Choosing Hope: Finding Strength in Prayer and Humility

Devotional

Day 1: Humility and Prayer as the Birthplace of Revival

True revival begins when God's people humble themselves and pray, recognizing their dependence on Him and seeking His face above all else. When we admit we don't have it all figured out and turn from our own ways, God promises to hear, forgive, and restore. Revival doesn't start "out there"—it starts in our own hearts, in the church, and then moves outward to the community and nation. This is not about long, elaborate prayers, but about frequent, sincere connection with God, focusing on His mission and our need for Him. [02:28]

2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV)
"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to humble yourself before God and seek His face today, rather than trying to handle things on your own?

Day 2: Trusting God’s Goodness in All Circumstances

God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, even when life feels confusing or painful. This doesn't mean God causes every hardship, but He weaves even the most difficult circumstances into His greater plan for our benefit. When things aren't good, it simply means God is still working. Our role is to love Him and align ourselves with His purpose, trusting that He never stops working, even when we can't see it. [07:32]

Romans 8:28 (ESV)
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

Reflection: Think of a current challenge or disappointment—how can you choose to trust that God is still working for your good, even if you don’t see it yet?

Day 3: Loving God Means Aligning Our Lives with Him

Loving God is not about perfection, but about aligning our lives with His will and commands. Obedience is not a test of our worth, but an invitation to live the best life God has designed for us. When we love God, we seek to live for Him, not just in the big things, but in the daily choices and attitudes. His commands are always for our benefit, guiding us into a life of purpose and fulfillment. [08:36]

John 14:15 (ESV)
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

Reflection: What is one specific area where you sense God inviting you to realign your actions or attitudes with His ways today?

Day 4: Choosing Hope Over Despair at Your Wit’s End

When we reach the end of our own understanding and strength, we face a choice: despair or hope. Despair isolates us from others and from God, but hope is an expectant trust that God will come through, even when nothing makes sense. This hope is not based on emotion, but on a decision to trust God with all that we are, refusing to lean on our own understanding. When we seek His will in all we do, He promises to guide us on the right path. [27:51]

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Reflection: When you feel overwhelmed or confused, what would it look like for you to intentionally choose hope and trust in God’s guidance instead of relying on your own understanding?

Day 5: Focusing on What Matters Most and Serving Others

It’s easy to get caught up in minor issues or distractions, but Jesus calls us to focus on the weightier matters—justice, mercy, and faithfulness—and to serve others. When we get busy with what God has called us to do, especially in helping and encouraging others, we move away from despair and toward hope. Rather than obsessing over small things or isolating ourselves, we are called to engage in meaningful action, letting God use us to touch a hurting world and experience renewed hope ourselves. [39:34]

Matthew 23:23 (ESV)
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others."

Reflection: Who is one person you can encourage or serve today, shifting your focus from minor worries to the greater things God cares about?

Sermon Summary

In times of confusion, frustration, and uncertainty, it’s easy to feel like we’ve come to the end of ourselves—our wit’s end. When we reach that point, we’re faced with a choice: will we lean into hope or fall into despair? The reality is, most of us don’t have all the answers, and that’s exactly why God calls us to prayer, humility, and trust. The 714 Project is a simple tool to help us build a rhythm of prayer—reminding us to pray for our nation, our community, and our church, not out of obligation, but out of a humble recognition that we need God’s guidance and intervention.

True revival and spiritual renewal begin not “out there,” but within our own hearts and within the church. When we humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our own ways, God promises to hear, forgive, and restore. This is not about perfection, but about alignment—aligning our lives with God’s heart and purpose. Loving God means living for Him, not just in word, but in the trajectory of our lives.

Difficult times often serve as a wake-up call, drawing our focus back to God. While we may not understand why things happen, we can trust that God is always at work, weaving even the hardest circumstances together for good for those who love Him and are committed to His purpose. The challenge is to trust God with our whole being, especially when we don’t understand, and to resist the pull of despair.

Despair is the absence of hope, marked by isolation, conflict, and a loss of fellowship with God. Hope, on the other hand, is an expectant trust that God will come through, even when we can’t see it. Choosing hope over despair is not about ignoring our emotions, but about refusing to let them master us. Instead, we can cultivate hope through practical steps: worship, frequent prayer, engaging with Scripture, quoting God’s promises, remembering our own story of salvation, refusing to obsess over minor issues, and getting busy serving others. When we do these things, we shift our focus from ourselves to God and to others, and we find that hope rises within us.

Key Takeaways

1. Revival and spiritual renewal begin with humility and prayer within God’s people, not with external circumstances. When we humble ourselves, admit our need, and seek God’s face, He promises to hear, forgive, and restore. The transformation we long to see in the world must first take root in our own hearts and in the church. [02:28]
2. God’s commands are not about proving His authority, but about inviting us into the best life He has designed for us. Loving God is not about perfection, but about aligning our lives with His will and purpose. When we live for Him, we experience the fullness and direction He intends. [09:48]
3. When we reach our wit’s end, we face a choice between hope and despair. Despair isolates us and erodes our connection with God and others, while hope is an expectant trust that God is working, even when we don’t see it. The key question is: do we trust God when we can’t understand or control our circumstances? [26:56]
4. Cultivating hope requires intentional practices: worship, frequent prayer, engaging with Scripture, quoting God’s promises, remembering our conversion, refusing to major on minor issues, and serving others. These habits shift our focus from ourselves to God and to the needs of others, helping us lean toward hope rather than despair. [29:09]
5. Over-focusing on minor issues can distract us from what truly matters—justice, mercy, faithfulness, and the condition of our hearts. Jesus warns against straining out gnats while swallowing camels; we must not let small disagreements or external appearances keep us from the weightier matters of God’s kingdom. [40:38]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:18] - Introduction to the 714 Project
[02:28] - The Power of Humility and Prayer
[05:09] - Spiritual Renewal in Difficult Times
[07:32] - God Works All Things for Good
[08:36] - Loving God Means Alignment, Not Perfection
[09:48] - Living for God and His Purpose
[12:45] - Sticking with the Bible
[14:51] - Responding to Current Events with Faith
[19:23] - Wit’s End: Hope or Despair?
[22:42] - The Nature of Despair
[26:01] - The Nature of Hope
[26:56] - Trusting God When You Don’t Understand
[29:09] - Seven Practical Ways to Lean Toward Hope
[37:54] - Majoring on the Minors: Jesus’ Warning
[40:38] - Focusing on the Heart, Not Just the Outside
[43:53] - The Power of Serving Others
[45:20] - Testimony: Hope Through Helping
[48:56] - Recommitment and Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV) — > "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Romans 8:28 (ESV) — > "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV) — > "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Observation Questions

According to 2 Chronicles 7:14, what are the four things God’s people are called to do before He promises to hear, forgive, and restore? ([02:28])
In Romans 8:28, who does God promise to work all things together for good? What are the two conditions mentioned? ([05:09])
What does Proverbs 3:5-6 say about trusting God versus relying on our own understanding? ([27:51])
In the sermon, what are some signs that someone is moving toward despair instead of hope? ([22:42])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God starts the process of revival and healing with His own people, rather than with the world “out there”? ([02:28])
The sermon says that loving God is about “alignment, not perfection.” What does it mean to align your life with God’s will, and how is that different from trying to be perfect? ([08:36])
When we come to our wit’s end, the pastor says we have a choice between hope and despair. Why is it so easy to let emotions lead us toward despair, and what does it look like to choose hope instead? ([19:23])
Jesus warns against “straining out gnats and swallowing camels.” What are some modern examples of focusing on minor issues and missing the bigger picture in our faith? ([40:38])

Application Questions

The 714 Project is about building a rhythm of prayer for our nation, community, and church. Do you have a regular prayer habit? If not, what’s one small step you could take this week to start? ([02:28])
The sermon lists seven practical ways to lean toward hope (worship, frequent prayer, engaging with Scripture, quoting God’s promises, remembering your conversion, not obsessing over minor issues, and serving others). Which of these do you already practice, and which one could you intentionally add to your life this week? ([29:09])
When was the last time you felt at your wit’s end? Looking back, did you lean more toward hope or despair? What helped you move in one direction or the other? ([19:23])
The pastor shared a story about serving someone in need at a grocery store and how it filled him with hope. Can you think of a time when serving someone else helped shift your focus from your own problems to hope? ([45:20])
Proverbs 3:5-6 calls us to trust God with our whole being, not just our minds. Is there an area of your life right now where you’re struggling to trust God? What would it look like to surrender that area to Him this week? ([27:51])
The sermon warns against over-focusing on minor issues and missing what really matters—justice, mercy, faithfulness, and the condition of our hearts. Is there a “minor issue” in your life or in the church that you’ve been giving too much attention to? How can you shift your focus to what matters most? ([40:38])
Remembering your own story of coming to Christ can help you lean toward hope. Take a moment to share your story with the group, or write it down this week. How does remembering your journey encourage you today? ([32:06])

Sermon Clips

We have to, I think, change our focus from praying is long to praying is frequent, because I think the thinking that prayer has to be this long, hour long, I think that's part of what keeps us from praying, because how many of you have a free hour? You know, very rarely do we have a free hour, but we can pray frequently throughout the day. Just, you know, your alarm, 714 alarm goes off, and just pray real quick, you know, God, I pray for the safety of our president, or the direction of our country, or that our church is effective, and what we call just a quick prayer. [00:02:59] (42 seconds) #FrequentFaithMoments

Revival starts in the church. True revival. We always want, oh, revival's got to be happening out there. Well, the only way it's going to get out there is if it starts in here. And the only way it's going to start in here is if it starts in here. Revival starts in our hearts, in the church, and then moves out into the community. [00:04:50] (26 seconds) #RevivalBeginsWithin

I believe that God uses it to return our focus back to him. We get so caught up and directed in the things of this world and I'm not saying they're not important, they are. But sometimes we get so focused on that, it pulls our focus away from God and then something blows up or something happens and God uses it, doesn't cause it, but uses it to draw our focus back to him. [00:06:15] (27 seconds) #GodRedirectsFocus

Everything that happens, this bad thing, this bad thing, this bad thing, somehow, I don't know, I'm not God. God works it all together. He like works it all together. For the good of those who, and here's two and three requisites, those who love God, and those who are called according to his purpose for them. And you may say, but Pastor Ken, things aren't good. Well, that's because he's still working. [00:07:20] (30 seconds) #PurposeInTheProcess

When you come to your wit's end, when you come to the end of yourself, what do you choose? Hope or despair? And how many times in the last couple weeks have you looked like that guy? Many times for me, where you just have your face buried in your hands and you're like, I don't get this. I don't get what's happening. How many times in the last couple weeks have we said, I don't get it. I don't get it. What's going on right now? I just don't get it. I can't put it all together and have it make sense. [00:19:05] (41 seconds) #ChooseHopeNotDespair

Despair, look it up in the dictionary, it means the complete loss or absence of hope. That's when you get to the end of yourselves and you say, man, not even God can handle this. And you just go down this spiral into despair, complete loss or absence of hope. Here's some signs that you've headed in that direction. Isolation, you isolate yourself. When you're in despair, you tend to kind of pull back. You don't want to be around people. You isolate yourself. Another one is you have conflict with people that you love. That all of a sudden people that you've always loved, all of a sudden little things become big things. And you start having conflicts with people that you love. And then you have diminished or non-existent fellowship of God. When you're in despair, you isolate yourself not only from people, but from God. You have this lack of fellowship with God. [00:25:11] (72 seconds) #ExpectantTrustInGod

When I come to the end of myself, when I can't do it myself, what's my go-to? What do I go to next? Do we trust? God. And we see here in Proverbs chapter 3, verse 5 to 6, trust in the Lord. That expectant trust, put that expectant trust, not in society. I mean, you know, they always let us down. Not in people. That expectant trust, put it in the Lord with all your heart. [00:27:30] (38 seconds) #SurrenderToGodsPath

Sing praise and worship songs. I just admit it, I'm obnoxious to be around because I'm singing praise and worship songs all the time, constantly. I'm always singing them. And as Mark knows, I don't always know the words. That's why Mark always says, follow me. Don't follow Pastor Ken. And my kids, they used to call me the lyrical assassin. If I didn't know the words, I would just make it my own. So I sing praise and worship songs constantly. Why? Because I want to lean towards hope. I don't want to lean towards despair. And when we're singing praise and worship songs, it's bringing hope up in us. [00:30:20] (48 seconds) #PrayOftenPrayQuick

Read or study the Bible. Now, the reason I didn't say just read the Bible is because maybe there are some people that are like me. I'm a horrible reader. I mean, if I'm just reading the Bible, I'll get, you know, I'll start at the top of the page. And by the time I get to the bottom of the page, I realize that my mind is solving the world's problems. It's not focused at all on what I'm reading. I don't even know what I'm reading. The words, you know, went in. But my mind is off doing something else. I'm not a good reader. I'm a studier. So I like studying the Word. Where you look at one scripture and you go, wow, I think I saw that over here. And, you know, you look. So whatever is your way of doing it, reading or studying, that we have to be in the Bible. We have to have this get into us or have it read to you. [00:31:35] (61 seconds) #ScriptureAsDefense

How many times in our lives do we do that? Do we have something that we so over-focus on, it takes us away from the things that are really important. He says, you should have practiced the latter, justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have done that without neglecting the former. Jesus is saying, tithing is good. You should tithe. But don't be so focused on this mint leaf that you miss the important stuff. [00:40:12] (32 seconds) #ReachOutToHeal

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