WEBVTT - A Prayer for the Lonely Soul

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your daily prayer,

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<v Speaker 1>where we help you find the words you need to

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<v Speaker 1>connect to your Father in Heaven. No matter what's happening

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<v Speaker 1>in your life today, you can trust that God wants

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<v Speaker 1>to hear from you. Right after the short word from

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<v Speaker 1>our sponsors, we'll pray to today's Prayer for the Lonely Soul.

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<v Speaker 1>A Prayer for the Lonely Soul, written by Emily Rose Massey,

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<v Speaker 1>read by Leah Gerard. God sets the lonely and families.

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<v Speaker 1>He leads out the prisoners with singing for the rebellious.

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<v Speaker 1>Live in a sun scorched land saw I'm sixty eight six.

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<v Speaker 1>We moved our family from Missouri to Florida exactly five

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<v Speaker 1>years ago this summer. Aside from a sweet couple of

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<v Speaker 1>friends who had also moved from the Midwest to the

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<v Speaker 1>Sunshine stayed a few years prior. We knew absolutely no one.

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<v Speaker 1>It was most definitely a leap of faith, but we

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<v Speaker 1>trusted that the Lord had a new chapter ahead for

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<v Speaker 1>our family, whatever that looked like. It was sad to

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<v Speaker 1>say goodbye to our family and friends. Absolutely Still, honestly,

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<v Speaker 1>it wasn't as difficult as some may experience. Simply because

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<v Speaker 1>we didn't quite have the deep relationships that tethered us

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<v Speaker 1>to the places where my husband and I grew up.

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<v Speaker 1>Despite the familiarity of home, we struggled to find a

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<v Speaker 1>genuine community where we lived for a long time. We

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<v Speaker 1>got married fairly young and were the only couple in

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<v Speaker 1>our small group of friends at church to get married,

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<v Speaker 1>so we never seemed to fit in with those our

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<v Speaker 1>age for many years. Then, when we became parents, it

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<v Speaker 1>seemed the loneliness became stronger, as many of our friends

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<v Speaker 1>were either still single or busy with their own growing families.

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<v Speaker 1>This verse in Psalm sixty eight met me one night

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<v Speaker 1>while I was crying out to the Lord in prayer.

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<v Speaker 1>God sets the lonely and families. He leads out the

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<v Speaker 1>prisoners with singing, but the rebellious live in a sun's

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<v Speaker 1>scorched land Psalm sixty eight six. While this verse in

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<v Speaker 1>its proper context is speaking of God's relationship with the

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<v Speaker 1>Israelites as their father and rescuer from both Egypt and Babylon,

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<v Speaker 1>we can glean a principle of God's character. He's a

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<v Speaker 1>faithful father who cares for his children. He longs for

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<v Speaker 1>his own to walk in obedience to His ways and

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<v Speaker 1>experience the joy and love of relationship, the community and family.

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<v Speaker 1>For those of us with that beautiful family. As believers,

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<v Speaker 1>we should seek out those who are isolated because they

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<v Speaker 1>may be truly suffering. We enlarge our hearts and become

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<v Speaker 1>vulnerable with each other by God's grace to enjoy meaningful

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<v Speaker 1>and fruitful relationships that are soul quality and one sould

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<v Speaker 1>knit closely together with one another to be able to

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<v Speaker 1>build intimate Christian friendships. We also learn how to go

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<v Speaker 1>beyond surface level conversations and move into a heart to

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<v Speaker 1>heart type of conversations. It's easy in our society to

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<v Speaker 1>be self isolated and guarded in the name of privacy.

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<v Speaker 1>As members of the Body of Christ and brothers and

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<v Speaker 1>sisters in the Family of God, He's called us to

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<v Speaker 1>be joined together. The consistent pattern in our lives should

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<v Speaker 1>be to draw near to the Lord, to then draw

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<v Speaker 1>near to others and grow in Christ together for our

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<v Speaker 1>good and for His glory. As my husband and I

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<v Speaker 1>prepared for that new season in our lives, away from

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<v Speaker 1>all that we'd ever known, we prayed specifically that the

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<v Speaker 1>Lord would have a loving, vibrant family of believers waiting

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<v Speaker 1>for us in our new state. Within two months of

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<v Speaker 1>moving to Florida, he answered that cry in abundance. I

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<v Speaker 1>look back on all those years of great despair, loneliness,

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<v Speaker 1>and feeling misunderstood, and I'm blown away by the gift

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<v Speaker 1>of community the Lord's given us in these last five years.

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<v Speaker 1>How about you? Are you currently burdened with loneliness? Cry

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<v Speaker 1>out to God. He hears your heart's desire, even if

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<v Speaker 1>you don't have strong biological family connections. He is your faithful,

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<v Speaker 1>heavenly Father who's an ever present help. And if a

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<v Speaker 1>relationship with God wasn't no blessing enough, he has a

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<v Speaker 1>family full of brothers and sisters in Christ waiting for you.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's run to him and ask him for help to

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<v Speaker 1>find it, grow together in Christ and treasure the gift

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<v Speaker 1>that it truly is. Let's pray, Heavenly Father, I'm so

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<v Speaker 1>grateful that You've rescued me from my life of sin

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<v Speaker 1>and rebellion and given me a new heart to love

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<v Speaker 1>you and love others. Yes, my heart is heavy and

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<v Speaker 1>burdened with loneliness. Sometimes it feels so difficult to find

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<v Speaker 1>others who understand me. I admit that I'm tempted to

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<v Speaker 1>isolate when I'm hurting. Help me to become vulnerable with

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<v Speaker 1>others and share my burdens with them. I trust that

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<v Speaker 1>you have a special family awaiting me who love you

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<v Speaker 1>as I do. I long to find that kind of

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<v Speaker 1>community of believers to be knit together with. Thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for your faithfulness and nearness in my life. I lean

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<v Speaker 1>upon you, and I know you hear every cry of loneliness.

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<v Speaker 1>I trust that it will be turned into a song

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<v Speaker 1>of joy and celebration with my family in Christ in Jesus' name. Amen.

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