This verse highlights God’s intimate, protecting presence, suggesting He surrounds the believer to guard, guide, and limit their actions. It emphasizes total encirclement and close contact with God, acting as a personal “hedge”.
Common Translations:
- NIV/ESV: “You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me”.
- KJV: “Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me”.
- NLT: “You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head”.
Meaning and Significance:
- Protection & Limitation: The phrase “hem me in” refers to being surrounded or restricted by God, acting as a barrier to protect the believer from behind and guide their path ahead.
- God’s Hand: “Laying your hand” indicates God’s intimate care, authority, and blessing resting upon the individual, showing that one is never truly alone.
- Omniscience: The verse highlights that God’s presence is everywhere, surrounding us entirely because He knows us completely.
A Prayer for Hope in Difficult Times
You’re in the right place if you’re in a season of struggle and you need a prayer of hope and faith today. In this blog post, I’m sharing a powerful prayer for hope and 13 bible verses to encourage you. I’ve walked through enough storms in my life to know no matter how bad things get, we can always find hope when we turn to God.
No matter how dire our circumstances, we can know that at some point there will be light at the end of the tunnel and the storm will eventually pass. No matter how difficult or how impossible things may seem, we can know God cares about the details of our lives and His timing is always perfect.
But what shall we do while we’re amid the storm to come out of it strong and victorious?
What I do when I’m experiencing difficulties
I cling to God’s Word.
I choose to believe His promises. (see the 13 bible verses I read below)
I trust His grace will sustain me until the end.
A Prayer for Hope in Difficult Times
During difficult times, filling my mind with only messages of hope sustains my spirit. For instance, reading books like Prayers That Avail Much: Scriptural Prayers for Your Daily Breakthrough by Germain Copeland has been a lifeline on many occasions for when I needed a prayer for hope. Here is a prayer entitled, Overcoming a Sense of Hopelessness:
“Father, as Your child I boldly come before Your throne of grace that I may receive mercy and find grace to help in this time of need.
Father, I know Your ears are open to my prayers, so hear my prayer and answer me. I am worn out by my worries and crushed by oppression. I am gripped by fear and trembling. Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness. I would hasten to escape and to find a shelter from the stormy wind and tempest.
I am calling on You my God to rescue me, You redeem my life in peace from the battle of hopelessness that is against me. I cast my burden on You, Lord, releasing the weight of it. You sustain me. You will never allow the consistently righteous to be moved—made to slip, fall, or fail.
Hopelessness lies in wait for me to swallow me up or trample me all day long. Whenever I am afraid, I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance in You. By Your help God, I will praise Your Word; on You I lean, rely, and confidently put my trust; I will not fear.”
(Excerpt from Chapter 46: Overcoming a Sense of Hopelessness, pg 154)
The extent to which you daily renew your mind with the Word of God is the extent to which you will experience His peace. As you keep your mind stayed on God, a comforting sense of calm will surround you like a warm blanket even though the storm rages all around.
Sometimes it’s hard to connect to a positive thought when you’re drowning in a sea of hopelessness. When it feels like you’re hanging on by a thread is the time when you need to cling to the power of God’s promises.
Scripture to Pray When Going Through Difficult Times
Psalm 42:11 TPT
“So, I say to my soul, “Don’t be discouraged. Don’t be disturbed. For I know my God will break through for me.” Then I’ll have plenty of reasons to praise Him all over again. Yes, He is my saving grace!”
Psalm 31:16
Let Your favor shine on Your servant. In Your unfailing Love, rescue me.
Psalm 143: 8 NIV
Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing Love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.
Psalm 62:5-7 NET
Patiently wait for God alone, my soul! For He is The One Who gives me hope. He alone is my protector and deliverer. He is my refuge; I will not be shaken. God delivers me and exalts me; God is my strong protector and my shelter.
We can always go to the Word for comfort, encouragement, direction, and blessings…
1. Matthew 28:20 (NLT)
“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
2. Psalms 30:2 (NIV)
“Lord my God, I called to You for help, and You healed me.”
3. Psalms 42:5 (CEV)
“Why am I discouraged? Why am I restless? I should trust You, Lord. I will praise You again because You help me.”
4. Psalms 71:14 (CEV)
“I will never give up hope or stop praising You.”
5. Proverbs 16:24 (NIV)
“Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
6. John 10:10 (CEV)
“A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so everyone would have life, and have it fully.”
7. 1 Peter 1:3 (NLT)
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by His great mercy that we have been born again because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation.”
8. Romans 5:4-5 (CEV)
“And endurance builds character, which gives us a hope that will never disappoint us. All of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with His Love.”
9. Jeremiah 17:14 (NIV)
“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for You are The One I praise.”
10. Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
11. Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
12. Psalms 34:18 (NIV)
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
13. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)
“If my people who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”