Prayer for relationship Strengthening, Restoration, and Guidance. Our relationships with friends, family, coworkers, and colleagues shape our lives. We demonstrate our love for people with communication, time spent together, patience, and compassion.
When we move to a new town, start a new job, or attend a new school, we can feel lonely and disconnected; we feel like we have lost something important. Simply put, we all want to belong.
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, after a human’s basic needs (physiological and safety) are met, humans need to feel secure in intimate relationships and friendships (MacLeod, 2016). That’s why we need prayer for relationship strengthening, restoration, and guidance.
That’s because God designed us to live and work in the community. Have you stopped to think about the Greatest Commandment? (Matthew 22:34-40) It boils down to “Love God and love others as yourself.”
Praying about our needs
Prayer is communication with God. We can talk with Him at any time – all we have to do is speak His name! 1 John 5:14 – “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
This also means we can talk to Him when we feel lonely and need connection! God hears and answers prayer for relationship strengthening, restoration, and guidance.
Putting it into Practice Prayer for Relationship Strengthening, Restoration, and Guidance
How can prayer be practiced for relationship strengthening, restoration, and guidance? (I mean, how often are we told, “Just pray about it,” but not given some guidance?) I suggest following these steps:
- Begin with Praise.
- Ask God to bring people into your path.
- Ask God to protect you from people who aren’t in His will for Your life.
- Thank Him.
1. Begin with Praise
When you pray, begin by thanking God for what He has given or done for you. Not sure where to start? I find myself saying:
God, I praise You and thank you for giving me hope and a future. You love me enough to extend the gift of underserved grace through Your Son, Jesus.
Doing this puts our hearts in line with His. If you’re not sure where to start, meditate on Psalm 145.
2. Ask God to bring people into your path
As I said, prayer is our opportunity to communicate with God. I love that I can be honest with Him:
Lord, I am feeling lonely. I need some friends to connect with! Please restore my lost relationships with my friends. Please bring people who can be solid friends into my life.
This is the time when prayer for relationships comes into play. What characteristics are you looking for in a friend?
3. Ask God to protect you from people who aren’t in His will for Your life
A friend in college told me about prayer; at first, I thought it was odd. But I believe it fits here as we’re speaking prayer for relationship. My friend shared with me that when she started praying this, she saw men she was interested in dating get redirected to different classes, jobs, or even schools.
I’ve said this prayer many times, and people (even other Christians) have moved on from my life. It’s hard to understand why things happen, but this prayer has given me peace that God has an active and loving hand in my life.
Lord, You are a God of love and protect Your children. Give me wisdom regarding the people I come in contact with. Lord, guide me, and please protect me from people who are not in Your will for my life.
4. Thank Him
When I think about God’s character, I am reminded that God is always motivated by love.
God, thank You that You listen whenever we call Your name. Thank You for what You provided me with today [restful night’s sleep, phone call from a friend, reliable transportation, health/healing, financial provision, an encouraging post on social media]. You are a loving Father, and I am grateful! Amen!
I know He will answer prayers in His time and meet all my needs. I love to meditate on this verse when I need a reminder: “Do not be about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6 )
What are the fruits of the prayer?
The Lord is faithful and always looks out for our best interests. God will bring people into your life to meet your relationship needs. When that happens, remember to thank Him for His demonstration of love.
