Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions for Singles
Week Thirteen Focus Scripture: Matthew 14:29-31 Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Quote from Pray While You’re Prey: “God doesn’t want us to be alone if we desire not to be. But any time that you put anyone or anything before God, it is a sin and displeasing to God. God will not bless anything that is displeasing to him.” Peter is by far my favorite disciple. He is so fiery and ready to fight for what he believes in, even when he is wrong. Peter is passionate. You can tell he loved Jesus sincerely, even after he denied knowing Christ, his disappointment in himself shows that he was truly brokenhearted that he had not stood up for his Savior, his Friend. One of my favorite Peter moments is walking on the water. I was not there, so I do not know what was actually said by other people on the boat, but I can only imagine, based on my knowledge of human nature what the other passengers were thinking. Some probably thought Peter was very brave. Others probably thought he was a show-off. And, oh, when he started to sink! I can just hear it now, “Where’s your big faith now, Peter?” Or, “Mmm hmm, you thought you were all big and bad, Peter, now look at you. You’re going to drown!” Why didn’t Peter just keep his eyes on Jesus? It could have saved him a lot of trouble and embarrassment. I have to ask myself that question more often than I like. Why can’t I just stay focused on Jesus? I was abstinent for over years. It started as a bargain with God (which we should never do, but I was young and foolish), but then, I began to see how much more clearly I saw the world when I was not living in constant disobedience. Being single was still difficult for me, but not unbearable. Then, I met someone, and it only took a few months before I stopped focusing on what God wanted for my life and started focusing on making the relationship work, which included being disobedient to God to make my man happy. In the beginning of my abstinence journey, some people thought I was very brave. Others thought I was crazy and just showing off, so they waited for my downfall. And, I gave it to them. God blessed me to be in a relationship, but the minute I felt that relationship was threatened, and the storm of singleness started raging, I lost my focus. I began to sink back into my old habits, rather than trusting God to heal the relationship or to end the relationship because it was not His best for me. I was drowning! Then, God said, “Why do you doubt Me?” God has brought me through too much for me to lack faith in Him. He has also shown me how much better my live if when I live in obedience to His Word. It does not matter what the people around me say or think. My sole focus has to be on God, not others. If we desire to be in a relationship, God is not trying to keep us out of one. However, if we let that relationship come before God and if we start trusting in a man or a woman over God, God will not be pleased. As we sink, it will start to feel as if He is further and further away from us, but He has not moved. It is our focus that has shifted and caused the distance. The best part of the story is that Jesus stretched out His hand and caught Peter. He said, “You of little faith.” This indicated that Peter had some faith. And, if we can just have a little faith, even after we start sinking, God will not let us drown. He will catch us, correct us, and come closer to us as we draw nigh to Him. If being single is not what you desire for your life, it can be difficult. So, whether you are in a bad place or you finally feel safe, keep your focus on God. Prayer Thank You, God for always catching me before I drown due to my own lack faith. Please forgive me for being disobedient and losing focus. Lord, please help me to never doubt You or Your love for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen *Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©1984, unless otherwise indicated.
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Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions for Singles
Week Twelve Looking Around Scripture: Psalms 37:7-11 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret —it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. Quote from Pray While You’re Prey: “We need to trust in God or trust in our own eyes; we can’t have it both ways.” One of the most dangerous things a single Christian can do is start looking around at other single people, especially those that are not Christians. Inevitably, it will seem as though we are doing everything right, but remain single while they are doing everything wrong and are dating and happy. Looking around at other people’s lives is detrimental to your spiritual walk, so do not do it. The devil knows this weapon of mass destruction. He will whisper in your ear every time you look at another person who has what you believe you want and try to convince you that God is holding out on you. Here are some examples: you go out with friends, dressed in an appealing, but modest way. Your smile catches the attention of some men, but every time you look around, the men are dancing, flirting, or talking with a girl who is not leaving anything to the imagination. You start to think, “What gives? I am presenting myself in an appropriate way. I am not being overtly sexual, but I am also not a prude. Why don’t I get any attention?” For the guys, you engage a woman in intelligent conversation. You make her laugh and maybe you even compliment her. But, you see her desperately pursuing a guy who talks down to her and grabs her backside. You start to think, “Is being a respectful guy even worth it? Why do nice guys finish last?” In all honesty, are these really the people we want in our lives? Hopefully, the answer is no. If not, you may want to take some time and pray about that. God knows what is best for us. I know that it seems like we are doing everything right (although, there is always room for improvement) and remain single. Meanwhile, others are drinking heavily, having casual sex, and just being plain wrong, but they get to be a part of a couple. But the happiness that those who behave wickedly seem to be enjoying is fleeting. The joy of the obedient Christian is eternal. While it may look like the wicked are prospering and the wise are suffering, consider that there would be far worse suffering if we chose the path of the wicked over patiently waiting on God. Do not get caught up in looking around at other people. Be content with what God has given you in this moment, knowing that He cares for you and knows what is best for you. It matters not whether those behaving badly are happy. That is between them and God. What truly matters is that we trust God enough to believe in His promises for our lives and not to focus on others. Prayer Thank You, God for being faithful and trustworthy. Please forgive me for being envious of what others have especially when they are not living in obedience to You. Lord, please help me to be still, steadfast and content knowing that You know what is best for me and when to add it to my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen *Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©1984, unless otherwise indicated. Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions for Singles
Week Eleven Treasured Scripture: Proverbs 31:10-30 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. …Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Quote from Pray While You’re Prey: “Who can find a good, righteous, worthy, honorable, moral, upright, honest woman? I know that a man who is listening to God could find her. Who can be a good, righteous, worthy, honorable, moral, upright, honest woman? Any woman who is sincerely living her life for Christ will fit this description…if [we] follow Christ’s example and believe in God, [we are] invaluable treasures.” There are many people who have told me that I am intimidating. The people usually cite my educational background or level of ambition. However, I do not pursue me dreams because I want others to feel inferior to my accomplishments. I pursue goals because when I read Proverbs 31, it tells a story of a woman who is bold and hard-working, selfless and ambitious, and that woman is described as an invaluable jewel. That woman is revered as someone to be praised, not feared. That is the kind of woman I want to be. That is the kind of woman that all Christian women should strive to be. That is the kind of woman a Christian man should desire. So many times we get caught up in the superficial qualities of people. Now, don’t get me wrong, everybody has their own checklist and non-negotiables, but when we meet someone that fits that checklist, we need to make sure that we are not just focusing on the outer man or woman, but also on the person’s character. Is this person a whole person in Christ? Is this person waiting for a man or woman to fill her or his every need? Does this person trust in God to fulfill his or her life? Can this person be supportive of the dreams that God has placed on your heart or will they be jealous or intimidated by your drive and success? I believe that God created us, men and women, to be compatible with one another. In many ways, we need each other, but we can survive apart from one another. In fact we can do more than survive, even while we are alone; we can thrive. The only One we need to make us whole and complete is God. So, why not seek to be whole in Him and pursue the dreams He places in our hearts as a single person? Then, when God allows a man to find that woman of noble character, the man should be grateful for a woman with qualities that will never fade. When God pushes a woman to be her best, she should be thankful that He has built her into a woman whose value is far above rubies. The inner strength that God builds in us is the trait that often gets overlooked. We sometimes forget that charm and beauty fade, not just on women, but on men as well. Single saints with a true heart and passion for the Lord are to be treasured. You are treasured by God; you should accept nothing less than that from anyone else. Live a life filled with character and reverence to God and everything else will fall into place in due season. Prayer Thank You, God for giving me dreams and passions to pursue. Please forgive me for waiting for someone else to make me feel whole when I am made whole only by You. Lord, please help me to know and remember my worth, to only allow myself to be treasured, and to recognize the treasures that surround me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen *Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©1984, unless otherwise indicated. Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions for Singles
Week Ten …Then Why Am I Still Alone? Scripture: Genesis 2:18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Quote from Pray While You’re Prey: “We were put on Earth to serve and praise God, but God knew that man should have a mate or companion, so he gave Eve to Adam. However, the gift of Eve did not in any way diminish Adam’s duty to God.” I read it over and over again, “It is not good for man to be alone….” Those were God’s words, not mine. He knew we would desire companionship, so why am I still single, Lord? We were created to praise and please God. We were created in His image, and just as He loves us, we oftentimes have the desire to love others. The institution of marriage was ordained by God from the beginning of time, and yet, I feel left out because I am still single. Have you ever felt this way? In singleness, there seems to be a void. And the void is only natural, as God said it is not good for us to be alone. Many single people make it their life’s mission to find something to fill the void left by loneliness. We vigorously pursue dreams and goals. We invest time in people and projects. We immerse ourselves in anything we can to avoid the thought of how lonely we feel. There is nothing wrong with pursuing dreams; it is one of the greatest benefits of singleness. There is nothing wrong with staying busy; it can be helpful to relieve the pain that is sometimes experienced from being alone. However, until we realize that the void we feel can only be filled by God, we will be miserable. God is the treasure. He is the ice cream and the cherry on top. Sure, being in a relationship is like having a little whipped cream or some slivered almonds or chocolate sauce, whatever you fancy, but the sweetness is found in God alone. Just because God made Eve for Adam it did not mean that Adam was to love, respect or cherish God any less. And, Adam’s gift led him astray, as we allow many of the people God gifts us with to do. God wants us to have a suitable helper. But, that helper needs to point us to Christ in times of crisis or confusion. If you have accepted Christ in your life, you are never alone. Single, maybe. Lonely, sometimes. Alone, never! God is always with us. He is everything we need whenever we need it. Once we realize that, any relationship that God blesses us with will become infinitely more satisfying. We will stop trying to mold our loved ones into the perfect shape to fill our void because the void will be filled by God. How many relationships fail because they are based on our unreasonable and unrealistic expectations of what another person can do for us? Companions are great, but they cannot even begin to compare with being satiated by God alone. If we truly believe in the promises of God, then we know He has a plan for us and when we are best suited to have our extras, He will bless us with them. Prayer Thank You, God for being all that I will ever need. Please forgive me for trying to have other people and pursuits fill a void that only You can fill. Lord, please help me to be sure of Your promise that I am never alone even though I am single and sometimes feel lonely. In Jesus’ Name, Amen *Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©1984, unless otherwise indicated. Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions for Singles
Week Nine A Time of Blessing or a Time of Testing? Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Quote from Pray While You’re Prey: “I want other [singles] to learn that if they will just talk to You, everything will be alright in Your time.” We do not spend our entire life on top of the mountain. There will always be peaks and valleys to life. The reassuring fact for Christian singles is that every situation in our lives is used to for something beautiful. Every time of trial and testing can lead to a time of beauty and blessing. My pastor once said to me, “Life has ebbs and flows and you can begin to enjoy it as soon as you learn to ride the waves.” In order to have peace in our lives, we have to understand that God has a purpose in every season. This season of singleness is not the result of God loving you any less than He loves those whom He has allowed to get married. Singleness can be seen as a time of blessing or a time of testing. The results of this time when we belong to God and God alone will be beautiful. Being single gives us the opportunity to get to know ourselves and our God more intimately. It is a blessing that allows us to pursue dreams that may not be possible if we had the concerns that come along with having a family. During my time of singleness, I have had the opportunity to see different places in the world. I studied abroad and visited London, Paris, Madrid, and Milan. I have discovered places that I love to visit here in the U.S., like Providence, Rhode Island and Savannah, Georgia. I am not saying that it would not have happened if I had a family. But, there was beauty in being free to discover what the world has to offer. Being single gives God the opportunity to uncover the places in our lives that we still need to work on before we are in a committed relationship. Singleness is a place where God can test our commitment to Him. He can find out if our focus on Him is because He is the center of our joy or if it is because we have not other options. I have failed this test several times. God allows someone in my life as a romantic interest and before I know it, I have forgotten about all of the promises I made to Him. The fantastic thing about God as a teacher is that He allows retakes on His tests and they are always open book. There is beauty in fixing our flaws before we enter into a relationship with another person. No matter whether we see singleness as a time of blessing or a time of testing or both, God makes it beautiful. If we take a moment to stop complaining or lusting after things that are not meant for us in this season, we can become content with the plan that God has for us right now. He hears your thoughts and prayers and He knows the desires of your heart. God wants you to experience the most beautiful version of your dreams that is possible, and He will make it so in His time. Prayer Thank You, God for being in control of time and every season of my life. Please forgive me for being impatient as You make everything in my life beautiful. Lord, please help me to humbly accept everything You are trying to show me in this season. In Jesus’ Name, Amen *Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©1984, unless otherwise indicated. |
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