Happy new year, friend! As we still soak in the Christmas season while looking ahead to the dawn of a new year, we are thrilled to be stepping into 2022 with you, in prayer.
They That Hope
The thematic verse for this month of prayer is Isaiah 40:31:
They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles' wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.
How are you entering 2022? Are you feeling hopeless, weary, or faint? Are you feeling strong, persistent, and consistent?
However you are coming to this new year, this verse is for you. Because whether we are worn and weary or solid and strong, we need the Lord. It is only in relationship with Him that we are sustained. And while this time of year is quintessential for dreaming and goal-setting, all our efforts are most efficacious when they are a fruit of our intimacy with Christ.
Hope is a theological virtue which means it's supernatural. We can't fake hope or white-knuckle it—it is a gift from God. And we get to choose this gift anew each day. When we walk closely with the Lord, hope becomes our baseline attitude. Hope becomes our anchor.
So if you're hopeful about what is to come this year, or if you are running low on hope, we are excited to dive deep into this theme together!
What to Expect this Month
Beginning tomorrow, four Blessed is She Blog Writers will walk us through the four full weeks of January. Each week will flow as follows:
- Sunday // Scripture verse about hope and what that means for us
- Monday // A story of a Saint who hoped against hope
- Tuesday // The writer will relay stories about times in their lives when someone hoped for them
- Wednesday // We will look at a passage on hope from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
- Thursday // We will examine four effects of hope and how they would transform our lives
- Friday // The writer will share stories from their lives in which hope played a major role
- Saturday // We will pray slowly and deeply through the short but mighty Act of Hope, breaking it down into four sections
I'll be back with you for the last two days to wrap it up and send us all forth... in hope.
Prayer Partners
Finally, each day concludes with questions for consideration in your own heart and for discussion with your prayer partner. You and your prayer partner can chat about the questions or that day’s reflection in person, over the phone, or in text/email/Messenger/Voxer. We also encourage you to pray with and for one another during these 31 days and beyond!
Other Ways to Participate
If you’d like to join in the joy of the Prayer Pledge in other ways, we would love for you to share your thoughts, reflections, or prayers on social media using the hashtag #prayerpledge.
Additionally, every night during the Prayer Pledge, one member of Blessed is She will go live on Instagram (around 9 p.m. eastern most nights) for a brief time of sharing and prayer with our community there. We’d love for you to hang out with us there!
Our Invitation is to Hope
Please know that we are praying for you as you choose hope for 2022. We are hoping alongside you.
Christ always extends to us an invitation to hope, for all our hope is in Him. May this reality be our surety and our reward.
In this hope, let's walk. In this hope, let's run. In this hope, let's soar.
Let Us Pray
Jesus, thank You for being our hope. Thank You for offering us the theological virtue of hope. During this month and always, may be we be astronomically open to this virtue, this grace, this invitation, so that, by having placed our trust in you, we may live in greater hope in every area of our lives. By Your grace, may we extend this invitation to hope in You to others. Amen.
For Discussion
On the first day of this new year, are you feeling hopeful or hopeless? What in your life, heart, or mind is contributing to that feeling?
What would choosing hope look like for you this week? How would your life change if you woke up each morning with a heart full of hope?
They That Hope: The 2022 Prayer Pledge // Day 1 #BISblog #prayerpledgeClick to tweet
Olivia Spears lives in Kentucky, where sweet tea and bourbon flow like milk and honey. She holds degrees in Theology and Catechetics from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and works from home while enjoying her children and husband. She curates relevant and inspiring content for Catholic women as Blog Manager. She is the narrator of Set a Fire, And Hay Became Holy, and All She Had as well as a contributing author for Rise Up. Find out more about her here.
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