Finding Hope in Perseverance

Lindsay Schlegel finds hope in the fruits of persistent prayer, particularly the Litany of Trust.  

For the Jubilee of Hope, our writers reflect on prayer as a source of hope in their lives.

For years now I have been praying the Litany of Trust by the Sisters of Life. I offer it nearly every morning, except when small children or a needy dog alter my routine. Then I do my best to pray it in the afternoon or at least before bed. The prayer itself is beautiful and powerful. I have written elsewhere about my experience coming to know it and how it helped me learn to concretely live out trust in the Lord.   

This prayer has become my go-to, something I’ve recommended to friends and family (and probably a few near strangers). Lines of it will come back to me in difficult moments, like a favorite song that offers comfort. This prayer brings me back to the relationship I want to have with God in reminding me of what I have surrendered to him and challenging me to give up what I continue to hold on to.   

Growing Into It 

This daily practice bears different fruit now than it did when I was just starting it. Today, the Litany of Trust is not only a part of my prayer routine, it’s become part of who I am as a daughter of God. I recall a priest telling me something similar about his experience with the Psalms: Having prayed the Liturgy of the Hours for a couple of decades as part of his priesthood, he told me the words of Scripture, the very language, had become part of how he thinks and how he reflects.   

With Scripture as with prayers like the Litany of Trust, we are apt to see something different in them each time we return to them — not because the text is different, but because we are. I find great hope in that. Part of the beauty of being human is growing, changing, and maturing, but that also means opportunities to head in the wrong direction. 

When prayer is my center, I calibrate myself on Christ rather than being swayed by the waywardness of the world. I grow in a way that honors the Lord and leads me to my ultimate home with him. Without this kind of center, I run the risk of confusing my will with God’s.   

In the letter from James, we read,

The one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. (James 1:6-7)

Persistent prayer allows me to maintain my relationship with Christ, to build it up, to deepen it, and to let it shape the person I am.  

Perseverance Pays Off 

There were times I thought saying the same prayer every morning might not be contributing much to my spiritual growth. It had become familiar and routine. But when I tried other means of prayer, nothing moved me quite the same way. I had come to understand those words and learned to recognize how the Lord answered my prayers. I had kind of grown into this prayer the way a child might grow into a shirt that seemed too big at first.   

Really, I’m not doing the same old thing each time I say this prayer. Every time I read through these words with intention, I am renewing my commitment to the Lord. I am remembering His love for me. I am recalling the past, looking forward to the future, acknowledging the present, all at once. Each repetition is a recalibration, a recentering of my heart and mind on Christ.   

Life can feel dark and hard when we forget who we are or where we’re going. It can be scary to admit we can’t know or control how things will turn out with our family, our work, our relationships. God knows we don’t need to know how things will go. We can’t control outcomes for ourselves or the people we love, much as we might try to convince ourselves that, just this one time, maybe we can.   

There are a lot of distractions and temptations in the world. When we are firmly rooted in our relationship with God as our Father, Christ as our Brother, the Holy Spirit as our Guide, the things of the world don’t hold the same kind of power over us. When I don’t know that I have the words to pray, I turn to these to help me turn to Him. Then I have hope of a future beyond this life, and with it, the desire to help others know that hope too.   

That You will teach me to trust You … That You are my Lord and my God … That I am Your beloved one … Jesus, I trust in You. (from the Litany of Trust)

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Copyright 2025 Lindsay Schlegel
Images: Holy Cross Family Ministries
Quote from the Litany of Trust used with permission granted by the Sisters of Life for personal or parish use; not to use for sale. Written by the Sisters of Life (SistersOfLife.org).