s get practical. Our hope is meant to be shared. Remember: Hope isn’t denial of reality — it’s defiance in the face of it.

Get out in the (hopefully) sunshine and why not use this passage from Isaiah 61 as a declaration or a guide for your prayers for our communities this month:

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
² to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
³     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendour. – Isaiah 61:1-3

Don’t just talk. Ask:

“God, where is hope needed most here?”

Don’t forget to share any stories that happen while you’re out, to encourage each other 🙂