I hope I can go to the birthday party—it’s at a water park!

I hope I get a horse for Christmas!

I hope I get to play for the Lakers when I’m in the NBA!

Ever heard your kids say something like this? When we use the word “hope”, we typically mean it like a “wish” or a “cross your fingers” type of sentiment. 

Our kids are great at hoping (wishing) for certain things in life, even if they’re not very realistic (like my 8-year-old being in the NBA!).

And you know what? I absolutely love the optimism of children. Their bright and energetic enthusiasm for everything in life reminds me to be enthusiastic and optimistic more often. 

So what we can do as parents is to teach our kids about what HOPE means from a Bible-centered viewpoint?

Biblical hope isn’t a “wish and a prayer” type outlook, where we want something with all our might even though we aren’t sure if it will really happen.

The word “hope” in Greek (the language of the New Testament) is “elpis”, which means “expectation, trust, confidence”. When that word is used in the Bible, it refers to actively waiting for God’s fulfillment of what He promised. 

Having hope in Bible times meant that you were waiting in sure expectation for the fulfillment of God’s greatest promise–the Messiah!

Jesus, the One who came to set us free, is the “promise and confidence” of all the world! He is who believing people of the Bible trusted and expected to deliver them from sin and He is who believing people of all times continue to hope in as well.

Next time your kids say they are hoping for something have a conversation about how Jesus is our hope and that we can have confidence in Him, even if we don’t get everything else in life we are hoping for! Here are five Bible passages about hope in Jesus that you can share with your kids!

5 Bible Memory Verses for Kids About Hope

Matthew 12:17-21 (NLT)

This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him:

“Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen.

    He is my Beloved, who pleases me.

I will put my Spirit upon him,

    and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

He will not fight or shout

    or raise his voice in public.

He will not crush the weakest reed

    or put out a flickering candle.

    Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.

And his name will be the hope

    of all the world.”

Romans 15:13 (NLT)

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Hebrews 6:19 (NIV)

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

Romans 5:5 (NLT)

And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

1 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Because of this promise fulfilled, our children can have a hope that will not disappoint them. Jesus isn’t a wish or a daydream, He is the perfect Savior who they can rely on and receive grace from each day. He is the “hope of all the nations”, on Christmas Day and every day!

Download a printable of these 5 Bible Memory Verses About Hope