admin – Encouragement For Singles

15th January 202315th January 2023

LOOK BACK THEN LOOK FORWARD

“I will praise you for ever for what you have done, in your name I will hope, for your name is good.” Psalm 52:9

The wise man Solomon said, “There is a time for everything” Ecclesiastes 3:1. And I believe that there is time to look back in order to look forward.

When we look back with the purpose of finding lessons that we can learn from our past experiences, we are then able to carry those lessons with us into the present and future. This can enable us to make better choices in life.

Another important lesson we can learn from looking back, is to remember what God has done for us in the past to give us hope for the future.

I was telling a friend just the other day how wonderful God is.

When I was in London some time ago with my mum, she bumped into a friend of hers who told her about a sale that was going on in a particular shoe store. It was an unbelievable “buy one get one free “offer!! How amazing is that!

We were very happy to go along and have a wander in the store, I was extremely pleased to find two pairs of shoes that I was able to buy. My shoe size is a half size and it’s not easy to find shoes that fit, so to find two shoes for the price of one was fantastic! What a blessing!

We need to constantly recount the blessings that we have received from Our Father God. We need to thank him for all the things he has done for us in the past, and remember that he is able to do even greater things for us in the future. This is the hope, and foundation that we need to build our lives on.

God has shown us in the past that he is good to us, and as we go forward he will continue to be good to us in the future.

Be encouraged.

Image by Michaela from Pixabay

25th April 202125th April 2021

Praying to Find a Spouse

“God will send his angel ahead of you, and you will get my son a wife from there. “

Genesis 24:7 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

When Abraham saw that it was a good time for his son Isaac to get married, he did not leave it to the random choice of Isaac, himself or his trusted servant. Abraham put his trust in the God of heaven to provide a wife for Isaac. He included God in the choosing, and believed that God would send His angel to give His servant direction in finding the right woman. His servant also prayed to God to direct the choices he would make.

Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today. Show your kindness to Abraham.

Genesis 24:12

The servant placed this important decision in the hand of God first, before he made a step forward.

There are some lessons that we can learn from this situation that will help us in our preparation for finding a spouse.

TRUST GOD

• It can be seen that Abraham had a trusting relationship with God and so should we.

We need to commit everything in our life to God, and have a close relationship with Him where we can talk to Him about our hopes, dreams, needs and desires.

As it says in Psalm 37:4,

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

PRAYER OF PARENTS

• Isaac’s Father prayed intentionally to God for His son to find a wife and asked for God to lead.

I believe we need to ask our Godly parents to pray for us to ask God to lead us to the person He knows would be good for us.

PRAYER OF FRIENDS

• Abraham’s servant also prayed for God to help.

We can ask trusted, Godly friends to also pray for us to find a spouse. People who care about our wellbeing and future.

ASK GOD TO LEAD

• We can see that Abraham and his servant were involved with the process of finding a spouse for Isaac.

Therefore when we put our trust in God and ask Him to lead, He can lead others to help us find our future spouse.

God is interested in our lives and wants us to include Him in all decisions that we make, finding a spouse is a vitally important decision that we must involve Him in at every step. Let us ask others to pray for us too, and look out for a suitable spouse. We never know who our heavenly Father will lead them to for us.

1st March 20211st March 2021

ENCOURAGEMENT IN TIMES OF DISTRESS

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.”

Psalm 107:13-15 New International Version (NIV)

We can go around with a smile on our face but in our heart we can be crying. No matter who we are, life can cause us distress, and we can be in “utter darkness”.

I may experience distress because of prolonged singleness, yet someone who is married may be crying in distress as they feel alone and chained in a loveless marriage. Who can tell what is going on inside hearts and homes?

Even though people may not know our individual troubles, God definitely sees and knows everything that is going on. We need to cry out to Him, continually ask Him to be with us, save us and bring us out of the darkness of our situation.

God is able to break the chains of our circumstances. Our deliverance may happen quickly, but there are times when we have to wait longer than we would want for Him to direct us and open a way.

Let us remain faithful to God and continue to call on Him. While we wait let us,

“… give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind.” Psalm 107:15.

We can recall the many things that God has done in our lives, the times He has answered prayers in the past, and be thankful that He did not leave us alone. Let the thought of God’s love fill our hearts with hope that He will save us now.

Stay encouraged.

6th April 20205th April 2020

You Will Have Enough

In times of economic crisis, we can become fearful that we will not have enough to cope with our daily needs. However this verse encourages us to remember that God is able to provide for us, and he is able to do this in abundance:

And God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you, so that you may always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity.

2 Corinthians 9: 8 (AMP)

Regardless of our situation, regardless of the economic climate, God is still in control. He has unlimited resources. And as His children, whom He loves, God is able to make His resources available to us when we are in need.

But when we have abundance, which is more than what we need, we are to remember others. He has given us the abundance, so that we can share what we have with those who are in need. When we are in a position to show that we care about the needs of those around us or far away from us, we are showing compassion just as Jesus did when he was on earth. By giving, we are being like Him in touching the lives of others for good.

The lesson is for us to receive so that we can give. To hold on to things in excess of what we need is to stop the flow of love going to those who need it.

May God open our hearts so we can see how we can do “good work and act of charity.”

29th February 202028th February 2020

Beautiful Bible Verse About Healing

Do you sometimes feel invisible to God? You are asking for his help, but there is no answer. You are not alone.

Please remember that God sees everything that we are going through. He knows when we need help, when we need healing – whether that is physical or emotional healing, he knows when we need to be lead in the right direction, and he knows when to restore to us the things that we have lost in our past.

However, in those challenging times instead of letting go, we need to hold on to this beautiful bible verse about healing,

” I have seen his ways and will heal him, I will also lead him and restore comforts to him and to his mourners. ” Isaiah 57:18

We may experience painful times in our life, but our Heavenly Father has seen, He cares, and will answer. He will provide the love and comfort we need to go through life, and also for those who are close to us. Let us remain faithful to Him and hold on to His promises.

31st January 202031st January 2020

Whenever you’re feeling that no one cares remember this…

God has poured out his love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Romans 5:5

Whenever you’re feeling that no one cares, or you feel unloved, focus on that verse.

God has poured His love into our hearts, what a beautiful thought. Imagine a glass that is empty and Imagine a jug filled with water. The jug has a larger capacity than the glass and that jug of water is being poured into the glass until it is overflowing.

I believe God pours his love into our lives so that we can be full. Let us open our eyes to see the many blessings of his love each day, and allow His overflowing love to bless the lives of others around us.

When we feel empty, God can fill us up. There is always enough of God’s love to go around.

30th December 201927th December 2019

Make a date !

Day after day they met in the temple [area] continuing with one mind, and breaking bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts. Acts 2:45 (AMP)

In this busy world I have found it a challenge to keep up with friends in a tangible way. Yes we may connect with people on Instagram, Facebook, Whats App or other social media platforms, but how often do we physically meet up with those we care about? Yet I believe this is what we need, especially as singles.

When we live by ourselves, we can easily become isolated.
I remember at one point in my life I left home early to go to work, I was at work for long hours and returned home late. One day I bumped into one of my neighbours and she was shocked to see me,” I haven’t seen you for ages!!” she said, “I thought you must have moved!”

Going home can be difficult. Going home to face those four walls and the silence. I think work had become my life, because there was no one to come home to.
However it doesn’t need to remain that way, we can change things. We can choose to “Make a date”, send out a message to a friend or family member and arrange to meet up. It doesn’t need to only be for special occasions. Find a mutually agreed time to go for a meal together, go shopping or when you have no money then go window shopping! Or why not find free art or cultural exhibitions that may be on; visit a museum; go for a walk in the park or countryside.

Whatever it may be just make a date and meet, make time to connect with others, give each other a big hug and have fun. Help to provide the encouragement and support we are all in need of. We can all make a positive difference in the lives of those around us.
Make a date today!

29th November 20191st November 2019

HEALING FOR YOUR EMOTIONAL PAIN

But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds”, declares the Lord,” Because you are called an outcast, Zion, for whom no one cares”.
Jeremiah 30:17

No one can see what is going on in our mind, and we often hide how we really feel inside. Our emotional pain may not be visible, but it is felt deeply.

You may sometimes feel as though you do not fit in because many of your friends are married and have children and you are single and do not have children. You may not be a part of the popular crowd at work, or you may feel alone if you are different, or hold different values, or opinions to others. But you are not alone in how you feel, I believe we have all experienced different forms of hurt in our lives. We may be walking and getting on with our lives, but we are wounded.

There is a saying that I remember hearing when I was a child, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.” I do not believe that is true. Words do hurt.

Unkind words spoken in childhood, in educational institutions, in employment, or in relationships still ring in our ears and hurt our heart. But the Lord is declaring today, that He cares about YOU, and the wounds that have been inflicted on you, and He will restore your emotional health and provide healing. Pray his word of promise over each painful part of your life each day and believe that He will restore you day by day. Keep repeating and holding on to His promise, “I will restore you to health and heal your wounds”, declares the Lord.”

Be encouraged.

31st October 20191st November 2019

MANAGING ANXIETY

Cast ALL your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

I love the way the word “all” is used in this verse, it takes care of everything. It includes everything, it provides a sense of security.

So when I cast ALL of my anxiety on God, I know he is able to provide answers to ANY situation I am facing. Whatever is causing me concern, He cares about it, and He will deal with it in his own way.

We may get ourselves into a tailspin of anxiety because we don’t know how God will resolve situations. But He’s not asking us to figure things out by ourselves, He’s asking us to place ALL of the burden on Him because He cares. Not place just a little bit of our anxiety, not even most of our anxiety, He said cast ALL of it. He is asking us to trust Him to take care of the things that make us anxious, those thoughts that whirl around in our head, for singles it could be …. am I going to remain single and never marry?

Maybe its those things that we ignore and hope will disappear, like that unexplained pain that we haven’t checked out with the doctor. Those things that cause us panic attacks, or keep us awake at night.

So there is an antidote for any anxiety we feel… cast it ALL on the Lord by telling Him all about it. Then each and every time we feel the anxiety resurface we need to remind ourselves that He has promised to care for us. We can also take action to deal with the situation when He reveals to us what we can do. In return He will show that He cares by giving us peace. He says, ” My peace I GIVE YOU.” John 14:27.

What a special blessing.

29th June 201929th May 2019

SHARE EXPERIENCES WITH OTHERS

So admit your sins to each other, and pray for each other so that you will be healed.

James 5:16

I believe as singles that we should get together to share our experiences, and to pray for each other. I also believe that as a church family on a whole we should support each other and pray for those singles who would like to be married so that God may provide for the need of a husband or wife.

There are many challenges and problems that we experience as people of faith. We are not perfect. Our lives are not perfect. Believing in God does not make any of us immune from difficulty, and in fact it often makes us a target for problems. That is why we need to speak openly about what we are going through, as singles, and as couples, as families, as younger or older people, by carrying each other’s burdens, and praying with each other, we can find healing. There is something about being vulnerable with others that can then open the door to healing.

When in a counselling situation we speak to a therapist, and open up about the problems that we are facing, it allows them to explore with us our thoughts, our feelings, our habits, reactions, triggers, and cycles of behaviour. When we can admit what is going on in our lives, we can look at it, and call it by its name, this process can help us to understand things more clearly. Sometimes we are too close to our own negative patterns to see them clearly for what they are. It may take a trusted person, or a counsellor, to help us explore, and excavate the deep recesses of our lives to clear the debris and get healing.

I believe prayer is a vital part of our healing. The individual prayer time that we have with God creates a bond with Him. It gives us an opportunity to be real and honest with Him about everything we are going through, we can open up about our true selves, and we can trust Him not to drive us away or cast us out (John 6:37). If we have sinned, and confess our sins he will forgive us (1 John 1:9). If we are discouraged he will be with us to strengthen and uplift us (Isaiah 41:10). We are reassured that “By His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5), He suffered so we can get the healing we need.

When we pray for each other, we are sharing each other’s pain, we are giving support and understanding. We are carrying each other’s burdens, and taking it to Our Father who can help. This is what God wants us to do for each other. To be there for each other in time of difficulty, as well as times of Joy, is good for our mental health.