Intercessor, Are You Lonely? Pray This!
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Intercessor, Are You Lonely? Pray This!
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Beloved, do you feel lonely right now? Do you wish you had a friend or two you could call with whom you could chat, spend time, laugh, cry, and pray?
Join others crying out to the Lord day and night.
If so, you’re not alone. Friendlessness is an epidemic in the Body of Christ.
In today’s age of digital communication, fast-paced life, and overwhelming stressors coming at us from every side, many of us have gotten used to just going home and hiding after our day’s work is done. If we don’t practically run over people at work or church, too many of us don’t bother to build relationships with them. “Work friends” have replaced real friends, and true companionship is lacking.
But this is not the church that Jesus built.
The church that Jesus built was designed with community in mind.
As we read in Acts 2:42-47:
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42-47).
In the early church, people “did life” together. Companionship was an everyday thing. They relied upon each other, shared with one another, and were joined together in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. The love of God dwelt in their hearts, not only empowering them to worship God together, but also to love one another.
Friend, don’t you long to return to that kind of community and friendship?
If you’re lonely today, the Lord wants to give you covenant friends with whom you can share your life. Being or feeling isolated from the Body of Christ is not God’s will for you. And although there are many practical steps a person can take to find that kind of community and friendship, the journey begins with prayer.
If you want the Lord to give you covenant friends, would you pray about this deep need today?
Here’s a sample prayer you can adapt as needed to give voice to your own heart’s desire for friends:
“Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You in Jesus’ name.
Abba Father, Your Word says we should enter into Your gates with thanksgiving and into Your courts with praise.
I’m feeling sad and lonely today, so it’s hard for me to even pray at all. But I thank You for listening to me. Thank You that Your Holy Spirit is interceding for me with moaning and groaning which cannot be uttered, and You who search hearts know what the mind of the Spirit is.
Thank You for helping me pray right now, and for understanding even my inadequate words and thoughts as I come to You. I praise You for Your mercy and grace toward me, Lord God.
Heavenly Father, Your Word says that I should be anxious for nothing, but in everything, with prayer and supplication, make my requests known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. So Father, I come to You right now to cast my care upon You, for You care for me. You will never allow the righteous to be moved!
Father God, You know how lonely I am.
I feel so lonely right now, and I have for a long time. I don’t have any friends with whom I can share my life.
I do have acquaintances, Father—and I’m grateful for that. There are people who need me to help them. There are people who use me, even though I wish that weren’t the case. There are people who desire to benefit from my ministry. But I feel like I don’t have any real friends, Father; when I’m lonely and just want to spend quality time with a dear friend, there is no one I can call.
Father, I reject the spirits of self-pity and suicide, and I command every foul spirit to leave me right now in Jesus’ name. Father, please fill me with Your Holy Spirit in every place. Help me to keep my eyes on Jesus right now, even though I’m hurting and tempted to look down at myself.
But Father, I do ask for Your help. In the name of Jesus, I beg for Your mercy right now. Please, Lord:
- Send me close, covenant friends with whom I can share life.
- Please send me one true best friend whom I can consistently share time with, day in and day out.
- Please send me friends who want to spend time with me as much as I desire to spend time with them.
- Please send friends who love me as much as I love them.
- Please protect me from people who just want to use me.
- Please deliver me from pouring my heart into people who can’t be bothered to be around or be in actual relationship with me. This only results in hurt, Father, and I don’t want to hurt or be used anymore.
Heavenly Father, please send me a posse to run with.
Even if it’s only one or two people, Abba, I ask in Jesus’ name that You would send people of like heart, like spirit, and like destiny—kindred spirit friends with whom I can be close:
- Send people who understand me, and whom I also understand.
- Send people who are pioneers and intercessors like I am, but I pray that our conversation—although centered around you—would not be limited to things we are interceding for.
- Please send me friends with whom I can share all aspects of life, Father—trustworthy friends who have a heart to love me as I also love them.
Father God, I also ask right now in Jesus’ name that You would comfort me by Your Holy Spirit.
I’m so very lonely, Father. I need You. Please help me to feel Your presence and affection today. Let me sense Your arms wrapped around me today. Please hold me up and give me grace to stand one more day. I feel like I just want to hide from life and from the world, Father, for no human sees me or cares about me the way my heart desires.
Please help me, Father:
- Take away the loneliness.
- Heal my heart and soul.
- Minister to me as only You can, Abba.
- Touch me deeply with Your love.
- Fill me up with Your love in places so deep that I cannot even reach them.
- Baptize me anew and afresh with Your Spirit of adoption, that I may once again cry out “Abba! Father!” in the bliss of Your love.
I need You, Father. I have no one in Heaven and earth besides You, God. I need You. Please help me, and send me covenant friends who will be forever present in my life.
Thank You, Father. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”
Beloved, if you feel all alone today, God sees you and He cares.
Of course He can and will be the only Person to truly fulfill you in your spirit man, but He also desires you to have close, covenant friends with whom you can share your life. Pray and believe Him for those friends; follow Him as He leads you to meet new people and start new relationships; and see what He does!
Did you pray for close, covenant friends today? Does this prayer sum up the desire of your heart in this area? If so, leave a comment below!
Jamie Rohrbaugh equips people to walk in the manifest presence of God. She is the author of Healing from Church Wounds: You Can Be Whole Again and How to Become an Intercessor: You Can Shake Heaven and Earth. She blogs for a global readership at FromHisPresence.com, where she writes about prayer, the prophetic word, living supernaturally, inner healing, and Kingdom wealth. Her writing is featured on YouVersion, Charisma Magazine, The Elijah List, Spirit Fuel, and various other ministry outlets. Download her free prayer tool, Praying the Names of God: 555 Biblical Names of God and How to Use Them in Prayer and Worship, here. Photo Credit: Helena Lopes on Unsplash.
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Comments
Thanks for this. I’ve just been praying for this very thing. At 67, My life has recently been turned upside down and I find myself in new surroundings with little social support. I thank God for all he has blessed me with and know that Jesus is with me.
Thank you for writing this and for reminding me that it is the Lord who can break the chains of loneliness, raise up close lifetime friendships and rescue us from the pit of despair. Thank you for the prayers which I prayed in agreement, feeling and meaning every word spoken to our Father. I pray our Lord blesses you back tenfold times ten for the love and concern and compassion you demonstrate to his children. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus name. Amen,
I prayed the above prayer regarding loneliness and met every word of it. I been alone for a long, long time; I believe however God is going to break that isolationism/aloneness, in Jesus’ name. Thank You, Lord.
Thank you so much for writing this, Jamie.
Indeed MS Jamie !!! I’ve never seen so many replies to comments. Each showing the love of the Father , proving that amongst y’all is where I wanna be !! Ha Ha Hallelujah
This is my hearts cry! A close female friend. I know the Lord is my best friend! And what hurts me most is l now see my grandchildren struggling to find friends! They attend church and Christian schools but it is still hard to find faithful friends. Our society has taken a real hit and l pray that Holy Spirit will baptize us with His loving Presence and kindness! Even the church doesn’t do a good job of including new people!
THIS IS MY OWN PRAYER. THANK YOU JESUS FOR HEARING ME, MAKE ME WORTHY OF WHAT I DESIRE, FRIENDSHIP, FAMILY, HOME,
I ASK IN JESUS’ NAME
AMEN
Thank you for hearing our prayers Lord and for seeing our need for invested human friendships. I pray with expectation. Open my eyes and heart to new friendships.
As long as I have Jesus, I have everything that I need. I may feel lonely, but am NEVER alone. Thank you, Jesus.
What a beautiful article, Jamie! Becoming a widow a few years ago changed all my close relationships. The one constant has been my relationship with Jesus. I’m so grateful for the good friendships. I’ve had over the years. This article helped identify things I can work on to move forward in old relationships and embrace new ones. Help, Lord!!
Thank you for this prayer and message! We have moved often to fight cancer. We make friends in the church but have lost the deep roots of being planted in one place and developing relationships over time.
I know the lord is with us but we re lonely and desire to be known by more than cancer. I pray God makes us light and salt wherever we are in this world but the world seem strange these days.
Thank you for IFA recognizing this need!
Thank you for this prayer and message!
I moved to AZ in 2019. I have yet to make any buddies, never mind actual friends.
My wife went home in 2009 due to illness. I have not had a bonafide date with a Christian woman in more than 13 years. No, I’m not ugly and I bathe regularly.
Have I prayed for these things? You bet your clothes I did. But, I still do most things alone. It is way past old now.
I’ve tried small groups (where I made some good Christian friends in southern Calif., but not here in AZ, yet, anyway). I’ve tried Meetup.com on multiple occasions. These people have their own social lives outside of these meetup groups and don’t seem to give one fig about forming any new friendships.
Trusting God for these things is too difficult. Too much time has passed. I turn 60 in less than two days. My best years are behind me (I know some here will contest that, but that’s how I see my own life right now).
I hear Heaven is perfect, whatever exactly that means. But, why would this God who has done this to me change on the other side and suddenly inundate me with human companionship?? Hard to believe that.
Pray that I can be content no matter what the situation, no matter how many humans I don’t have in my life. Pray that I can trust and follow even when life sucks and shows no signs of letting up.
‘Preciate it.
I’m so sorry, Keith. We as a couple are struggling to find true Godly friends, but at least we still have each other. This kind of alienation is an epidemic today, so you are not alone – in that sense. I do pray that the Lord would comfort and strengthen you, and restore your hope. May the body of Christ learn how to be the church and live in community – not isolate itself or be exclusive.
Keith, I am so sorry you are going through this friendless time in your life. I share your loneliness.
We moved to a new state 5 years ago, and I have yet to find even one good friend who meets the criteria mentioned in this article. I did have my wonderful dog who filled a lot of that void but he died last year and now I feel lonelier than ever. I find people in church (listen up, church) are involved with their own group of friends and it’s hard to break into their circle without feeling intrusive.
Perhaps you could go out into your community and volunteer and focus on doing something for others as a way of not dwelling on your loneliness.
Your best years are NOT behind you. Turning 60 just means you have a lot of history with more to be made! Happy 60th birthday, Keith!
Find ways to bring laughter and music back into your life. Music can be so uplifting and laughter is good medicine!! Others are attracted to joyful energetic people who like to have fun. Rejoice in the Lord. He does not want you to be lonely nor has He done this to you. You have a choice to either be your upmost for His highest or allow the evil one to defeat you and bring you down.
I have recently taken my own advise which has opened more doors for me. I haven’t found that one true friend I long for, but my life is fuller and much more joyful than it was after my precious dog died. Also, friendships take time to cultivate so we must be willing to be patient.
I will be praying for you, Keith. I promise. Thank the Lord for this opportunity to trust Him to guide you and lead you on the path to finding true friends in Christ. It may take awhile but the Lord will always be with you because He loves you more than you will ever know.
Thank you ladies. I appreciate your thoughts.
This was so spot on!!!
I was literally crying all along just asking God if I was even normal.
Thanks for this prayer. It voiced what I couldn’t put in words.
I also have been praying for friendships for a long time. I was in women’s ministry leadership for years. Sometimes people assume leader types have what they need. I moved to a new location 7 years ago and so far, all my efforts in reaching out have fallen flat. It’s painful. But right here I see I am not alone in my loneliness. I do pray for myself and everyone here that God will open hearts and open doors for in-person friendships like the IFA prayer describes.
Praying for you Amie, that God will give you one or two friends to share your heart with and pray with you for your family, your husband’s salvation and that God will protect your children! 🥰🙏
Thank you for addressing this need. I have felt so isolated lately. I’m in need of a good friend to share the prayers of my heart for the salvation of my husband, and the protection of my children. I’m grateful for this site, and it’s godly praying church body.
Amie,
Look up Moms in Prayer in your area. Its an International intercessory prayer group. You will be accepted and truly loved by the area women in the group. It saved me lonely life about 15 years ago. We still gather weekly and also go out for coffee, etc. God provided for me and He will for you too 🙏🏻
Sounds like I am feeling, lost my Husband 2.5 years ago,
He was my best Prayer Partner and Supporter.
God Bless You Eash. May you know the comfort, peace and presence of God. Praying God will bring you to finding one or two friends you can share your heart with and pray with. 🙏🥰
I can feel that. I lost my honey in April of 2009.
Thank you for this much needed prayer about loniness Gives one hope….I am 68 and live by self. My heart goes out to older people in nursing homes who are lonely.
Praying for you Deborah. I am going on 68. 😁 I pray that you will know the comfort, peace, presence, protection and provision of our Wonderful Loving Faithful Lord!🙏🥰
I thank you, Lord, that You are sending me the Covenant friendships You desire me to have!
Father, you hear the hearts’ cries of your people! Comfort your people and fill their lives with those who love you and them.
Wowzeee… Cannot be the relevance this article has to my life. I am in AZ now, been here for more than 2.5 years. No friends, no buddies. Maybe an acquaintance, he not even being saved.
No wife, no GF.
My friends are on the coasts, between 380 and 2000 mi away.
I began reading this and will read it more in depth soon.
Thank you.
I can identify with this as well. Thank God I have my husband. We moved from the Caribbean to Canada. Apart from having no close covenant friends, Canada is in a worse state than the USA if you can believe that possible. Our leader is an out and out dictator and we live in fear and dread of what he will do next from day to day. God called us here, we know that. Sometimes being in the centre of God’s Will is THE most difficult place to be.
Keith, I pray the Lord grants your heart’s desire.
May God richly bless you, brother! God knows who He is sending your way! Keep in faith & know God knows your heart!
This article is at least two years old. Sheesh.
There will be a day when we crave daily gathering.
Darlene,
I hear you and you are not alone. It has been years for me since my Daughter has spoken to me.
I finally gave her to God and found peace in doing so. God hears your prayers and knows your pain . Know this for a fact ! Every prayer you send to God , He hears and He is working in ways that we can’t see.
Be encouraged because God is the strength that will help you through this. I guarantee you that our children are thinking about us.
Gail
Cj, I prayed for you.. I have struggled with loneliness the whole time I have been a Christian. I was originally saved in 1985.. and struggled after the first two months because of my sin.. and I rededicated in 1991.. but being divorced twice and never being a homeowner.. there was no place to fit in in my then small suburban town which has grown immensely since.. so I understand as I can as a single and divorced man, although I was not divorced and Christianity. I did not become a Christian until after I was divorced twice. That is kind of a complicated Journey but I’m just trying to let you know that I understand as much as I can.
This article speaks volumes to me. It has been quite a long time since I have had a solid, kingdom friendship. When I worked I had friends., all of whom were so much younger than me they could have been my grandchildren. I loved and enjoyed mentoring them, but I needed someone for me as well. I really feel lonely for Godly friends . I have talked to Father about this extensively, but none come.
Irma: I can totally identify with what you are saying. It has been at least 6 years that I have lived this wilderness experience with no Godly friends. Thank God I have a husband but we need more than one person to fellowship with. The “churches” in this community are totally “dead” and kicked out all the persons who were unvaccinated when the leader of this country issued his illegal mandates. We never joined because we could tell what type of organizations they were. We immigrated here two years ago – it is beyond lonely. I cry often and long for my homeland but know that God called us to be here. His Will be done – not mine.
I prayed this prayer for myself and for my best friend that the miles now so divide us.
Thank you for giving words to our heart cries that perhaps we had not truly realized were there.
Me too Donna . My best friend lives four states away from me and she is my spiritual best friend and like a sister.We have been friends for 38 years , and we met at Church .
I always pray for her that God will bring us both Godly Spirit Filled friends and the Church that God would have us serve in where we both live.
I Believe that God is going to answer your prayer and mine and give us our hearts desire.
Gail
Powerful, relevant Prayer especially post-pandemic.
I feel so lost and sad since the loss of my husband, who was my love and companion and best friend for over 40 years. Nothing can bring him back. He died in my arms. I know Jesus is the answer to being my solace and comforter and I pray every day for his love, mercy and guidance. I’ve made some Christian people who are so kind, but I need to fill the large hole in my heart. Please pray for me to get my motivation an energy back and try not to hide from those who are trying to help. I’d just like to join him in heaven where problems do not exist, nor sadness or cares…just peace, beauty and love.
Cj, I prayed for you.. I have struggled with loneliness the whole time I have been a Christian. I was originally saved in 1985.. and struggled after the first two months because of my sin.. and I rededicated in 1991.. but being divorced twice and never being a homeowner.. there was no place to fit in in my then small suburban town which has grown immensely since.. so I understand as I can as a single and divorced man, although I was not divorced and Christianity. I did not become a Christian until after I was divorced twice. That is kind of a complicated Journey but I’m just trying to let you know that I understand as much as I can.
Thank you for this prayer. My husband and I jumped right in our new community trying to help where ever needed opening our doors to our neighbors and they turned against us! My heart was broken and now we don’t talk to any of them. Please pray for us. We were so happy to be here and now it is a nightmare.
Very similar experience and we stayed for 27 years praying for a break through…it never came.
We have moved to Boise ID and it’s like Heaven opened up over us. We were so thirsty for plain fellowship. We found it in and out of the church. Every day we experience God’s love and it’s been over 9 mths. Already made up for what the locusts has eaten!
WOW! I pray that God would open the door for us to move from this location where we are lonely, ostracized, have no church home and no real Godly friends. Twenty Seven years is a long time!!! We are not that young – we don’t have 27 years but we sure need a breakthrough. Life in Canada is like living behind the iron curtain. The leader of this country is an out and out dictator and very unpredictable. He has become progressively worse and worse since we immigrated here two years ago never DREAMING that we would meet this environment in Canada. I cry out to the Lord for deliverance daily.
Touches everything I feel and need.
So good! Thank you! Small groups are great way to get to know people. If you’re attending a big church attend a small group within the church. Or find a small church. Also, a great way to meet new people is through service of some sort. Seems like this time of year every church needs help with vacation Bible school or a youth group that needs candy donations to sell to get to summer camp. I found a BFF by attending a Tuesday morning prayer group that had about five people. We knew each other’s hearts before we ever spoke and that’s how we knew we were connected in a deeper level. I read somewhere that if you have one good friend in your entire life you are blessed. ❤️🙏❤️
What a lovely and heartfelt prayer! Thank you for articulating so perfectly the desire for true friends that even the most courageous among us feel. I appreciate you for seeing a real need and addressing it. Jesus is my constant friend, without whom I would be utterly lost. And I know He wants me to have like-minded friends here, too!
thank you for your word of encouragement in Jesus God bless you
Thank you Jamie. I needed to know that there are others out there like me. I feel invisible. Church isn’t fulfilling anymore. I go alone, sit alone, and come home alone. My church doesn’t have a ministry for widows. Like you say I have acquaintances but no close friends that I can hang out with.
Thanks for your prayer. God bless you.
My 33 yr old son Jake is on the spectrum. He longs for a close companion. His entire life has known great lonliness, often ostracized because he doesnt quite know how to communicate his feelings/ socialize with people.
Despite believing in God & having faith, he thinks his life is a joke;
He does not believe he has a purpose in the Kingdom.
There are many on the spectrum.
Why our Heavenly Father designed us for community, but allowed many of His children to suffer mentally with 💔 feeling isolated, & therefore “choosing” to further isolate is so heartbreaking. But we, the neurotypical members of the Body need to recognize this.
…renenber these dear ones in prayer, come alongside of them , & encourage them with the love of Jesus.
“He does not believe he has a purpose in the Kingdom.”
Dear Heavenly Father, Jake is fearfully and wonderfully made! Your word says each day of his life was ordained before he lived his first one. He has lived 12053.25 so far Lord, would You call him into the destiny You had in mind for him all those days ago? I pray Jake hears Your voice and follows You with courage and confidence. I pray Jake’s walk with You is “lit” and others are drawn to him. I pray he will know His place in Your kingdom and be purposeful in it. I ask this in the Name of Jesus. Amen
Psalm 139:16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?
Isaiah 14:24 The LORD of Hosts has sworn: “Surely, as I have planned, so will it be; as I have purposed, so will it stand.
Ephesians 1:11 In Christ we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,
I feel so much like your son, Dianne, though I am 33 yrs. older than Jake. I will be praying for him.
I read this after reading your comment John….I came back here to share some mighty human words from Oswald Chambers about God’s vision for your life. I believe!
https://utmost.org
I too have had these feelings and believe this is an important message. I am not attempting to detract from Jamie’s word because (I believe) loneliness has become a worldwide condition. But because the Lord loves us more deeply than we can think or imagine, I am submitting another perspective for you to consider.
I just recently read a message from Francis Frangipane, whose ministry much like Jamie’s, is alive with the Truth of God. I respectfully submit his recent message.
https://francisfrangipanemessages.blogspot.com/2022/07/from-setback-to-setup.html
Spoke to me in this time I am going through, and needed this word. Thank You.
Thank you Susan CC for that blog from Francis Frangipane. It spoke into my situation LOUDLY. Bless you.
What a timely prayer. I just returned to attending a Bible Study and worship service. We haven’t been in church since the Pandemic began. I thank the Lord for this article and the prayers within. They are exactly where I am. Having moved from another state years ago where I had life-long friends, I now have no local friends with whom to do life. God is leading me back into that. At my age, it’s more difficult to make those life-long friends again. That is my prayer for myself now. God, supply me with one other person with whom I can do life and pray, interceding for this nation and her people. Amen.
This Prayer is exactly what I have been crying out to God for in my life! Praise God for His Faithfulness to His children!
I understand. Church doesn’t reach out much or at all! Have been rejected ALOT. I admit I quit trying because only heard from people when I call or make plans with them myself.
I have friends but rarely hang out with them. I could use prayers for the spirit of rejection.
Amen!!! I loved this prayer! Thank you Holy Spirit for this right time word!!
Amen🙏 Thank you & Jesus for this timely prayer. My in laws are estranged from my husband & us.(children & I) It’s been off & on for 20 years. We desire restoration. We believe only God can do it. We keep trying to reach out.
Father, grant this family the restoration they long for. Until then, wrap Your arms around them with great comfort and love.
I am so glad I found this prayer. I have been hurt by my son for well over a year now and haven’t seen him. I want my relationship restored with him and him turn back to God. I’ve cried so much and prayed but no results. At end of my rope.
It’s a different world now. I spend a lot more time alone than ever before. I really needed this prayer. Thank you!
Perfect timing. I have family who were busy with their own concerns. It truly was a sad lonely holiday weekend of not seeing or talking to anyone but my Father…
I feel your pain, Karen….I also spent the holiday alone. I wish we lived close as I would appreciate having a friend who understands loneliness. God Bless you, Karen. You’ll be in my prayers knowing He does understand.