5 Prayers for the Christian Single Living on Their Own
Prayer
Audio By Carbonatix
By Vivian Bricker, Crosswalk.com
Living on your own can be extremely daunting. For various reasons, we can become worried, fearful, or saddened by the reality of living on our own. When I moved out for the first time, I was the first of my family to live on my own. My parents had both lived with their families until they got married.
The same is true for every friend from college that I have; they never lived on their own before getting married or transitioning into a new season of life. Therefore, I felt worried when I moved out for the first time because I didn't see anyone pave the way before me. I had to pave the way for myself, which was a challenging task.
Living on your own brings up many worries, fears, and depressive thoughts. It is good to be independent and to have your own space, however, you can never really run from the truth that you feel lonely and sometimes afraid when you live on your own. As someone who grew up in a big family, it was hard to face the silence of an empty home and the lack of talking, music playing, or being able to walk across the hall to a family member. Perhaps this is exactly how you are feeling, too, and you need the Lord's help. The good news is that He is just a prayer away. We can turn to Him with anything that our hearts need.
1. A Prayer to Fear Not
Psalm 34:4 tells us, "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." All of the fears that we are facing, we need to give them all over to the Lord. God tells us constantly throughout the Bible to fear not (Isaiah 41:10). All we must do is seek Him out in prayer and ask Him to deliver us from all of our fears.
Think about the fears that you are having surrounding living on your own. Bring them to the Lord in prayer and trust Him to help you. God is mightier and more powerful than anyone or anything. Allow this truth to help you release fear from your heart. There are many scary things in this world, and we need to be wise; however, God doesn't want us to be surrounded by fear all the time.
Go to Him in prayer today and present all of your worries to Him (Philippians 4:6-7). After you have talked with Him in prayer, you will feel better. The heavy weight on your shoulders will be lifted, and the fear won't be as intense anymore. Rely on the Lord and rely on the power of His might to eradicate any fear.
"Dear God, I am fearful when I reflect on the truth that I live alone. Many terrible things could happen, which causes fear to rise in my heart. Please help this fear vanish and help me turn my eyes to You. Allow my heart to focus on You rather than the fear growing inside of me. I know that You are more powerful and mighty than anything or anyone. Nothing is stronger or more powerful than You. I give You all the praise and glory, God, Amen."
2. A Prayer to Cast Worry Aside
Throughout the Bible, we are instructed to cast our anxiety onto the Lord (1 Peter 5:7). This is because God knows we cannot carry our anxiety or worry on our own. They will eventually tear us down. Instead of holding on to anxiety and worry, we need to cast them aside. However, we cannot do this apart from the help of God.
Only God can help us cast aside worry because only He is greater than all things. Self-help books may provide some relief, but they are not a substitute for God. The more we look to God and trust in Him, the smaller our worry will be. In other words, we need to build trust in God in order for us not to be as worried anymore. Think about why you are worried—maybe it is a leaky faucet that hasn't been fixed, your lease is running out, or you don't have enough money for rent this month.
Bring all of these to God, leave them at His feet, and choose to cast the worry aside. Trust that God will come through and help you face this concern. This doesn't mean we should sit back and do nothing, but it does mean we need to stop grasping for control over situations we have no control over. Start building your trust in the Lord and watch your worry fade away.
"Dear God, help me to cast worry aside. Worrying is taking up a significant part of my life. Due to living on my own, all of the responsibilities fall on me. If the dishes are not washed, it's my fault, and if I didn't pay rent, it's my fault. Please help me with my worry and help me to start trusting in You rather than relying on myself. I know that You are fully trustworthy and You will equip my heart with the trust that it needs, Amen."
3. A Prayer to Fully Embrace God's Love
God's love for us is shown throughout the Bible (Romans 8:37-39). When we are living on our own, we often struggle with knowing we are loved. After all, we don't have a spouse or loved ones living with us, such as a friend or a sibling. Our outlook on things can look very bleak after we come to this realization. Instead of feeling loved, we feel empty and hollow inside.
It is at these times that we need to ask the Lord to help us fully embrace His love. Even if we don't feel it, we need to rely on the truth that His love is always present with us. On the darkest of days, when loneliness is overbearing, we must remember God's perfect, steadfast love. This present season of being alone might not last forever and we need to hold on to the hope that better things are coming. Keep praying and soaking in the wonderful love of God.
"Dear God, help me to fully embrace Your love. Unfortunately, I often find it hard to embrace Your love because I lack love in my life. I feel alone and lonely all the time since I live on my own. Help me to remember that You always love me and You are always with me, God. In Your Son's Name, I pray, Amen."
4. A Prayer for Protection
Being worried and afraid for our safety is a common concern when we live on our own. This is especially true for single women. Due to living in a fallen world, evil can occur even when we take all the right steps to keep ourselves safe. We need to go to the Lord in prayer. He can keep us protected in more ways than we ever could because He is God and He is greater than all things (Isaiah 54:17).
The protection of the Lord is a mighty thing. Even though we cannot see God with our eyes, He is always surrounding us. We will never truly know what He has been protecting us from until we are with Him in Heaven. I have seen God do wonderful things in my own life concerning keeping me safe and protected, and I trust that He will do the same for you. Pray for His protection and give Him praise for His love, kindness, and the safe dwelling beneath the shelter of His wings.
"Dear God, there are many things that make me afraid and cause me to worry about my safety. I ask that You protect me from all these things and keep me safe. I know that You are bigger, mightier, and stronger than all things. Please keep me safe and help me not to be fearful. I want to be smart, but not full of fear. I trust in Your protection and the safety of Your wings. In Your Son's Name, I pray, Amen."
5. A Prayer for Acceptance
When we talk about acceptance, we often refer to being accepted by others. However, the acceptance I'm referring to here is the acceptance of living on your own. For some people, living on their own is a temporary arrangement, but for some, it will last the rest of their lives. For those of us who may never marry and never live with friends or family because they are all married and moved away, we need to accept our fate. It is okay to live on our own, even if it doesn't feel like it at times.
We need God to help us accept the reality of living on our own when we want much more. Maybe we wanted to live with a spouse and build a home together, or we wanted to live with our family, but it just wasn't meant to be. Ask the Lord to help you accept this and take the time that you need to grieve. There comes a time when you know the season of singleness is going to last for a long time, if not your entire life, and you need to accept this feeling when it comes rather than fighting it. Fighting it will only result in more pain.
"Dear Jesus, help me to accept the reality that I may live on my own for the rest of my life. Give me grace to grieve my own plans and dreams for the future. Maybe I did want to have a spouse and have a vibrant home, but it just isn't meant to be. I'm alone in this house, yet I'm never truly alone because You are with me. I lift Your Name up in praise now and forevermore, Lord Jesus, Amen."
Related Article: 7 Healthy Habits for Living Alone
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Westend61
