I have a prayer group that I meet with every Sunday. There are five of us, with ages ranging from 22-30, and we are all very different.
One of us is finishing up her credential program to be a teacher. Another is studying to be a doctor. I am a hairstylist, going to school so that I can someday be a writer.
Another is a nurse. And one of us works for a church.
Though our lives are different, our commonality is that we are single and we desperately love the Lord.
Whenever I tell people I have a prayer group, the first thing they say is, “Let me guess, you’re praying for husbands.” I mean what else could five single women possibly be praying about? (Please catch the sarcasm here.) It is spoken with such presumption, sometimes disapproval.
What these people don’t realize is that we pray for so much more. It’s what brought us together initially, yes. And singleness/marriage is brought up fairly often. However, that is not the purpose, nor is it the intention of our prayers.
Our greatest desire is to grow closer to the Savior.
We are all making our way through this life via various and dichotomous paths. On these paths we have discovered some faith-testing trials that are best not experienced alone. The loyalty, support, comfort, and reminders of Truth that this group has provided is nothing short of providential.
Before our group started, each one of us felt we were encountering the struggles of life alone, without the support of a spouse or anyone who really understood. However, God has used this group to demonstrate to each one of us, that nothing could be farther from the truth. We know we are not alone because we have God, but He has gone farther than that; He gave us each other.
It did not take very long for a bond to emerge.
By Week 3, we were pouring out our hearts with honesty, transparency, and vulnerability. Tears are frequent, but by no means prominent. The only True prominence in the room is the presence of the Spirit of God.
Some weeks are heavy, with some very real brokenness and very honest confession of sin. Other weeks are fun, filled with laughter, joy, and chocolate chip cookies.
Another thing that makes this group so phenomenal is that each of us chose a mentor to pray for us weekly.
Our prayer requests are recorded, sent to the mentors, and every week, our prayers are being covered by not just one but five ladies who are wise and seasoned. You wouldn’t believe how intricately these requests have been answered by a kind, faithful, and loving Father. In a few weeks, these wonderful women are having us over to feed us, love on us, and pray over us. We can’t wait.
I have spent so many years being single, under the untrue impression that I was alone—so very alone—in my desires and struggles as a single woman. The weekly progression of this group has proven to me that I am not alone. Everything I have ever felt, thought, or experienced has been demonstrated or spoken of by every member of the group.
We did not know what to expect the first night we got together to pray.
It just made sense that we would come together rather than stand alone. We don’t have a formula or a set of guidelines to follow. We simply decided to sit at the feet of our Savior and turn to Him with our struggles. Because we made the choice to come to Him, He has been faithful and the blessing has been tenfold.
Maybe you won’t be able to go out and start a prayer group, but my guess is you could probably find at least one person who is experiencing the same fear, loneliness, and questions that you are. Start praying the Lord would open your eyes to find that person (or those people), and start meeting with them. Start praying for them and with them and see what happens.
I guarantee that you will blessed. Incredibly so.
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About Jenny LaBahn: Jenny LaBahn has a heart for singles who are trying to find their way in a world of pairs. She is a hair stylist and English Lit major who eats fishies (Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers—yes, the ones that are served in pre-school) every single night and keeps a large box handy by her bed. She blogs at http://www.mydoubleportion.com .
Photo credit: Arghya a.k.a. Orgho
