Prayer for Unity
"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (Eccl. 4:9)
Some friends and I recently attended an after-church (not mine) singles' event where most were over 35. No one welcomed us or spoke with us. As a matter of fact, they simply waved us out into another part of the restaurant where no one either representing the group or any individual attempted to speak with us.
As I looked around, I noticed the blank looks in the individuals who sat in their own island-like clusters. I wonder if a single person's isolation or loneliness can become an intimate friend that accompanies them wherever they go, even in group settings.
So, today I just wanted to pray that the Lord would unite singles for encouragement, genuine relationships and powerful prayer that will change the tide of single hood in this country.
Here's my prayer for singles today:
Lord, we thank you that you have called us into relationship with you -
with the One who knows every star by name,
Who created even much more than what we could ever imagine.
We invite you, Jesus, to step now into the islands that we have created
and begin to renew and strengthen our hearts
to walk across the bridges that you want to build from one island to many others.
Unite us so that we might come as a mighty army to fulfill your purpose in our lives
because two are better than one
and a cord of three strands is not easily broken.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Some friends and I recently attended an after-church (not mine) singles' event where most were over 35. No one welcomed us or spoke with us. As a matter of fact, they simply waved us out into another part of the restaurant where no one either representing the group or any individual attempted to speak with us.
As I looked around, I noticed the blank looks in the individuals who sat in their own island-like clusters. I wonder if a single person's isolation or loneliness can become an intimate friend that accompanies them wherever they go, even in group settings.
So, today I just wanted to pray that the Lord would unite singles for encouragement, genuine relationships and powerful prayer that will change the tide of single hood in this country.
Here's my prayer for singles today:
Lord, we thank you that you have called us into relationship with you -
with the One who knows every star by name,
Who created even much more than what we could ever imagine.
We invite you, Jesus, to step now into the islands that we have created
and begin to renew and strengthen our hearts
to walk across the bridges that you want to build from one island to many others.
Unite us so that we might come as a mighty army to fulfill your purpose in our lives
because two are better than one
and a cord of three strands is not easily broken.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Labels: Prayers
2 Comments:
I think I saw the emailed invite to the post church lunch that you probably went to last weekend - in Glendale, right? You're right that a lot of people that put these things on don't take into account that they are hosts and need to welcome people, but overall it seemed like it would have been hard to even identify who was with that group and who wasn't.
I know what you mean about the loneliness issue (and Amen to your prayer, by the way), but I think another issue here is just people that are too self focused to think about reaching out to other people. I'm not saying "selfish" as in a person that doesn't care about others, but focused on how they are feeling about being there and not having anyone talk to you or how you might look with no one talking to you, etc. I've found that if you can think more about what you can help to make others feel better it's a lot easier to make these mixer things go better for everyone there.
That being said, I know that this is easier to do for a man since it's more our role and it doesn't look desperate, but still if women are together and they are talking to a guy or two and introducing everyone to each other, it becomes clear that the women are just being sociable, and everyone appreciates it.
To me, one of the biggest problem singles have are the widespread apathy and hopelessness that makes it so whenever someone organizes something (even one as not well run as this thing you went to was), few quality people come because whatever the last thing they went to 6 months ago wasn't too good. It's vicious cycle - few good singles events because no one wants to come when someone puts one on, and few people want to put them on because few people come when they do - classic catch 22. I think that everything that the Bible has to say about perseverance comes into play in this issue - the key to success in most everything in life is not giving up.
Actually, I'm not familiar with that event in Glendale. But, as singles who live and think about ourselves alot, we can sort of carry that "self-thinking" out into group settings. In this case, we actually approached the leader and it was she who waved us off to an outside section. Just didn't get a good vibe there. Yes, some of us are "feel" oriented and more sensitive. The good thing is that it made me want to pray even more fervently for singles' need to unite. And, you're right about persevering. Thanks for the encouragement!
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