A person with hope does not get tangled up with concerns for how his wishes will be fulfilled. So, too, his prayer is not directed toward the gift, but toward the one who gives it. His prayer might still contain just as many desires, but ultimately it is not a question of having a wish come true but of expressing an unlimited faith is the giver of all good things….For the prayer of hope it is essential that there are no guarantees asked, no conditions posed, and no proofs demanded, only that you expect everything from the other without binding him. Hope is based on the premise that the other gives only what is good. Hope includes an openness by which you wait for the other to make his loving promise come true, even though you never know when, where or how this might happen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Good Shepherd of all, help me to hear your voice of assurance when I am lost and hopeless. Let me find rest and safety in your presence. Though I may be tempted to be full of fear and self-pity, though I may wish to run away from you, please never give up on me.
Amen.
Henri Nouwen