The holidays can be stressful under the best of circumstances, and a divorce does not create the best of circumstances. Nothing throws a damper on the holiday season like the constant reminders that you, as a divorced woman, are now alone. The empty chair at the head of the table, the sympathetic looks from friends and family, and the lack of a plus-one to holiday parties rub salt in a wound that was already raw. Navigating Christmas as a single, divorced woman can be jarring at best and devastating at worst.
Thankfully, we know that Jesus is a constant Presence with us this holiday, like He is every day. He’s right there at the family dinner table with you, in the buffet line at the office party, and in your car on the solitary drive home. You are not alone this Christmas or any other, regardless of what an official, court-stamped document might declare. You can still experience peace, joy, and rest this season, even if it’s not looking the way you’d once imagined. You can still celebrate the birth of Christ by resting in the beauty of Emmanuel—God with us.
God with you.
Here are ten prayers for the divorced woman this holiday season:
1. A Prayer for Strength
Dear God, your child needs you. She is feeling weak. She’s overwhelmed with the pressure of the season, of navigating it all alone, and she’s exhausted. Please remind her of your presence and bring strength to her weary body and mind. Give her rest. Refresh her spirit with your truth and renew her with the Gospel message. Let her know that your strength is made perfect in her weakness, and she doesn’t have to be strong alone. Thank you, God, for the gift of your strength this Christmas.
2. A Prayer for Courage
Lord, I pray for the divorced woman this holiday season who is struggling with fear. I pray you give her courage, and that you turn her whimpers of despair into a mighty roar of strength. Ease her anxiety and worries. Let her know she isn’t walking this journey alone and that people are there for her. And more than that, God, you are there for her. When the nights feel long and the car rides feel cold and lonely, fill her with courage to overcome fear and despair. Thank you, God, for the gift of courage this Christmas.
3. A Prayer for Peace
Oh, Jesus, I ask you to flood your divorced daughter with peace. She has gone through so much trial and heartache, and it’s wreaking havoc on her mental health and emotional stability. I pray against the temptation to worry and ask that you replace all fear and anxiety with peace. Calm her churning thoughts. Ease her fears over not getting it all done and having to do it all alone. I ask you to fill her with the peace you promise in Scripture, the kind that passes all understanding. Let her be so peaceful of mind and spirit that she becomes a shining light and witness for you. Thank you, God, for the gift of peace this Christmas.
4. A Prayer for Hope
Dear Heavenly Father, your daughter needs hope. I pray you fill her with eager anticipation for the future rather than hopelessness. Remove all doubt from her heart and let her trust in the assurance that you have a future for her. Help her not to try to grasp for control of that future but trust you to see it all through this holiday and every other. Let her hope be so full the ribbon on the box can’t contain it. Let hope burst forth and flood your daughter with life. Thank you, God, for the gift of hope this Christmas.
5. A Prayer for Provision
Lord, holidays can be expensive, and navigating Christmas as a single woman and/or single parent is incredibly stressful. I pray for provision for the divorced woman this Christmas. I ask you to multiply her funds like you multiplied the loaves and fish. If you, oh Lord, own the cattle on a thousand hills, we know you can stretch a holiday budget. Help her to have all she needs for herself and her family this season. Provide for her not only financially but emotionally. Fill in the gaps, Lord, wherever they are. Thank you, God, for the gift of provision this Christmas.
6. A Prayer for Identity
Heavenly Father, you know the pain that labels can bring. We see in Scripture how Jesus was called many different names and insulted in many different ways. Sometimes, as a divorced woman, we feel like we’re wearing a name tag with the Big D written in bold, permanent marker. But remind your daughters this holiday that their identity is in you. They might be divorced on paper, but they’re not boxed in with that label or any label other than Daughter of the King. Replace the negative labels with positive ones, Lord. Erase that Big D and replace it with Princess. Thank you, God, for the gift of our identity in you this Christmas.
Dear God, your divorced daughter needs a reminder of your love this holiday season. She’s surrounded by couples out shopping and buying gifts and toasting each other while she carries all the bags alone and sits at a table for one. Give her a miraculous view of your love, Lord. Give her physical and visual reminders of how much you love her. Saturate her with the truth of your Word. Let her comb the scriptures for the beauty of the love shown in the Gospel message. Remind her that you love her and haven’t forsaken her. Thank you, God, for the gift of divine love this Christmas.
Lord, I ask for protection for divorced women this holiday season. They’re out shopping, often alone or with their children, and they need you to watch over them. Thank you that your presence is constant and you’re only a prayer away. Look out for her, Lord, and give her reminders of your constant watch and care. Protect her not only physically but protect her heart from breaking as well, as she walks through the holidays as a single woman. Guard her emotions and her mind, and give her all she needs in you. Guard her dreams and her sleep. Give her rest in your security. Thank you, God, for the gift of protection this Christmas.
9. A Prayer for Forgiveness
Oh, Father, I ask for forgiveness this holiday for the divorced woman. Maybe she needs to forgive her ex-husband for breaking their vows and leaving her. Maybe she needs to forgive her former spouse for committing adultery or causing other detrimental blows to their covenant. Help her to relinquish all temptation toward retaliation or revenge and trust you to bring vengeance, Lord, as you promise in your Word. Remind her that you are just and holy, and you see all and will handle all things—be it during this life or in eternity. Lord, maybe she also needs to forgive herself. Help her to let go of any bitterness or grudges toward herself or others and embrace freedom. Equip her to move forward into the joy of the season you have for her. Thank you, God, for the gift of forgiveness this Christmas.
10. A Prayer for Joy
Dear God, I ask for joy for the divorced woman this holiday season. Let her be so full of joy from your Spirit that she overflows onto everyone around her. Let her joy be wild and bold and contagious. Let her light up brighter than the twinkle lights on her Christmas tree when she recalls all that you are and all that you mean to her. Remind her that hope is not scarce, and she can have it because you, Jesus, came to give her abundant life. She can be joyful this season because of who you are and because of how much you love her. Thank you, God, for the gift of joy this Christmas.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/tommaso79
