A Prayer to Overcome Feelings of Loneliness - Your Daily Prayer - October 14

My birthday ended in a pool of tears … on a day that should have been the yearly celebration of what God has done in my life thus far, I learned a hard truth: a friend that I had for years had unfriended me on social media. As silly as it may seem, this unfriending was more than a simple click of a button for her. I believe it was the culmination of a friendship that had officially run its course. After all, she was still friends with everyone else we mutually knew. So, this was her way of completely ending the friendship, which had already been broken by a series of misunderstandings, hurts, and broken expectations.

The ending of this friendship sent me into a dark place, and I wondered how many more relationships I could lose. Deep feelings of regret and loneliness shadowed my mind as I started to replay everything that had transpired and faced the mourning of a friendship that was once closer than a family bond. 

In the weeks following, I found myself isolating and pushing away current friendships to aid in my pain and protect my heart. Yet, the more I prayed about how to respond to this hurt, the more the Lord reminded me that I am never truly alone. As said in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

The loneliness that I was experiencing, although heavy, was not a place that he wanted me to stay. Instead, the Lord used this momentary pain to remind me that He would be my place of safety and comfort more than anyone else could ever be. Although the Lord values friendships and wants us to live in community, He also never wants a relationship to take the place of our relationship with Him. Sadly, I have been found guilty of placing more value on my people than my loyalty to the Lord.

My prayer for you today is that you seek the Lord when loneliness overtakes you. We can rest assured that “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). Though we may feel broken and alone, we must know that God alone can heal our pain. He can bring us clarity on how we can show up better for those in our lives. He can also bring people into our lives that will reflect His love towards us. Our role in this is to pray for comfort and know that God is truly the best friend we could ever ask for. 

• He is faithful. 
• He is honest.
• He is loyal.
• He cares about us when we don’t care about ourselves.
• He is full of grace and walks in truth.
• He guides us and gives us peace.

This is the God we serve. What friend we have in Jesus! May your heart be soothed and reminded of His never-ending faithfulness to those who believe. 

Let’s Pray:

Lord, I thank you for your friendship. God, I pray that when loneliness arises, you will comfort me with your presence. I pray that you will help me to remember your faithfulness and how you have carried me through every situation. Thank you that you will never leave me or forsake me. I thank you for being a loyal friend and ministering to my broken places. God, I ask that you bring those around me that will help lead me closer to you. Forgive me for any time I was not a good friend to those you have put in my life. Heal my heart from the loneliness that comes with life, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/tommaso79

Victoria Riollano is a mother of eight, veteran spouse, Psychology professor, and doctoral student, Victoria has learned the art of balancing family and accomplishing God’s ultimate purpose for her life. Victoria holds an MA in Child Psychology and is the author of two books- The Victory Walk: A 21-Day Devotional on Living a Victorious Life and  Warrior Mother: Equipping Your Heart to Fight for Your Family’s Faith. When she is not writing, you can find her serving in her local church as the pastor’s wife, worship leader, and youth pastor. Ultimately, she desires to empower women to live a life of victory, hope, and love. You can connect with Victoria at www.victoryspeaks.org and on social media at Victory Speaks by Victoria Riollano on Facebook and @myvictoryspeaks on Instagram.

Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.

Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith

Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going. 

Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.

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