A Prayer for the Lonely Soul
By Emily Rose Massey
Bible Reading
“God sets the lonely in families; he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land” (Psalm 68:6, NIV).
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We moved our family from Missouri to Florida exactly five years ago this summer. Aside from a sweet couple of friends who had also moved from the Midwest to the Sunshine State a few years prior, we knew absolutely no one. It was most definitely a leap of faith, but we trusted that the Lord had a new chapter ahead for our family, whatever that looked like.
It was sad to say goodbye to our family and friends, absolutely. Still, honestly, it wasn't as difficult as some may experience, simply because we didn’t quite have the deep relationships that tethered us to the places where my husband and I grew up. Despite the familiarity of home, we struggled to find a genuine community where we lived for a long time. We got married fairly young and were the only couple in our small group of friends at church to get married, so we never seemed to fit in with those our age for many years. Then, when we became parents, it seemed the loneliness became stronger, as many of our friends were either still single or busy with their own growing families.
This verse in Psalm 68 met me one night while I was crying out to the Lord in prayer:
“God sets the lonely in families; he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land” (Psalm 68:6, NIV).
While this verse, in its proper context, is speaking of God’s relationship with the Israelites as their Father and Rescuer from both Egypt and Babylon, we can glean a principle of God’s character: He is a faithful Father who cares for His children. He longs for His own to walk in obedience to His ways and experience the joy and love of relationship, community, and family.
For those of us with that beautiful family, as believers, we should seek out those who are isolated because they may be truly suffering. We enlarge our hearts and become vulnerable with each other, by God’s grace, to enjoy meaningful and fruitful relationships that are soul-quality and one-souled, knit closely together with one another. To be able to build intimate Christian friendships, we must also learn how to go beyond surface-level conversations and move into heart-to-heart type of conversations. It’s easy in our society to be self-isolated and guarded in the name of privacy. As members of the Body of Christ and brothers and sisters in the family of God, He has called us to be joined together. The consistent pattern in our lives should be to draw near to the Lord, to then draw near to others and grow in Christ together- for our good and for His glory.
As my husband and I prepared for that new season in our lives, away from all that we had ever known, we prayed specifically that the Lord would have a loving, vibrant family of believers waiting for us in our new state. Within two months of moving to Florida, He answered that cry in abundance! I look back on all those years of great despair, loneliness, and feeling misunderstood, and I am blown away by the gift of community the Lord has given us these last five years! How about you? Are you currently burdened with loneliness? Cry out to God- He hears your heart’s desire! Even if you don’t have strong biological family connections, He is your faithful, Heavenly Father who is an ever-present help. And if a relationship with God wasn’t a blessing enough, He has a family full of brothers and sisters in Christ waiting for you! Let’s run to Him and ask Him for help to find it, grow together in Christ, and treasure the gift that it truly is!
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father,
I am so grateful that You have rescued me from my life of sin and rebellion and given me a new heart to love You and love others. Yet, my heart is heavy and burdened with loneliness. Sometimes, it feels so difficult to find others who understand me. I admit that I am tempted to isolate when I am hurting. Help me to become vulnerable with others and share my burdens with them. I trust that You have a special family awaiting me who love You as I do. I long to find that kind of community of believers to be knit together with. Thank You for Your faithfulness and nearness in my life. I lean upon You and know You hear every cry of loneliness and trust that it will be turned into a song of joy and celebration with my family in Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Share your reflections on today’s devotional in the Your Daily Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
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