We are entering that time of year yet again. The time of year that begs us to pause, reflect, celebrate, and truly give thanks for the bounty of blessings God has so graciously given to us.
However, while it may cause many of us to be filled with joy and anticipation for the wonders this time of year holds, for some, it marks a slow countdown to the days that are consumed with sorrow and scared with loneliness.
Last year, I felt that loneliness envelop my heart like a suffocating (yet somewhat comforting) blanket, as it drifted in with the heavy weight of grief.
Some of my favorite holidays were tainted with the fact that there would be an empty seat at our table, and no matter how hard I tried to force a smile and push down the pain, loneliness brought me to a dark place and continued to linger.
Maybe you are entering this holiday season with the hurt and heaviness of loneliness. You see this as a season to survive, rather than one to thrive. First, if I may, I would like to extend my warm and sincerest heart to you and acknowledge the pain that you carry.
I am so sorry you are experiencing such sorrow and isolation. While I wish there were an easy way to make it all better, what I can say is that I do understand, and would like to extend hope through our most vital lifeline — prayer!
Oh friend, there is power in our prayers! If you or a precious friend are battling with loneliness this season, will you pray with me? I encourage you to give your heart to the Father and seek Him in this season.
Thought-provoking questions are also provided below each prayer to get in tune with God. Let Him cover you in His love and comfort you with His overwhelming sense of peace.
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1. A Prayer to Feel God’s Presence
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand(Psalm 16:11).
Oh God, we call upon You now, seeking Your precious face and presence. As we enter this beautiful time of year filled with reminders of Your amazing love for us and the bounty of blessings You have so graciously bestowed, we ask that you let Your glory be known to us.
Help us come into a beautiful encounter with You, revealing Your love, faithfulness, and goodness. Open our eyes to see You in the beauty that is found in Your creation.
Touch our hearts in a way to experience the richness of Your unwavering love. Lord, combat our loneliness with the awe and wonder of Your sacred spirit. We love You and thank You for being an alive and active God. Amen.
How do you feel God’s presence? This holiday season, I pray you encounter our God in a new and bold way. Sit with Him and be real and honest with your lonely heart.
Step outside and breathe in His peace or play some worship music and invite Him into your space. Oh friend, there can be a purpose for our loneliness, and it could be to experience more of a God that adores you. Let Him love you today.
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2. A Prayer to Be Comforted
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4).
Precious Father, God of all comfort. We humbly come before You, laying our burdens, hurts, and pain at Your feet. Grant us the peace that makes no sense, the comfort that comes only for You, and overwhelm us with Your patient and faithful love.
Oh, how we desperately need You. We need Your help in this season that often feels lonely and easily resurfaces wounds.
Wrap us in Your loving arms and help us seek solace with You as we lean in and find rest, reassurance, and relief from the pains in this life. We ask all this in Your Holy Name. Amen.
How does God comfort you? God’s Word offers us countless stories that showcase that God loves and cares for those who belong to Him. His compassion is so great and never fails.
His greatest source of compassion was done for us on the cross. Take a moment to really soak in His Word today and let Him comfort you. Here are some verses to dig into: 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, Psalm 119:50, Matthew 11:28-30, and Psalm 34:18.
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3. A Prayer to Find Hope and Healing
Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise (Jeremiah 17:14).
Lord Jesus, thank you for knowing us intimately and for always being in pursuit of our hearts. I pray that You hear the pleas of our hearts and meet with us today.
We confess and submit our hurt, pain, and suffering to You and earnestly seek the hope and healing that You so graciously provide.
As we find ourselves cloaked in the darkness of loneliness this season, we pray that You draw near and deliver us from any anxieties or worries we may be tightly holding on to.
Grant us the ability to let go of past hurts and walk in recovery so we can posture our hearts for the joy You bring this season. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
What hurt are you currently carrying? Hand it all over to Him today and let Him carry that burden. God extends grace through hope in that He provides healing in a multitude of ways. It may be done naturally, medically, or with a supernatural touch, but when we faithfully believe He can heal us, we learn to fully give Him our heart, mind, body, and soul.
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4. A Prayer to Feel Seen
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:7-18).
My heart is all Yours, Lord. I am so thankful that You see me, but oftentimes I feel so small and insignificant. I earnestly pray that You help me battle this desperate need to feel valued, important, and worthy to others.
There is a need to make an impact and to know that I have a purpose, but I often feel overlooked and underappreciated. The holidays can heighten these senses, so please shift my perspective, and help me see myself and others the way that You do — beloved.
Lord, as we draw to the end of the year, show me areas in my life in which I need to refocus and set my eyes on You alone. Help me keep an eternal frame of mind realizing that You see me and the only One I should be aiming to please is You! Amen.
Do you feel invisible to others, or maybe even to God? God has a unique way of reaching the unseen and unworthy. Think of the woman at the well in John 4:5-30. A woman that few view as valued or even wanted to look upon.
Yet, Jesus went out of His way to meet with just here. He can do that for us too! He is a personal God who longs to remind us of our value and worth to Him, which is priceless (Isaiah 43:4).
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5. A Prayer to Embrace the Miracle
God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will (Hebrews 2:4).
Heavenly Father, what a beautiful time of year we are about to encounter. Your mercy and grace are on display as we celebrate the gift and precious birth of Your Son, Jesus. Please give us soft hearts to lean into the wonder and miracle of it all.
While loneliness may dwell within us, touch our hearts in a way to willfully draw closer to You and sit in awe of Your majestic and inspiring story of becoming a man.
Knowing that You must have felt loneliness at times as well, and battled the many emotions that we face opens up a sweet conversation and a beautiful exchange of compassion.
God, please allow that to be a pathway to be patient with ourselves as we reach to You for unsurmountable comfort and peace.
Ignite within us hope as we embrace the sweet beauty this time offers. You are so very good to us. We thank you for being a miracle worker. Amen.
Did you know Jesus experienced bouts of loneliness too? He understands the nature of being despised, rejected, and often feeling extremely alone.
He endured agony, pain, and torture and even asked His disciples to stay with Him as He prayed in the garden (Mark 14:32-42).
However, we can follow His beautiful example of seeking a place to get quiet and get in tune with the Father to be reminded that in this life, we must be fully dependent on the Lord.
As the holiday season draws in, go ahead, and prepare your heart now by taking action. Cultivate your relationship with the Lord and earnestly seek Him.
Find ways to soak in His presence, lean into Him for comfort and peace, reach out for healing, trust that you are seen and so valuable to our God, and find simply sweet ways to savor the season.
Remember that God places us in seasons of loneliness oftentimes for a greater purpose. Sometimes we need that time to gain clarity or to grow in our relationship with Him.
So, use this lonely season as a way to find strength in a Savior who not only understands but calls us to bring our lonely hearts to Him and lay all our worries, hurts, and pain at His feet.
For further reading:
Top 5 Bible Verses to Read When You’re Feeling Lonely
How Does the Bible Help with My Loneliness?
What Should We Do When We Are Feeling Alone?
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Originally published Monday, 30 October 2023.