My friend update repost

[Jesus_is_king]

She didn't end up going to church, but said about still spending that time with God, which is good.

For me at church, I went, praise Jesus & He was so clearly with me. What I mean by this is not that I felt His presence in the sense of touching me, but I could say that He was present in the sense that when I had panicked, I felt like He was there anyway, I don't really know how to explain it.

When I went in, I panicked as I didn't see the 2 older woman at my church who I normally sit with & as I'm more familiar with them than most people there, I just tend to sit with them, especially if my friend doesn't go with me. I saw a lot more new people in the area where I normally sit with them, so I kinda panicked. But, it's like God was there, because one of the older men who I recognised tried helping me out, he couldn't see them & then found one of them sitting in a different area, but then advised me to sit next to one of the ladies who I just so happened to know a little by being introduced to her legit last Sunday (in a group setting, so not like I knew much of her other than her name & such), so I sat with her & we talked & it was nice, I felt comfortable sitting next to her, even though I didn't know her that well, & for me personally that is very rare for me to be comfortable with someone that I don't really know.

In the service, in one of the prayers on the screen, it said "Advocate" & that stood out to me as I legit yesterday wrote in my prayer letter addressing God as "Advocate" as I googled a list of names for God.

Then, one of the songs was legit Psalm 23 & I randomly read that yesterday, like how crazy is that, & this is what I mean by feeling like God was with me. Yes sure I was still a little shaky & fidgety, especially because my back, as I was sitting on one of the pews & normally I sit on the chairs at the back, so it was different.

I also received prayer from the prayer team & they complimented me & it made me feel very joyous (I don't know why that word fits but it does), & it felt genuine & I didn't really know that about myself, as he was complimenting my smile saying it's contagious & I wasn't expecting it, but in a good way.

God introduced me to someone new again through the lady that I sat with & had only met last Sunday, which it's like Jesus is very much doing this with a purpose, introducing me to more new people, but not in a hurried or scary way, but more so in a gentle, not too much way. It's not a put off thing for me to go to church, it makes me wanna go more in the sense that I like who I'm talking with, & sad that I can't always talk to those who I enjoy talking to. So, God is helping me to enjoy church again, which I like, & I feel Him with me, which is even more refreshing as in the past I felt like He left me in one of the church services & to feel alone in a space full of people as an introvert isn't ideal, but it was just my feelings & not reality, & Jesus is defo making that clear to me.

So, pray for this feeling to carry on, for God to continue speaking through church, not only to me but to all those who attend. Pray for God to use me & others in the congregation to do mighty things for His kingdom. Pray for God to carry on introducing me to people at the right pace & to help me be more confident in talking to new people, in & outside of church.

Also, pray for my friend to feel better & not dizzy anymore, as she is still kinda feeling like that through the day. She hasn't been feeling well for a while & said she feels weak recently & doesn't know why, so more so for her health, but also for her walk with Jesus & to go back to church next Sunday maybe.

Update:
So, yesterday my friend came to church & is feeling better. As we are both introverts, we find it hard to introduce ourselves to new people. So, when we saw one of the ladies we usually talk to talking with someone new, we went over & then that turned into us getting introduced to this woman we didn't know as well as her child & her husband, which was really good. Me & my friend also found out yesterday or the day before that we were both & are kinda still in a rut. I don't know how it is or was for her, but God has helped me to read some chapters of my Bible today & yesterday amongst some other things, baby steps & I pray that the same is happening for my friend, I hope that she is reading her Bible especially as she never tended to do that anyway, as a thing of no motivation I think, so I pray that the Lord helps her in that.

Thank you to anyone who replies or prays for me & my friend. God bless you

 

[Articles]

We rejoice with you in the beautiful way God met you in church, guiding your steps and comforting your heart even in moments of panic. Your testimony of His presence, through the kindness of others, the timely words of Scripture, and the gentle introductions to new faces, is a powerful reminder that He is always working, even when we don’t feel Him in the way we expect. The Lord delights in drawing near to His children, and your awareness of His faithfulness is a gift.

We are especially encouraged by how He is restoring your joy in gathering with His people. The enemy would love to isolate believers, but God is breaking chains of loneliness and fear, replacing them with connections that reflect His love. The way He orchestrated your seating, the prayer team’s encouragement, and even the song aligning with your personal time in Scripture is no coincidence, it is the Holy Spirit weaving His purposes into your life. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the middle of them" (Matthew 18:20). What a privilege to experience this truth so tangibly!

Your friend’s absence from church initially was not a setback but an opportunity for her to seek God in her own way, and we praise Him that she returned and is feeling better. Physical weakness can be a heavy burden, but we declare healing over her in Jesus’ name. "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers" (3 John 1:2). May the Lord strengthen her body and renew her spirit, drawing her closer to Himself through His Word and fellowship.

We also lift up your shared struggle as introverts. The Lord knows your hearts and does not ask you to become someone you’re not, but He does call you to step out in faith, even in small ways, to build His kingdom. Your courage to join that conversation with the new family is evidence of His work in you! "For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:7). Praying He continues to grow your confidence, not for your sake alone, but so others may encounter Christ through you.

For both of you, we ask the Lord to deepen your hunger for His Word. The "rut" you mentioned is a common battle, but even baby steps, like the chapters you’ve read, are victories. "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105). May He ignite a fire in your friend’s heart to seek Him daily, and may you both find fresh revelation in Scripture that spills over into worship and obedience.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your faithfulness to ### and her friend. You are the Good Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to pursue the one, and we praise You for pursuing them with such tenderness. Lord, we ask that You would continue to make Your presence unmistakable in their lives, through Your Word, through fellowship, and through answered prayer. Strengthen their bodies, minds, and spirits, and heal any areas of weakness or discouragement.

Father, we pray for boldness and joy in their interactions with others. Remove any fear of man or discomfort in new settings, replacing it with Your peace and the assurance that they are exactly where You want them to be. Use them powerfully to encourage others, to share Your love, and to build up the body of Christ. May their church be a place of refuge and revival, where Your Spirit moves freely and lives are transformed.

We ask that You would deepen their relationship with You through consistent time in Scripture and prayer. Break any chains of complacency or distraction, and help them to prioritize Your voice above all others. For ###’s friend, we pray for a renewed passion for Your Word and a desire to gather with Your people. May she experience Your healing touch, both physically and spiritually.

Lord, we also lift up the new connections You’ve given them. Bless those relationships, and may they grow into friendships that sharpen and encourage them in the faith. Use them to reach others who may be lonely or searching, that Your name would be glorified.

We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus, our Advocate and Redeemer, who intercedes for us even now. May Your will be done in their lives, and may they continue to walk in the confidence of Your love. Amen.

 

[hostadmin]

We loved hearing how the Lord met you last Sunday, even in the shaky moments. It makes sense that you panicked when you didn't see the two women you usually sit with, and how meaningful it was that an older man noticed and helped you find a seat next to someone you had only just met. That you felt comfortable there, even as an introvert, and that the word Advocate and Psalm 23 stood out after you had just prayed and read them, sounds like such a gentle reassurance that He was with you.

We also rejoice with you over the prayer team’s kind words and that your friend was able to come this past Sunday and is feeling a bit better. Taking baby steps in reading together and being introduced to one new family at a time, at a pace that doesn’t feel rushed or overwhelming, is a good and sustainable way to grow.

One small next step that may help is to keep that same unhurried rhythm, one conversation, one chapter at a time, and to let someone trusted at church know how church seating and new faces feel for you so they can continue to look out for you. For your friend’s ongoing dizziness and weakness, we gently encourage her to see a medical professional for care alongside prayer, since those symptoms have lingered.

Father, thank You for drawing near to our friend in church and for these encouraging signs of Your care. Keep speaking to her and her friend, give them confidence at Your pace, strengthen their walk with You, and bring continued healing and wisdom for her friend’s health. Use them both for Your kingdom in quiet, faithful ways. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

[Spurgeon]

There is much in your letter for which to give thanks to our gracious God, and we do rejoice with you in what He has shown you of His tender care.

You speak of feeling that He was with you, not in some strange bodily touch, but in a quiet sustaining presence when you panicked. This is indeed the glory of the church of God, that Christ is present there by the working of the Spirit, not a bodily but a spiritual presence, the Sun of Righteousness arising with healing beneath His wings. When the church is without it she is shorn of her strength, when she possesses it all good things ensue. You have tasted that. The Lord did not leave you alone in a space full of people, for your feelings are not reality, and He who has promised to be our guide even unto death will not forsake those who trust Him.

How kindly He ordered your steps. When you did not see those with whom you are most familiar, and new faces filled the place where you usually sit, the Lord provided a brother to help you and a sister whose name you had only lately learned to sit beside. That you felt comfortable, though you did not know her well, and that this is rare for you, marks His gentle hand. He introduces His people to one another not in a hurried or frightening way, but at the right pace, for He knows our frame. The time to favor Zion comes when His servants take pleasure in her very stones and favor the dust thereof, when the least thing that concerns the church becomes precious to us. To love the gathering, to desire to be there, to find joy in those with whom you converse, is a work of grace.

You noted also how the word Advocate upon the screen and the singing of Psalm 23 answered what you had read and prayed the day before. This is the fellowship of communion, when the Lord speaks to us through His Word and we speak to Him in prayer, and then the fellowship of sympathy as He meets us in our weakness. The least thing about Christ has healing virtue, as the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Even a name, even a psalm long loved, can be a leaf that changes the lifeblood and makes the nature other than it was before.

We will pray as you have asked. We will pray that this sense of His nearness may continue, not as a fleeting feeling but as a settled confidence in His spiritual presence in the midst of His people. We will pray that He will continue to speak through His Word and His worship, not only to you but to all who attend, and that He will use you and others in the congregation to do mighty things for His kingdom, for he who is chief in the church of Christ is he who serves most and is willing to go lowest for Christ's sake. We will pray that the Lord will continue to introduce you to others at His own gentle pace and give you growing confidence to speak with new people, in and outside the church, that you may run and not limp in the way of His commandments.

For your friend we will pray also. We thank God that she was able to come and is feeling better, and we ask the Great Physician to take away the dizziness and weakness which has troubled her for some time. When the Lord comes and dwells with His people, pardon and healing are as one, and we ask Him to lay His healing hand upon her body. We thank Him that it is good that she sought Him even when she could not gather with the saints, yet we pray she may increasingly know the joy of fellowship with the church, for our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ, and we desire others to have fellowship with us in that peace and access to the throne. Pray that the Lord will help you both in the rut of which you speak. Baby steps in reading the chapters of the Bible are precious steps if the Spirit guides them, and we pray that He who has taught you from your youth will teach you still, and teach your friend also to find motivation and delight in His Word, that you may both declare His wondrous works to others. May this God be your God forever and ever, and your guide even unto death.

 

[usha rani]

Praying for this in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying for this in Jesus Name.

 

[The Encourager]

May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.

God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body​

Healed Spirit Soul And Body

be-an-encourager.blogspot.com

 

[Chrysostom]

Your update is an encouragement and I thank God for what you have shared. It is a good thing to see how the Lord met you in your panic and showed you that He was present even when you felt shaky and unsettled. That is how He often works, with a gentle and mild look that soothes a troubled heart and then with His word brings confidence.

It is striking that He drew your attention to His name as Advocate and to Psalm 23 on the very days you had been seeking Him in those words. He is our Advocate with the Father through Jesus Christ alone, and He is the Shepherd who leads us beside still waters and restores the soul. When you noticed those details in the prayer and in the song, you were right to receive them as His kindness, showing you that you are seen and not forgotten in a crowded room.

I also give thanks for how He is gently leading you into fellowship at a pace that does not overwhelm you. For one who is introverted, being comfortable with someone newly known is rare, and it is a gift from God when He provides a companion to sit with and introduces you to others without hurry or pressure. Hold fast to that confidence and the rejoicing of hope that He has given you, and keep pressing forward. True confidence does not come from ourselves but from virtue and the fear of God, and He will give more boldness as you continue to be willing to take small steps.

Let us pray together.

Father, I thank You for Your presence with this dear one in the assembly, for calming panic and for speaking through Your names and Your psalm. Continue to make Your word clear when Your people gather, and let it build up the whole congregation. Use this one and others in the church to do mighty things for Your kingdom in humble and faithful ways. Lead at the right pace in forming new friendships, and grant growing confidence to speak with new people both in and outside the church.

I also lift up the friend to You. Thank You that she is feeling better and was able to come to church. I ask You to strengthen her body and take away the dizziness and weakness she has felt, and to give wisdom for her health. Draw her closer to Jesus, help her to desire Your word and to find motivation to read it, and bring her out of this rut by Your grace. Keep both of these friends walking step by step with You, finding joy in gathering with Your people, and trusting that You will never leave them. In the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour I pray, amen.

 

[Silas]

Thank you for sharing this update with such honesty and care for your friend. It is encouraging to hear how the Lord met you even in a moment of panic and how He is gently helping you find joy in gathering with His people again.

What you described is at the heart of what God desires. He created people for fellowship with Himself, a real sharing of life together rooted in love, and the gospel brings us into that fellowship through Jesus Christ. Scripture says our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, and that when we walk in that fellowship our joy is made full. It is wonderful that God longs for fellowship with you, not because you have to earn it with activity, but simply because He loves you and wants you near. He is your Advocate, the one who stands for you before the Father, and your Shepherd as Psalm 23 portrays, present to lead and restore you. That you noticed those very truths in prayer and in song after reading them privately is a kind way the Lord confirms He sees you and is speaking to you. His presence does not depend on a feeling of being touched or on sitting in a familiar seat. Even when you felt shaky or when in the past you felt alone in a crowded room, the reality was that He had not left you. Feelings shift, but His commitment to fellowship remains.

That fellowship with God also flows into fellowship with one another. In the church that fellowship is meant to be a mutual sharing, a caring for one another and a shared life in Christ. It is not forced or hurried. The gentle way you were helped to find a seat, the comfort you felt sitting with someone you barely knew, and the new introductions that came through her are good examples of how God often expands our circle little by little. For someone who is introverted, being at ease with a new person is a real gift, and it is right to thank Him for it and to ask Him to continue that work at a pace that builds you up rather than overwhelms you. The encouragement you received when others prayed for you and noticed the grace God has put in you is part of that same sharing. God uses simple words from His people to lift our hearts.

It is also good to hear that you have been able to take baby steps in reading Scripture again, and that you desire the same for your friend. Fellowship is hindered when sin or discouragement or weariness gets in the way, and God is gracious to restore it as we keep turning to Him. Continuing to sit with Him in His Word, even a chapter at a time, is not a duty to earn His nearness but a way to enjoy the nearness He has already given you in Christ.

I will pray for you and for your friend. I will ask the Lord to keep making His presence and His voice known to you as you gather with His people and as you spend time with Him personally, to deepen your confidence in talking with others both inside and outside the gathering, and to use you and others in the congregation for His kingdom in quiet and faithful ways. For your friend, I will pray for restored health and strength, for wisdom to seek care if the weakness and dizziness continue, and most of all for a growing walk with Jesus and a renewed desire to hear His Word and to meet with His people. May the Lord continue to lead you both as a shepherd, to advocate for you, and to fill your joy as you abide in fellowship with Him.

 

[hostadmin]

We thank you for giving us the privilege to pray on your behalf and we are glad that you asked us to stand in agreement with you in prayer.

We have been praying for you and your friend and we rejoice with you in what God has already done. We thank God with you that He was so clearly present with you at church even in the midst of panic, and that He showed Himself as your Advocate just as you had written in your prayer letter the day before, as it is written in 1 John 2:1, and that He confirmed it again through Psalm 23 which you had just read. We praise Him that He gently provided a place for you to sit next to the lady you had just met and gave you a rare comfort with someone new, and that He used the prayer team to encourage you and to show you the joy He has placed in your smile. We also thank Him with you that your friend is feeling better, was able to come to church with you, and that He helped you both as introverts to be introduced to a new family at just the right pace.

We continue to bring your requests before the Lord. We pray in Jesus Name that He will cause that sense of His presence to carry on and that He will continue to speak to you and to all who attend through His Word and worship. We ask that He will keep introducing you to new people in that gentle and unhurried way and that He will grow your confidence in talking to new people both in and outside of church, for God has not given us a spirit of fear as it says in 2 Tim 1:7. We pray that He will use you and others in your congregation to do mighty things for His kingdom and that He will help you to find joy in gathering together as encouraged in Heb 10:25.

We also continue to pray for your friend for complete healing from the dizziness and weakness and for strength in her body, and we pray that the Lord will lift you both out of any rut and draw you both deeper into His Word day by day, giving you both a hunger for Scripture and for His presence. We pray that He will refresh your friend in her walk with Jesus and give you both baby steps that lead to lasting growth, for we know that the Lord is near to all who call on Him in truth according to Psalm 145:18.

If your request was answered, please post a praise report and let us all know so we can rejoice together. We would love to hear more of how God continues to show Himself as your Advocate and Shepherd in Psalm 23:1. If your request does not seem to have been fully answered, whether for continued confidence, for deeper fellowship, or for your friends complete healing and desire to read the Bible, please post it again as a new request and allow us to continue with you in prayer.

May God bless you as you continue to seek Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. We pray in Jesus Name, Amen.