Sometimes we think we know how to pray for each other, but we don’t. Our family gathered for dinner one night, and Jeff began to pray. In his prayer, he prayed for the Lord to help me (Julie) have strength and feel better. HELLO?
When we lifted our heads, I had to try really hard not to blurt out something snarky. Apparently, I must’ve looked sick that night?!? Something made him think I felt bad physically (The dark circles? The yawning?), but that wasn’t the case at all. I needed to make my real needs a little more known, and he needed to ask before he put a “quarantine” sign around my neck and warmed up the chicken soup. While our prayerful intentions are good, our petitions may be misdirected and ineffective.
One of the best ways to pray with understanding is to ASK: How can I pray for you? In this case: “How can married women pray for single friends?”
I asked my single girlfriends that very question. After taking some time to talk about Single Things in February, I think it’s very appropriate to learn how to love our single friends through prayer. One of my single mom friends reminded me that singles are unmarried as parents for a variety of reasons like death of a spouse and divorce, which really makes a difference in how they long to be prayed for. You should ask the single friend who has come to your mind, but let me get you started with what my friends shared with me. These are THEIR thoughts.
How to Pray for Your Single Friend
- Pray for her the same as you would any other women.
- Pray that the Holy Spirit would provide contentment for being single.
- Pray for protection; singleness makes women feel vulnerable.
- Pray that no life stage would take the place of finding true satisfaction in God.
- Pray that she would use her talents, abilities, and opportunities to serve God.
- Pray that she seeks God’s best before walking down the aisle.
- Pray that she won’t waste her life waiting on what’s next.
- Pray for friendships to fill some of her lonely gaps.
- Pray for her to have financial wisdom.
- Pray that she will use this single time wisely.
- Pray for her to remain pure in body and in mind.
- Pray for her to have patience and contentment.
- Pray that she will find her needs met and complete satisfaction in Christ.
- Pray for God to provide her a mate IF she seeks that, but support her no matter what.
- Pray that she will truly SEE God caring for her.
- Pray that if God wills for her to marry, she will wait patiently for the right man.
- Pray for friends to be iron sharpening iron for her.
- Pray for her, but also WITH her.
- Pray for her to be loved and accepted in her church.
- Pray for HER to work on being this kind of friend to others.
I’d like to give away a copy of Gary Chapman’s Five Love Languages for Singles. To enter to win, just do one of these:
Leave a comment & share anything insightful or encouraging about singleness or a single in your life: Another way to pray? A testimony? A resource? A book idea? A praise? OR if you become a new subscriber via email, leave a comment and let me know. I’ll announce the winner this Feed Me Friday!
consistent contentment is the challenge for me. sometimes i am completely content with being single. i have a 15 yr old daughter and the weeks she is with me it’s just her and me which gives us awesome 1 on 1 time. sometimes though, parenting presents challenges that i so long for my person to help me wade through. that’s one example.
Thanks for sharing Apryl!
Thank you for your insight. I think No. 8 is so important. I am a single, widowed women. I am 60 years old. It does get lonely at times.
Thank you for sharing Janet. Do you have a friend who has done something special to be an encouragement to you?
Interesting timing on this post. I think the first and last items on the list are very important – pray as you would for any women; and pray that she will be that kind of friend to others.
You’re on my same page, Pam. I really thought those 2 suggestions gave some context to the whole list.
Thanks, Julie, for this post! We have several single missionary women down here so your article was very insightful! I’m excited to pray for them!
I’m glad it was timely. You have been on my mind all week, as we’ve had our Global Conference this week. Praying for you and sending a big hug your way.