3 Prayers for the Graduate Moving Far from Home
Back To School
Audio By Carbonatix
4:00 AM on Thursday, July 31
By Cantice Greene, Back To School
1. God Is with You
When change is happening all around you, it’s a good time to turn to the one who doesn’t change. Don’t you love reading the Psalms for help regulating your emotions? I love reading Psalms when I need to know I’m not the first one to feel what I’m feeling, and I won’t be the last.
“Where can I go from your Spirit or where can I hide from your presence? If I ascend into heaven you are there. If I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there.” - Psalm 139:7-8
This short but powerful reminder can keep you grounded and encouraged when you feel alone. And if one note of encouragement isn’t enough, there’s another one found in Romans:
For I am persuaded that neither life nor death, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom.8:38-39
A Prayer for When You Feel Alone at College
Most holy Lord,
Thank you for being with me. You said you’d never leave nor forsake me, and I believe your promise. You have been with me when I couldn’t feel you, and even though I cannot see you, just like when you sent your son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins in my place many years ago. Your great love shows through those you have placed around me to pray for me and with me. Thank you for your people and promises. Your love shows through the natural beauty you’ve placed around me that continues to persist through the ages. Thank you for those tangible, visible expressions of love. Thank you for the very air I’m breathing now. I will expect to experience your love through the things you are orchestrating in my life right now. In the name of Jesus, this is my prayer.
Amen.
Photo Credit: Dom Fou/Unsplash
2. You Have a Home
In your new place, things are different. More than anything else, the people are different because you couldn’t take everyone from back home with you. Sometimes, when you think about it, that’s a good thing. But sometimes you just wish you could have the things and people that make you feel at home. I bet, if you think about it long enough, you’ve found new things and a few new people that make you feel at home.
If you haven’t done it already, take out the photos, play the music, and wear the outfit that makes you feel at home. If you haven’t home-i-fied your current spot, now is the time to do it. Through dishes you love (like literal cups and plates), a well-worn pan that cooks your favorite dishes just right, and the ingredients you need within reach to whip up your favorite recipes, make that house a home. If it’s your favorite video game (you brought it, right?), or a poster, or even your old bat that you only use every now and then to get in a few swings, be fully you in your new space. And also, remember this:
“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and My Father will love him and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” - John 14:23
I pray that you know you always have a home with Jesus.
When you need to be reminded of your home with Jesus, just set foot into God’s house. By God’s house, I mean a church. It may take you a while to find the church that feels like home or the closest thing to it, but don’t let your search for the perfect church for right now keep you out of church right now. Even a church that isn’t the long-term best fit can remind you of key promises from the scriptures. One of those reminders is in Ephesians 2:19,
“You belong in God’s house with every other believer. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”
So no matter where you are, remember that you have a home with God because He makes His home with you. And you are at home when you visit any church that names Jesus Lord.
A Prayer for When You Are Homesick at College
Dear God,
You are my home. You are the one who accepts me the way I am, and you’re the one who wants to be with me all the time. You literally won’t ever leave me. Help me to feel your presence in the outside, natural world around me, and in the comforts that help make this place my new home. Lead me to the places that remind me I’m loved, including a house of worship, your church. Fill me up so much with that feeling of home that I will look for anyone who might be struggling and feeling like an outsider, and help me to make them feel welcome in this new place. I trust you with the rest. "Hear my cry, O God, Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You. When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy." (Psalm 61:1-3)
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Vladimir Vladimirov
3. You Can Make Friends in New Places
Having friends can make any location feel like home. I learned this personally years ago when I moved from Phoenix, Arizona, to Atlanta, Georgia, to go to college. Some people say, “It’s not where you’re from; it’s where you’re at.” But I’d like to add, “It’s not where you’re at, it’s who you’re with!” None of my friends or family made the move with me. My mom was there to help me settle in, but at the end of move-in weekend, she went back home to resume her normal life and to be with the rest of my family. I was left in a new place thousands of miles across the country. For me, it was a great thing that I had friendly roommates who made this new phase of life tolerable and even enjoyable for me. The school placed us together, and we were flexible enough to find ways to live together. I had two roommates, one from Georgia by way of Ghana, West Africa (she had moved to Georgia with her parents as a baby), and another from New York. At first glance, we didn’t have much in common except for our new school. But our late-night talks and our vibing to music brought us closer and made living together something I cherished. It was like I’d gained two sisters.
When we were seniors, we were still close, but our preparation for the next chapter of our lives made it so we didn’t always have time to hang out like we used to. I found myself in need of some new close friends. I remember so vividly praying to God, asking for new friends. When I did that, this scripture was presented to me:
“A man who has friends must show himself friendly. But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” - Proverbs 18:24
This scripture in Proverbs helps me remember how faithful and loyal a true friend is, and it is a great description of who Jesus is to people who believe in Him. The scripture also taught me that I had a part to play in making new friends; basically, I needed to be friendly. Friends don’t make themselves. Making friends takes a willingness to reach out, to be accommodating, and to make someone else’s feelings a priority. All three of those abilities are essential if you want to be a good friend in your new home. If you have need of more friends (and who doesn’t?), pray this prayer with me:
Oh Father, I know you’re a God who sticks closer than a brother. Your Holy Spirit is with me no matter where I go, and Jesus even calls me His friend, but would you also bring new friends into my life to help me feel at home in this new place? You give me all I need for life and godliness and for abundant living. With those gifts comes the gift of friendship. Please help me look for people to invest in as friends. I know you’ve already placed some of them around me, and I’ll also look for new opportunities to make friends. As I do this, Lord, please help me make good judgments. Also, help me to love deeply, since love is one of the fruits of the Spirit. When I love, I am like you; oh, how I want to be like you, Lord Jesus. In your name, I pray this prayer. Amen.
“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his Master is doing. I have called you friends. For all things I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” - John 15:15
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Drazen Zigic
