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.