THE POWER OF HOPE, PATIENCE, AND PRAYER
Keith O’Connor
Woodland Church
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
(Romans 12:12, NLT) “Rejoice in our confident hope, be patient in trouble, and keep on praying”
(John 13:17, NLT) “Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them”
1. Rejoice in our Confident Hope
(Romans 12:12, NLT) “Rejoice in our confident hope”
(1 Peter 1:3, ESV) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”
(Colossians 1:27, NLT) “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”
(Titus 2:13, ESV) “Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ”
(Romans 8:18) “Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us”
(Titus 3:7, NLT) “Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life”
(John 14:2-3, NLT) “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am”
2. Be Patient in Trouble
(John 16:33, NLT) “I have told you all this that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth, YOU WILL HAVE MANY TRIALS AND SORROWS, but take heart, because I have overcome the World”
(Galatians 5:22, NLT) “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness”
(Hebrews 1-:25, NLT) “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near”
(Hebrews 10:36) “Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised”
(Psalm 27:14, NLT) “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD”
3. Keep on Praying
- Be Steadfast in Prayer
(Colossians 4:2, ESV) “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving”
(Psalm 62:8, NLT) “O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge”
(Hebrews 4:14-16, NLT) “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most”
(Hebrews 10:19) “We can come confidently and boldly into the presence of God to the most Holy of Holies through the blood of Jesus”
(Philippians 4:6-7, NLT) “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
(Psalm 13) “O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!
Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall. But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.”
Growthwork
- Anchor your Joy in Eternal Hope
- Build a Consistent Devotion and Prayer Life
- Encourage One Another
“Everyone is designed to be able to assume his own individual level of responsibility and pressures. But when his load goes beyond the breaking point, another is to come along and help—and sometimes that help can be given through the sharing of our time and material possessions.” -Billy Graham