WEEK ONE - HOPE

Written by Kate Krenkel

A Patient Hope

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Psalm 130:5–6

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. I long for the Lord more than watchmen long for the morning.

What rich words we find in Psalm 130 as we sit before the Lord today. These verses are a treasure for weary and waiting souls to lean into…

As we think about Advent, we remember that God’s people waited—and waited, and waited—for centuries—for the Messiah. I write this from a personal and painful season of waiting, and I suspect there is some area in your life where you are waiting too…or maybe “waiting” isn’t a strong enough word. Perhaps you are aching: aching for a promise to be fulfilled, a relationship restored, a healing to

come, or to experience renewed intimacy with God.

Waiting is hard for us, weak humans. Most of us haven’t been trained to wait well. Waiting is one thing, but waiting WITH hope—waiting, as verse 5 says, “expecting your breakthrough”—can feel almost impossible. After discouragement sets in, after failure, after weeks, months, or even years of waiting, it may seem far easier to give up.

I want to encourage you today to KEEP hoping, keep trusting. And the next part is

vital. In fact, it’s a HUGE part of what our King is teaching us and accomplishing in us as we learn to wait… read verse 6 again.

“I long for you more than any watchman would long for the morning light. I will watch and wait for you, O God, throughout the night.”

I LONG FOR YOU. Can you repeat that from your heart to the Lord a few times? I LONG FOR YOU. JESUS, I LONG FOR YOU. MORE THAN A WATCHMAN WAITS FOR MORNING LIGHT, I LONG FOR YOU, MY LORD.

In the end, we are not just waiting for circumstances to change, for dreams to come

true, or for suffering to end (although these are all desirable). We are waiting, longing, aching for Him—for the Lover of our soul, the Bridegroom, our Savior. He alone is our hope and trust. In the pain and agony of waiting, may He teach our hearts to long ultimately for Him. May our yearning for God become even stronger than our yearning for answers, breakthrough, or relief.

PRAYER:

Jesus, it is difficult for me to wait. (Name your season or area of waiting.)Above the answer, above the fulfillment of a dream—even a God-given one—above breakthrough, above blessing, I want my heart to LONG for You! I cannot make myself long for You, Lord; I cannot teach myself to wait with trust. Help me, Holy Spirit. I love You, and I give You access to every part of my heart, soul, and mind today. I will watch and wait for You, my God, longing for You more than the watchman longs for morning light. Amen.

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We have a heart for the unreached parts of the world—places where most people have never known, heard of, or experienced who Jesus is. We are specifically drawn to Muslims and the peoples of the Arab Gulf.

We lived in that region for six years and now hope to return, possibly on yearly prayer trips, to continue engaging with the beautiful culture and people. During our time there, we grew to love praying, worshiping, and “preparing the way”—like John the Baptist—for Jesus to come mightily in dark and forgotten places, and this remains the calling of our hearts. We are currently dreaming and discerning how the Father wants to make that happen. Our hope is to one day take others with us on these trips.

If that kind of vision makes your heart burn, we would love to talk!

Ways to Get Involved

• Monthly Prayer Gathering

Every 2nd Friday of the month, 6:30–7:30 p.m. at The Prayer Chapel

• Stay Connected

Sign up for future email updates by sending us your email.

• Share a Meal or Coffee

We’d love to connect personally—ask questions, hear stories, or learn more about Muslims and unreached nations.

• Pray for the Unreached

Visit https://www.prayercast.com to pray for unreached peoples.

Contact Us: thekrenks@fastmail.com