Hope or Despair?
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Romans 8:18 - 25
Questions for Reflection: What causes the world to groan? What causes our local community to groan? What causes Trinity Church to groan?
Prayer Prompt: Share your own groanings and those you’ve thought of with God in prayer. Pray that God’s kingdom would come on earth to meet us in our groanings.
Online Prayer Activity
Reflecting on Romans 8:18-25, consider what causes groaning in our world today. What are the things that long to be “liberated from their bondage to decay and brought into freedom and glory”? Use the button below to submit your answers and then view the table below to see what others have shared. Bring all of these groanings before God in prayer.
