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What Does The Bible Say About Loneliness

Who Has Died Of A Broken Heart

What does the Bible say about Loneliness?

Confirming that you can indeed die of a broken heart was a former NFL quarterback Doug Flutie, who announced that both of his parents suffered fatal heart attacks in one day within minutes, in 2015. Flutieâs father was in the hospital after suffering a heart attack and eventually succumbed to the condition.

He Will Fulfill Your Emptiness

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints,

for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,

to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13

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Scripture Quotes Dealing With Loneliness

Joshua 1:5No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

Genesis 2:18 Then the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone I will make him a helper fit for him.

Psalm 38:9 O Lord, all my longing is before you my sighing is not hidden from you.

Psalm 13:1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

Romans 8:31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 139:1-2O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up you discern my thoughts from afar.

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What Does The Bible Say About Loneliness

This particular form of suffering drives a person to God because in the midst of our isolation there feels as though there is no one left to turn to except God. God nurtures relationships, builds trust, and demonstrates practical mercy for our good and his glory.

Hara Estroff Marano wrote, Evidence has been growing that when our need for social relationships is not met, we fall apart mentally and even physically. There are effects on the brain and on the body.

Loneliness impacts us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Marano reports that the effects are distinct enough to be measured over time taking a serious toll on health, eroding our arteries, creating high blood pressure, and even undermining learning and memory .

God is moved on behalf of those who feel deeply isolated, even in the presence of others. This article will touch on three themes:

1. The prevalence of Scripture pertaining to loneliness

2. Solitude vs. loneliness in the Bible

3. Spiritual benefits of this emotional reality.

When Can Being Alone Be A Problem

What does the Bible say about loneliness?

As I mentioned before, we were not intended by God to be alone. While there are times that it may be necessary, we need to make sure that there is a designated end time. When we are alone, Satan can use the opportunity to tempt us. In the case of a couple that is experiencing problems, I have seen many times where Satan puts that understanding guy in the wifes life or a sweet sympathetic woman in the husbands life as a friend. This friend usually tells them everything they want to here and before long it progresses into more. Many marriages have been ruined this way. This is why this advice was even given in the context of prayer and fasting .

Likewise, many people choose to be alone because they have been emotionally hurt, abused, and even rejected by others in society. No matter what the reason, being alone subjects the person to thoughts and feelings that spiral into depression.

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Prayers For Loneliness When You Feel Single And Lonely

God, you know my desire for marriage. I surrender this feeling of loneliness to you. I thank you that you are always with me, and that you will bring the spouse you have for me into my life in your perfect timing. Help me to experience your joy in this season.

Help me to see all the friends and loved ones youve surrounded me with in this season. Show me the friendships and relationships Im meant to focus on in this season as I wait for my future husband. And show me the people around me that also feel lonely in this season that need your love and encouragement today.

God, I thank you for bringing me my future husband one day and that we will get to do life together. I trust you God and I thank you for your joy and peace as I wait to meet my future spouse. In Jesus name. Amen.

If you are single and praying to God to bring you a husband, you can download my free prayer guide, 5 Prayers for Your Future Husband, that includes prayers and bible verses to pray over your future husband.

If you want to be more intentional about praying over yourself and your future husband as you wait on God to bring you together, join my free, 14-day Attracting Your Future Husband Challenge.

In the challenge, you’ll get bible verses, prayers, and a different devotion to pray over each day. The challenge will help you feel more content being single as you wait on God to bring you and your future husband together.

Even Jesus Was Lonely

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Matthew 15:34 ESV

These were the words spoken by Christ right before He died on the cross. Suffering can be lonely. Dying can be lonely. The Last Supper was a lonely meal for Jesus. He was dining with friends that He had spent the last three years pouring into, and yet, he knew that some would deny him, and one would actively betray him after the meal was over.

Afterward, he took his friends with him to a garden to pray. He told them how burdened his heart was and asked them to watch and to pray. Three times, he had to wake them up when they all fell asleep.

His closest friends surrounded Jesus, yet he felt alone and forsaken. This crowd of friends could not make up for the loneliness of the impending cross. Jesus was forsaken so that he could make a way for us to be reunited with God. He laid down his life for YOU.

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Thankfulness Is The Greatest Weapon

Sometimes a simple thank-you needs to be more specific. Lord, I am sad today as it would have been our anniversary. Then I purposely thank Him for all the many years we did have together. Or, Lord, I am feeling sorry for myself as others are too busy to be with me. Then I add: Thank you, Jesus for all the precious friends You have given me. Then I name them, pray for them, and ask God especially to bless them and help them with whatever needs they may have. I have experienced time and time again that when I consciously take up this battle to be thankful, rejecting the negative thoughts, the sadness and loneliness eventually have to flee, and I am left with gratitude for the time we did have.

Time is passing by, and sometimes it is the simplest scene, such as viewing a grey-haired couple holding hands in a grocery store, that can trigger my feelings. It reminds me of my loss, that I am alone now, and there wont be any walking into the sunset years hand in hand with my beloved. At times, these moments still threaten to overwhelm me. Then I remember that a thankful individual cannot at the same time throw a pity party! And I am happy to report that this weapon In everything give thanks still assists me greatly when I need it day by day!

Gods Practical Answer To The Lonely

What does the Bible say about loneliness?

Why are these passages included in Scripture? God has never shied away from real challenges to our peace. This particular form of suffering drives a person to God because in the midst of our isolation there is no one left to turn to except God.

When we turn to him, God nurtures relationships, builds trust, and demonstrates practical mercy for our good and his glory.

He provided Naomi with companionship by sending Ruth to support and encourage her. In so doing, these two women also gave the believing world an example of sacrificial love and a picture of how God rewards that love.

Davids isolation pressed him to remember Gods past acts of mercy. In Psalm 142:7, David declares, The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.

When Elijah was prepared to give up and let his enemies kill him, God met the exhausted prophet with a practical need: food. Although the prophet was indeed isolated, his despair was amplified by exhaustion and hunger.

Elijah lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, Arise and eat .

The Lords mercy was simple and practical, and ordinary people can follow his example as a means of remedying their own loneliness. These same examples also provide direction for helping others when we ourselves are not lonely but see someone else suffering from this affliction.

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Bible Verses For Feeling Alone: 1 John : 15

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. 1 John 2:15-17 WEB

When I read about how we were not made for this world, but for heaven, it changes my perspective. I realize that not fitting in with those who were drinking in college is how I should feel.

I appreciate hardships on this side of heaven more, because I realize that if I didnt have hardships I would totally love this world.

Is It A Sin To Stay Single

Singleness According to the New Testament

Matthew 19:11-12 states that a person who marries is to leave his or her parents and remain married, but the person who remains single does not carry the responsibility of marriage. Jesus is our model and a perfect example of how we should live our lives. Jesus was not married.

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Amazing Bible Verses About Loneliness

Are you suffering from loneliness? Here are 48 bible verses about loneliness you can meditate on that will uplift your spirit.

Loneliness is a feeling you can beat. The hardships of life can make us believe that we are alone and that no one can help us.

However, the Bible is full of promises that God does not leave us at any time. He is almighty and omnipresent, which means that he can do everything and Hes everywhere.

This gives us the peace we need to put our faith in him and trust that there is nothing we need to fear if God is in our lives.

Prayers For Loneliness When You Feel Lonely & Want New Friends

Verses For When You Are Lonely

God, I surrender this feeling of loneliness to you. I thank you that you are always with me, and that you are my best friend. I pray that you show me the people Im meant to do life with. Thank you for bringing new friends in my life. Show me if Im meant to try something new or step out to meet new people.

I surrender any feelings of rejection or past hurts to you Lord. I forgive those friends who have hurt me in the past. I thank you that you created me to live in community, and I thank you for showing me the true friends you have for me. In Jesus name. Amen.

If you are praying to God for new friends, check out this blog post for tips on how to make new Christian friends.

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What Does Loneliness Feel Like

There is a passage in the Bible that really captures what it feels like to be lonely:

For my days vanish like smoke

my bones burn like glowing embers.

My heart is blighted and withered like grass

I forget to eat my foodI am like a desert owl,

like an owl among the ruins.

I lie awake I have become like a bird alone on a roof.

These verses, 3-7, are from Psalm 102. It is often the case that we feel the loneliness down to the very core of ourselves our heart and physically too. As is stated in the Psalm, some may forget to eat. Others may overeat, just to get filled, but we can feel this state, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

So what does the Bible say about loneliness? How can you ease and erase the hurt?

I want to suggest three things. I know it can take a while to change circumstances. I know sometimes these states of mind are difficult to overcome, but here are three steps in the right direction.

Why God Allows Us To Feel Lonely

In my season of loneliness, God isolated me even further to reset my scope of reality. There were some idols in my heart that needed to be torn down. Lies that could only be debunked, deleted, and replaced through time spent in search of Gods Truth. It was by no power of my own, but through Christ in me. His compassion to walk the earth and sacrifice His life for ours, gives us full access to the Father. The Holy Spirit resides in those who follow His feet, and that is where the power to pull out of a season of loneliness lies.

We can be authentic and raw with God when lifes rug is pulled out from underneath us. Whether we are lonely due to loss, failure, confusion, addition, divorce, abandonment, abuse, or any matter of confusion or mistreatment, we can hit the floor and unravel before Him. Life can be overwhelming, confusing, and unfair, but Psalm 91:11 assures us, He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go. We are worth protecting.

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Dont Be Afraid Of Silence

Spending time alone does not have to be a bad experience. You can use this time to reflect on your life, pray and deepen your relationship with God.

Jesus liked to spend time alone with God. Turn loneliness times into a positive experience!

39. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his interests but also for the interests of others

40. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

41. For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name. And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel He is called the God of the whole earth.

What Would Be A Reason That Being Alone Might Be A Good Thing

10 BIBLE VERSES FOR SADNESS & LONELINESS

As I mentioned above, there are reasons that we need time away to be alone like needing time away to relax and decompress. God considers rest to be very important. In the Old Testament, God gave the Sabbath Day as a day of rest . In addition to being a day of rest, it had Spiritual significance in that it also represented the rest from our work that we have in Christ through our salvation . It was not intended that people should be alone on the Sabbath, but when you consider the reasons God gave for the Sabbath, rest and fellowship with God were part of it .

This being said, we may need time alone to devote to prayer and fasting. This is mentioned in the context of marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:5. However, it comes with a warning that it is important that there is a designated ending time so that Satan does not use the time alone as an occasion to tempt us. Likewise, we are told in Matthew 6 that there are times that we should be alone with God to the exclusion of others .

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Why We Feel Lonely

We can feel lonely for a number of reasons. It may be that we feel left out, abandoned, and rejected or it may be due to changes in our circumstances. Perhaps we have suffered a loss and are grieving we have moved to a new town where we dont know anyone we have a new job or have just retired or the kids have left home.

But it is not always our circumstances that cause our feelings of loneliness.

You can feel lonely in any circumstance, at any age, even when you are surrounded by people, even when you are in a relationship, or when you have many friends and acquaintances. Loneliness is the soul feeling isolated from meaningful human connections, feeling misunderstood, out of place, etc.

The feeling of loneliness is more a battle of the mind. While we may need to make changes to our environment and relationships, changing our thinking will also make a difference.

Often, when we are feeling lonely, we can fill our minds with negative thoughts by telling ourselves that no one really likes us, no one else feels like this. Or, as one article I read said:

Assuming that everyone else around you are BFFs and have no need for additional friendships.

That quote was a real challenge to me. When I moved to the area I live in now nearly ten years ago I would look at everyone and see that they already had friends they didnt need me, or so I thought.

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