Heavenly Father, in a time when we are bombarded through the media with messages of fear, when a new financial scandal erupts almost daily, help us to remember that we are a people of HOPE. That hope fuels our thoughts, inspires our actions and ultimately brings change. The current messages of our time tell us to fear, to cling to what we have and try and make our own way to the top; the recession tells us to stop giving, and store up what we have. Let us put our faith in your scripture that talks about aliving hope through the resurrection of Jesus. Let us remind ourselves that we are followers of this same Jesus and we're called into the reality of God's kingdom where the massiveness of the problem shouldn't make us hopeless, but our lives should be grounded in Him.  Let us remember that in God's kingdom we have the promise of more than we can imagine and ask for. As a people of God let us live counter-culturally in times like these. When everyone is clinging on to what they have, may we freely give, because we know He is our provider. When everyone is filled with despair by shocking economic indicators, help us to pray and act with hope. Amen.