6 Scriptures to Read When Fighting Loneliness

2. James 4:8: "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you."

What I've learned most about loneliness and grief through the years is that it often won't get better until we proactively involve God. When in pain, we need to invite Him in by talking to Him and asking for continual peace, contentment, and joy. This is not a time for "one and done" prayers in the morning or night. Hard seasons require moment-to-moment communion with the Holy Spirit. Whatever the reason behind your loneliness, God understands, and He will one hundred percent lead you out of your emotional wilderness in His time.

Try and think of this loneliness season as an opportunity to strengthen your intimacy with the Lord in new, deeper ways. Often, our powerful testimonies and victories are birthed from brokenness. Next time you feel hit with loneliness, try acknowledging your emotions and ask God to reveal the source behind the fear/loneliness/anxiety. Remain prayerful and press into Him, meditating on his character and goodness, until you feel comfort. It doesn't always feel natural, but He always comes through.

3. Psalm 34:18 tells us that "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Have you ever noticed that our closest, most intimate times with the Lord often occur when we're at our lowest? God never withholds his comfort, mercy, love, and strength during any season of life. I find that He extravagantly pours out His love when his children need it most. It's just his nature.

Loneliness doesn't always equate to brokenheartedness, but it's definitely synonymous with being crushed in spirit, meaning we can't feel passion, desire, and energy to deal with life. When we turn to God looking for strength, he won't ever let us down. Even when we don't ask or pray for help during brokenhearted seasons, God shows up in ways we'd never imagined. Similar to a parent watching their child suffer through sadness, He cannot help but send his comfort and reassuring love when we're aching.

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4. Psalm 27:10 (NLT): "Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close." 

Of all the brands of loneliness out there, loneliness stemming from abandonment can be the absolute worst. Whether it's loneliness felt after divorce, death, a breakup, or the severing of a friendship, our hearts can feel so rejected and hurt it can truly feel impossible to hope. Jesus understands. He was forsaken and rejected by those closest to Him. Even on the eve of His resurrection, his friends couldn't stay awake while He went away to pray. His friend Judas betrayed him, and even while dying on the cross, He felt forsaken by God. We know he was not abandoned, but it felt like it. On the darkest, coldest of nights or even extended seasons, know this: your loneliness will pass. And Jesus will be at your side every single second until it does.

5. Psalm 46:11: "Be still, and know that I am God."

This verse is commonly referenced when it comes to loneliness, but the entirely of 46 is worth meditating on. When we think of loneliness, what vision comes to mind? Usually a person alone on their couch holding the remote in tears, right? But being sedate, isn't the same as being still.

The phrase "be still" is derived from the Hebrew word "Rapha," which means "to be weak, to let go, to release." Essentially, it means to surrender—to stop striving. When feeling lonely, leaning towards false, even damaging, substitutes for God can be very tempting. We can easily numb ourselves with food, alcohol, entertainment, excessive doom scrolling, and other methods of escape instead of being still and letting God take over.

When embracing this truth, we're able to be still, even in a crowd of thousands, by reconnecting with the Holy Spirit and focusing on Jesus—even when fighting off that panicky alone feeling or sting of anxiety. We can be still in His presence instead of reaching for the phone, clicking "play next episode," or picking up the phone to call a friend for the third time that day because we're feeling anxious and alone. Only then can we experience the concept found in the second half of this verse, which is knowing He is God.

Throughout Scripture, when God says He is something, or "I am," it's a statement of immediate presence. It's a declaration that God's existence is not dependent on anyone or anything else. So, when we really block out the external happenings in our lives, including all the fears, and negative emotions, and center ours spirits on this truth...that God is in control and present with you in this very moment, something supernatural happens. We're able to transcend our emotions and just bask in his goodness.

6. Psalm 30:5: "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

This Scripture may not seem an obvious antidote to loneliness, but when meditating on its meaning, I've found this to be one of the most powerful truths, transforming my sadness into hope. Unfortunately, loneliness will occur on this side of heaven. We might transfer jobs to another part of the country and not have a friend in sight for a while. We might not stay married forever and end up divorced and re-learning how to do life alone for a while. But nothing aside from the Kingdom of God lasts forever.

When the enemy's gripping your mind with lies that you'll feel this way forever, and that life will simply "be this way," remember at the night's end, which could represent a dark/lonely season, there will be morning. There will be a change, and a lifting of darkness. New days, seasons and feelings will emerge. Always. The key is being still and clinging to Jesus, as we mentioned, until your morning comes. And it will.

Loneliness is hard, but I believe it's a part of life every soul traverses through in order to experience the overwhelming love of God and His never-ending faithfulness to rescue us when we're at our lowest. Know that this, too, shall pass. There is so much joy in the morning.

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