As leaders and women who minister to others, we can actually get so worn out and disappointed, that we can lose hope. We can sometimes stop believing that God is all-powerful and that He has a good plan for us. We may love God, but we can settle into a place of resignation…that yes, God is good, but we see evil winning all over the place. Or, we have prayers that have not yet been answered, and we stop praying believing that God is who He says He is and that He can do what He says He can do. One of the evil one’s strategies~maybe his most used strategy is to try to discourage us and to cause us to lose hope…to stop believing. We believe God for our salvation, but we don’t believe that God can help us now. It takes the wind out of our sails. It steals our courage, faith, strength, and joy…and leaves us feeling hopeless. We know that we will be fine when we get to Heaven, but we wonder if we will ever have a sense of well-being and strength in the years we have left on this earth. I don’t believe that God wants us to live this way. His Word says “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” We must wake up and remember that we are in a battle! We are, however, not alone. We do not have to live defeated. Today, God wants to strengthen and encourage each of us!
Psalm 27:13 “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.”
Luke 18:1 “Men(and women) ought always to pray, and not to faint (or lose heart).”
Romans 4: (Excerpts about Abraham) “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations…Yet he did not waver in unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. This is why it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Romans 5: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”
“Lord, You see each of us…your servants, and we ask You to encourage and strengthen each of us. May we not believe the enemy’s lies, but may we hold onto Hope- for You are forever faithful! We look back at Abraham and others in the Bible who kept on believing- against all odds, who did not waver in unbelief… and we ask You to help us to be women who are like Abraham- women who are fully persuaded that You have the power to do what You have promised. We ask You to help us to rejoice even in our sufferings and produce the good things that only You are able to bring forth. In the meantime, we choose to come to You and pray… and not to lose heart. Please strengthen and encourage us for the work that You have called us to. May we see the goodness of God in the land of the living.”

Cindy Lyons: Founder of Friends In Ministry & Serves at High Street Baptist Church