Everyone Needs Hope
If ever there was a time that the world needs hope, it’s now. Some people become seriously depressed when they feel that there is no hope. When depression takes over and a person feels hopeless, some even turn to drugs, alcohol and other addictions. The truth is, without Christ, there is no hope. However, as a Christian, you can feel hopeful, even during the most unsettling times. We have hope because we have faith in a trustworthy God. He wants us to live each day with spiritual and emotional anticipation that a favorable outcome is in our future.
In my newly released devotional, The Prayer Jar: Hope, I mention that one of the most important things we can do to keep hope alive is to pray. If we want to draw closer to God then we need to reach out to Him in prayers of praise, petitions, intercessions, and thanks. Aren’t you glad that whenever we face trials in this life, God is with us and renews our strength and faith? Psalm 31:24(KJV) is a good reminder for us: “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.”
Are you or someone you know in need of prayer today? Do you have a special prayer request you would like me and others to pray about? Please share it with us in the journal comment section.
Praying & reading faith books gives me a sense of peace.
God does answer prayer. Please pray for my 18 year old son. He is a freshman in college and is now away from home. He has battled with anxiety and depression especially this summer. He needs to come back to Christ. Thank you.
The Wednesday night message last night was on prayer. I am often reminded that even though people are constantly trying to remove anything about our Lord from every part of this society, they can NEVER take away our privilege and blessing to pray! I will also add your Amish friends to my prayer list.
God does answers prayers..
Please prayer for my 15 year old granddaughter, who is having extensive leg and knee surgery due to an hereditary condition and for the three month recovery she will have to endure. Also my 21 granddaughter who has Rocky Spotted Mountain Fever and Lyme Disease, please pray that the treatment will bring her some relief…..unfortunately she was not diagnosised until a few months after having contracted them and has some serious and life debilitating symptoms of both diseases. Thank you
God does answer prayers and God does have plans for us. Out of nowhere I lost my job on July 5th. I was working 50 hour weeks. I have not received a decision from unemployment as of yet. My daughter and I are living on the little savings I had that was to be used to buy a new car since my 19 yr old car will not be passing inspection in a few months. I have gone on many interviews with not much luck. It is hard when you are older. I have taken a low paying part time job for now just to have some income. I do have faith though and know that God does have a plan for me. Please pray for us. Thank you!
I truly believe in the power of prayer. God has answered so many prayers for me and my family. Spending time with my family and my church family gives me peace. When we pray together, it is powerful.
Thank you for the journal.
Dear Wanda….
I love your books!!! I love the story lines and especially the spiritual lessons that the characters learn and that we as well learn from reading the book! Thank you so much for all you do to bless us and the Amish people! I will be praying for the sisters who were injured in the accident.
Love and blessings,
Dianne
I have seen the power of prayer many times. Thankful for that.
Praying people will be encourage when they read this post. HOPE is what we all need. Thanks for all your devotional writings as well as your wonderful books.
My prayers and other friends of mine have been answered so many times in the last 4 years. My husband passed in September 2017, and one month later I had major back reconstruction surgery for injuring my back when I tried to help my husband up from a fall. Then my youngest son was diagnosed with Stage 4 lymphoma cancer. Only God answering mine and others prayers brought him through his body shutting down and chemo treatments. He has been cancer free for 2 years now. My oldest son passed May 14 this year, and this has been the hardest time for me; however, God has answered my prayers and given me peace in knowing that my son is with Him. We have to have faith and trust in God to see us through all our trials. And He answers our prayers.
I just recently lost my husband very unexpectedly. I haven’t given up hope, but it is easy in this case, to do so. I try to keep busy with friends and family and stay close to God through prayer and scripture reading. My special prayer request is to remain faithful despite the difficult times and trials that life brings.
Reading my Bible, devotionals, praying, and going to church gives me hope and a great sense of serenity and peace. It also helps that we live in the country where we hear the crickets and birds. Community Prayer is so powerful. I am praying for your friends, Wanda. If you would please pray for my youngest daughter and her boyfriend to accept Jesus into their lives. Thank you.
This message hit home. I am so thankful that I have my faith and believe that God works miracles. My faith has got me through a few rough times.
Please pray for our family we are taking care of my dear mother who suffers with dementia. Prayers get us through each day.
Pray is a powerful thing. I pray daily for gods strength to help me through the day. I believe it helps.
I am with you on this I too believe that everyone needs hope in this day and time. That is another reason why I love your books. They give hope to us all and take us away from this crazy world and put us in a world full of hope and love. Thank you for sharing your writings with us and helping us get away for a while and enjoy a more simpler life.
Hallelujah what truth in that post! God is our ONLY hope in this world now. Please pray for my family members to accept & live for Christ who are not, especially son, sister-in-law who is using so many drugs & alcohol to keep her happy, even taking more meds than she should. More people need Christ. Friend diagnosed with cancer, who’s marriage is falling apart & preacher that helped his wife to steal from their house.
I love reading your books as they give me peace in these times. Thank you for being faithful to your beliefs.
Sending many prayers your way for your Amish friend Betty. I hope to go to store and get your new devotional book. I love your books. They are always so good and inspirational. Just finished the Applecreek series and very good like always. I always have a sense of peace after reading.
Prayers for your Amish friends injured in the accident and for the intentions of all your readers, as well as you and your loved ones. I ask for prayers for my sweet 5 year old grandson, Noah, who suffers from seizures and has lost a lot of his mobility. Thank you.
I’m praying for your friends who were hurt in the van accident….
Prayers and reading my Bible give me peace..
“Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.” (Eph. 6:18) We all know that prayer does not come so naturally to us, but God’s Word says to pray “at all times” and to “persevere” in your prayers. I hope we can intentionally set aside time to pray for others and expect God to do great things! I’m praying for you in my prayers today!
Just last night I ran into a friend in a store where I was shopping. I told her I’d missed seeing her recently at church and hope she is okay. She explained that her husband had a stroke, she was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, and she had just had cataract surgery. She cut back on her work schedule because she doesn’t have the energy to work as many hours as before, and I invited her to the ladies’ Bible study beginning soon as well as commenting on a new member of her Sunday school class. I’m hoping she’ll get back into fellowship with women at church; her husband doesn’t attend our church. I’m praying that God will restore her hope since she seems extremely discouraged. I don’t know what I would do without my hope in the Living Lord.
I love your books they have given me much hope over the years. Thank you for your wonderful stories!
Praying for your Amish friend Betty and her family. 🙏🏻
Hello, praying for you and your family and friends. I always look forward to any of your up coming book. I try to read everything you write. So I excited for a chance to win your healthy cookbook.
Thank You,
-Angela Smith
Thank God for His Free Gift Salvation in Christ Jesus, His Hope, and His Unconditional Love! God Bless and Keep all! In Christ Jesus! Hallelujah!
Wanda first let me start by saying you are the best. I sure could use some prayers for next week. I have to have cataract surgery which is not so bad, but they are going to use general anesthesia instead of a local because I have severe anxiety and panic attacks. Please remember me in prayer.
Thank you so much!
Christ is our hope and savior. There is power in prayer.🙏🏻🎚🙏🏻🎚
I have tried to impress this very sentiment on my kids — the fact that, as a Christian, you can feel hopeful, even during the most unsettling times. I hope it has sunk in. You would be surprised at how many teens today, in secular school, are agnostic or atheist. We need to pray for our young people — that they find hope through Christ to deal with everything they need to deal with in this world. It’s hard enough as an adult, for a young person, it is so much harder.
Hope in Christ has helped me through my difficult challenge of stage 4 colon cancer. Prayers on my behalf have strengthened my and have brought healing to my body. Currently there is no sign of cancer in my body.
Thank you for your inspiration you give through you God given talent of writing.
Choosing joy,
Bea Black
I just love reading your journal
Dearest Wanda,
I couldn’t agree more. We live in crazy uncertain times. In Gods word it says there is nothing new under the sun. Our hope and joy comets from the LORD. I was reading this morning in Mathew 6:25-34 about anxiety and not being anxious. What a great GOD we serve. Thank you for your encouragement, books and all you do.
Sweet Regards
Pamela Merlino
I am so glad that we can turn to God every day with our prayers, blessings, and love. Life would be so hard if we couldn’t!
Praying gives me both hope and peace. I often “pray the news”, sending up a petition for those I see going through a difficult time. When we don’t know how or are unable to help someone, we can pray for them. That’s the best help of all! Today I’m praying for Wanda’s Amish friend Betty.
I loved the Prayer Jar book series. The prayer jar reminded me of something I do myself. When I feel down or discouraged. I write letters to God and seal them in an envelope. It just helps to write them down and pray knowing Gods holds us all in his hands and has everything under control! A friend of mine reminded me of the scripture yesterday Psalm 36:7KJV How excellent is they lovingkindness. O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of they wings. I love your books and I love the faith you have in God that you show through them!
Good Morning. I needed those positive thoughts and reminders today. It is so easy to put off things to do with Christ and the world needs it more than ever. Put Betty & her sisters in my prayers along with those that made requests in the comments.
I would appreciate a pray for me because I have severe depression. I turned to the Lord almighty to help me with my depression. I have CHF which limits my activities. All of my family lives far away but I have a wonderful husband to lean on and help me. Your books help me also. My prayers to the sisters and their families who were in the accident. My faith hope keep me going each day.
Praying for your Amish friend Betty and her family. 🙏🏻
Praying is very powerful. I have always believed that god does not give us more then we can handle. ❤️❤️❤️ I’m praying everyday for your friend and her sisters. They are loved by many ❤️❤️
Thank you for writing about depression. I have severe depression and anxiety and have been on medication for 22 years. I grateful for doctors who understand and help. I agree with you that the most powerful aid is prayer, not only with depression, but with all aspects of life. I sure enjoy your post and all your books.
I just love your Journals and love the prayer jar , HOPE, and am always am excited to see what comes next, everyone needs hope n prayers ,
My prayers have recently been answered so I have been devoting my time praying for others. Know that your Amish friends have been included in my daily prayers!
I love reading your books and I just purchased The Prayer Jar Devotional. Please say a prayer for me I get Mirgraines all the time and I just started a new regiment in hopes this will solve the migraines
Prayer is powerful. Whenever I feel hopeless, I turn to the Lord for my strength and guidance.
My faith cannot and will not be shaken.
I am reading The Prayer Jar: Hope every morning with a cup of coffee. Such a great start for my morning. I hope you are writing more devotional like this.
Please pray that God will dissolve the growth in my ear (or at least keep it from growing larger) and for success in my upcoming skin cancer surgery. Thank you.
Prayer is a life saver with me since I have health issues and cannot work or do other stuff anymore. The most I do is try my best to get to church on Sunday’ for adult Sunday school and the service, plus Wednesday night Bible study. I love reading faith books also when I can. I look to my GOD & Jesus to take care of me.
Faith is everything………you are so right when you say through Christ I am given new hope and courage to get through the day.
Love your site, Wanda. Love your books. I pray God will keep using you in sharing the wonderful news of His love for each of us!
I have a dear friend whose husband is planning on leaving her this month. Both are Christian’s and there are 2 young children involved. Please pray about this situation.
I would greatly appreciate it if you would please pray for my Sweet Momma as well as me too. My Momma is having some problems with her right shoulder and I am having multiple health problems right now. Thank you so very much!
I agree without Christ there is no hope. Life brings so many varied situations to each of us. Just remembering He is always there in every situation brings peace and joy and confidence that all is in His more than capable hands of unconditional love.
A simple acrostic to use when praying: (ACTS)
A adoration (or praise)
C. confession (of our sin)
T. Thanksgiving (give thanks for God’s Grace and mercy)
S. Supplication (our requests for the needs of others as well as ourselves)
Thank you for your journal entry on hope and prayer.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16(KJV)
I struggled with depression a few years back. I questioned everything – my God, my life, my work! When I came out on the other side of the darkness, I realized that although I had questioned God, He never questioned my faith in Him. The peace I felt was wonderful! For those dealing with depression, talk to others! Don’t keep it all inside of you – you need the perspective others can give you!
With Christ there is always hope. We will find hope in His Word and by His grace. Reading His word, speaking His word, strengthens us in our Faith. Through prayer we can praise, give thanks and pray for others
Thank you Wanda for such good books. I love every one of them. I pass them on to my sisters when I finish them. Looking forward to your next.
I look forward to reading the 3rd book in the Applecreek series. Praying for Betty. God is El Raptha, The Healer. Thank you for the update in the newsletter.
I have an Aunt who is trying to decide whether or not to retire. This is a huge decision that will affect the rest of her life. Please pray for the Lord’s guidance. Thank you.
I absolutely agree that prayer is of vital importance. I would not want to live in today’s world without knowing the Lord. I am currently praying for my daughter, her health and that she will make wiser choices in relationships and not stray from the Lord. I am going to be reading through the other comments and praying for you all. Blessings!
It continues to amaze me that the words given to common men and women so many years ago are still for us today, blessing us, encouraging us, uplifting us. The promises the Word of God contains are for yesterday, today, and all our tomorrow’s. How encouraging to know God never changes!
Hope with God and lots of prayers, is what got me through a very serious & violent dv situation. I never dreamed in a million years that I’d ever end up in such an ordeal! 😪 We met at church, after my family changed from an out of town church, to a local one. We had known one another and each other’s families and friends for a good bit. We ended up getting married as a Christian couple, baptizing our son after he was born, and then I realized the huge mistake I had made inmy life.😪 My husband turned out to be the persona of Dr. Jekkyl and Mr. Hyde😪(actually the devil) He cheated on me the day after we married, became controlling, moved myself & son, away from my family and his too. He kept very tight reins on us. It was horrible & horrific…. I tried getting us away, but the snake kept finding us and forcing us back withno avail. Neither side of the family knew what was happening. Only God did!!. God was my HOPE, SAVIOR, AND EVENTUALLY RESCUER!! I constantly prayed every second of each and every day, to PLEASE help. Sadly, the help didn’t come until 22yrs later, but it finally came! I am very Blessed that He came when He did, because my husband was going to kill me. He had his gun shoved hard to my forehead while he had me held down on the floor. He asked me if I was ready to meet my maker and I said what does it matter to you, just do it and put me out of my misery please, I am begging you!! I saw the devil’s red eyes that night in him, but for some reason, he didn’t kill me! I believe God had seen and heard enough, finally!
Sadly, after finally being divorced from him for 10 yrs, he fell over dead at his home. People that knew him(family included😪💔)said that he got his Karma after all. I said not to say that, and I still wonder if he ended up in hell burning for eternity😪! I was told a week before he fell over dead on Sat, he had went to the Church we had gotten married at. I just hope and pray that he got himself straight! I don’t want to see or know anyone ended up in hell instead of Heaven for Eternity!!!
God is so Good if you live for Him and by Him♥️
I oversee a Christian based recovery program for men in addiction. Hope is something many of the men do not have when they come through our doors. They are lost and they are broken. But through the power of Jesus Christ and lots of prayers, we have been blessed to witness many find Hope. I would like to request prayer for those currently in our Program and for those who are still out there struggling in addiction to find help and find Hope through Jesus. I am praying for healing for your friend Betty and her sisters. Thank you so much.
Thank you for your reminder on the importance of prayer.
Please pray for my friend Debbi who will be having cardiac ablation on Sept. 6.
I am praying for your Amish friends who were in the accident and hope they all have complete and quick recoveries.
On my, yes. We sure do need God in our lives and now more than ever. I feel he is always with me and helps me out on a daily basis. I Thank Him every night when I go to bed for the great day he has given me. Years ago I read or heard somewhere the message: “God brought you to it, and HE will get you through it”. I can’t tell you how many times those few words have helped me tremendously. First with dealing with my mother, until she passed, and then with my husband after his major heart attack and the year until he went to Heaven. I talk with them and God now every day and they are all still helping me by giving me hope, strength, and courage to keep living my life to it’s fullest. I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE reading your books.
Thank you for all your wonderful books. Thank you for your continued work and prayer. I hope and pray your friend Betty and her sisters are healing. I would love to win your cool book. Thank you for the opportunity!! Sincerely
Rhonda.
Prayer and faith are what brings peace and comfort to us in trying times. I have a friend who is struggling to care for her elderly father during his last days. Please remember her and her father in your prayers.
Trying hard to find the path I am meant to follow. Please say a prayer for me to find that inner peace. May God Bless.
When my daughter was born three months premature, my church and my sister’s church began praying for her. Today, she is living proof that miracles happen!
Wanda,
I am in need of prayer. The top part of my heart isn’t pumping correctly. I go into what is called aFlutter/aFib. The doctor is adjusting my heart medicine to see if that makes a difference. If that doesn’t work, they want to give me a Cardiac Aversion. Which is where they shock the heart to get it to pump correctly. I also lost a close family member to an Opioid Addiction. My Cousin lost hope and committed Suicide by overdosing on Opioids two years ago. Could you please pray for me? I am praying for your Amish friends that were in that accident. My sister had similar injuries when she was hit by a car, last year.
Peggy Knecht
This world needs more hope and love. Things have gotten so out of hand these past several years. These hurting people need hope with God. They need Jesus in their lives!
Honestly, this is extremely embarrassing, but I have a drinking problem I’m trying to get a handle on. I would appreciate your prayers that I can stop this and get my life back on the right track.
I am praying for your friend and her sisters.
Please join me as I pray daily for our country, world, and all of the leaders. Give them and us all the wisdom and strength to do what is right and good for all of mankind. One does not have to agree with someone all of the time; however, we can respect and offer love to each other all of the time. These simple actions combined with prayer can make our God given world a better place for all. Thank you.
I have battled depression for many years. But l know by God’s grace and mercies he gives me the strength to face each day. I would appreciate your prayers and I will still be praying for your friends who are healing from the accident. God Bless you and your family. Much love thank you!
I do the Rosary for comfort and peace.
Marilyn
I like to read a calming story in a book/
Joan
Reading a book on one of the Saints always gives me peace.
Marion
Oh Wanda I am so sorry about these precious people who were in the buggy accident. In Amish areas people really need to slow down, drive as if you are in a school zone Thank you for the wonderful books you have written and the spirit we receive from them. I will be praying for all the ladies that were in the accident.
Prayer is a wonderful way to strengthen faith and draw closer to the Lord. What a true blessing it is to have the means to pray as often as we feel the need! Often when friends or family come to mind repeatedly, I take that as a personal cue to stop and pray for that person. Sometimes later I will find out that the person I prayed for was going through a hard time or having to make a difficult decision. I’m glad to have been able to pray for them and hope that they were given a sense of peace and direction from the Lord.
Prayer is always the peaceful connection time I have with God. I always feel such in a better spirit after I talk to God in prayer about a need, and also about a thank you. I am happy that my little one loves to pray. He starts his prayer in the morning. And always for the food we are about to eat, on our way to school for protection. And at bedtime.
I am enjoying the devotional. Please pray for the class of teenagers that I am teaching in Sunday School that they would find peace and strength in Jesus.
I have dealt with anxiety and stress all my life. Praying to God is the only thing that brings me peace. However I do struggle with letting go of my problems when I hand them over to God. Thank you for your wonderful inspirational books. I love everyone that I have read.
This journal entry along with your new devotional are so encouraging and have helped me work towards feeling more hopeful. Thank you for sharing your talent with words and your relationship with the Lord to help bring hope into my life.
Prayers do help in many ways and I have been blessed this year when I had cancer removal surgery. My faith and hope in Christ has kept me going even when I felt I could not. Although I am still healing slowly, I can now say that I am cancer free. It feels great to be alive!
Please pray for anyone who has lost a loved one recently as this is such a hard time for everyone. Thank you.
My sil is going through a hard time and really needs to feel God’s love and grace.
Wanda, I appreciate your comments on hope. These days we need hope and the only hope that is really of any comfort is in the Lord. It would be very easy to become depressed with the news we hear today. I know peopole who easily become upset when they hear the news and wonder what will happen to young children today. There are parents who are very concerned about youngef members of their families. It is easy to say they are in God’s hands but sometimes it is harder to leave them there than to try to take care of them and provide for them. In the last couple of years this has become very evident. Please keep writing words and stories of encouragement.
This is a wonderful devotional.
Prayers for my hubby. He has asthma and it is getting little worse this year even with taking all of his meds.
Thank you for your books of hope and promise along with Christian values. I always enjoy your books and Amish recipes!
My husband and I love listening to your audio books and always continue to encourage our faith. We continue to pray for your Amish friends that we’re in the accident and thank you for the update.
I have been praying for your loving friend and her Sisters. God we’ll be done.
Roxanna
I suffer from bipolar depression , so I know a lot about depression. I believe in god and am blessed he’s there for me whenever I need him. My bipolar I depression is good now.
I suffer from bipolar depression , so I know a lot about depression. I believe in god and am blessed he’s there for me whenever I need him. My bipolar I depression is good now.
Just love to read your books. You do a great job. Thanks Carol Conerly
I love your books and have nene reading them for years. A dear lovely elderly lady from my church (who passed away a few years ago), was with me and our church group from IL, to Shipshewana back over ten years ago. She showed me your books there, and I was thrilled to hear of them. I bought some and have since bought many more. Your books are an encouragement and refreshing to my faith and always special to read. I have many. I don’t have any daughters. My son got married in 2020, and I was able to visit Lancaster PA, and he lives about two hours from there in PA. I had wanted to go there for the last 13 years and thought I would never get to PA or Lancaster. Little did I know I would have a daughter in law from PA, and her dad is a youth Pastor in PA. It was so fantastic to finally visit Lancaster and towns nearby as I had read about them in your books and some other Christian Amish fiction books. I plan to keep your books forever. I pray perhaps I will have some
grandkids someday. I will for sure pass those along to them. Thanks for your wonderful work. I love being on your Facebook page also and seeing what you are doing. You are a blessing.
Please pray for my granddaughter who is in her first year of college. She is so stressed & overwhelmed. I put a note in my prayer jar that I will pray for her every day. Thank you.
my sister is asking me to move out of her apartment. I want to go back to the Philippines but there’s a lot of restrictions in place currently for my status. I’d appreciate prayers to improve my situation.
Please pray for my daughter to overcome her drug addiction and mental illness. Please pray for her depression loneliness emptiness fears and isolation. Please pray my grandson doesn’t follow in the cycle of drug addiction. Please pray God will send them godly people removing all the Satan sent. Please pray they will allow the Holy Spirit to guide them in life. Please pray for them and my mothers safety health happiness relationships finances and salvation. Thank you and God bless you.