When Martin Luther said, “everything that is done in the world is done by hope,” he was largely meaning that for individuals. The expanded quote tells us about the hopes he was talking about: “No merchant or tradesman would set himself to work if he did not hope to reap benefit thereby.” Hoping is naturally connected to benefit. When we hope, we engage with a belief that if something is done, we will benefit. 
But Christians have gone somewhat sheepish about hoping for themselves if you ask me. We say, “aww shucks, God, I don’t need nuthin'” when that is maybe not what our heart is really telling us. That Martin Luther guy also had something interesting to say about this. In the Large Catechism on the subject of the Lord’s Prayer, he writes that if we don’t ask for anything, we’re not really praying. He likens an “all thanksgiving prayer” to be like that of the Pharisee in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican in Luke 18. 100-percent-thanksgiving prayers are the realm of those who “are confident in their own righteousness and look down on everyone else.” It would be wise for us to stay away from those, largely because they almost exclusively keep the conversation with God from going much further.
Instead, we are urged to ask God for stuff, for benefits. In Jesus’ own prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, there are 7 petitions – seven “asks” that Jesus encourages to go to God with. They are all hopes. Hopes for God’s Name to be hallowed, His will to be done, His Kingdom to come, hopes for daily bread and forgiveness and a release from evil and temptation. God wants us to hope – He wants us to imagine reaping a benefit. He wants us to be in a conversation with Him about those hopes.
About this time, you might be withdrawing. You might be saying things like “Well, my hopes don’t fit into the Lord’s Prayer,” or “God can take care of my spiritual stuff, but He doesn’t have a place in the other stuff that I’m hoping for,” or even “God already has given me so much, I couldn’t dare hope for more.” Gut check yourself on those statements. Do you really think your God is that compartmentalized that He doesn’t look at ALL of your life as “a dear Father listens to His dear child”? He does. He loves you. All of you, no matter your station in life. He loves your hopes, and we know He does because at the end of all those hopes, there stands a Cross. That Cross might challenge those hopes and it may redirect those hopes, but it finally redeems them by the blood of Jesus. But without hoping, you’re not getting to the Cross at all.
Take some time this week and consider your hopes. YOUR hopes. Your personal hopes. Your hopes about your business, your reputation, your family, your achievements, your security…whatever it is that you hope for. Share those hopes and dreams with God, tell Him what benefit you’re looking for. More peace? More free time? More security? Something else? Why would He want you to have those things? Do those things need to be redirected or challenged? What does Christ have to do with them? Your hopes are going to get you into a conversation with God, and what better place to start than with your own life? Next week, we’ll talk about your hopes for the Church.