God's Peace for When You Are Grieving a Lost Relationship

Editor’s Note: If you struggle with sleep in the middle of the night hours, those wee hours that stretch out dark, long, and lonely, and your mind wanders to worries, sadness, confusion, or anxiety, this gem of a book is for you.

In this broken world, relationships can get messy.

Whether it’s between a parent and child, boyfriend and girlfriend, grandparent and grandchild, stepmother and stepchild, husband and wife, teacher and student, or among coworkers, relationships are at the core of our lives — and sometimes, when they aren’t as they should be, they bring us grief and sorrow.

Are you grieving a relationship that has deteriorated? Whether it dissolved in a long, tangled mess over the years or conflict erupted out of nowhere, broken relationships hurt. Maybe it felt good to get out of that relationship then, but now, as you lie awake staring at the ceiling, regret begins seeping into your bones. Maybe you long for reconciliation, but it hasn’t come — even after years of praying. Dear child, it is grievous when our actions caused a broken bridge or when those we love don’t respond to our outreached hand.

If this is on your mind tonight, it may be helpful to call up a few Scriptures to comfort your broken heart. Jesus is near to those who are brokenhearted, and you may be feeling a little crushed in spirit right now. Our relationships were not meant for dissension or sorrow or frustration, and when brokenness captures our relationships, it feels devastating and wrong. Your heart feels like it may never be repaired.

Beloved, Jesus is with you. He heals the brokenhearted.

He binds the open wounds that bring on such pain. He is healer not just of the body, but also of the spirit.

Cry out to Him in your sorrow — He surely hears you.

In the quiet of tonight, be comforted: the Lord remembers you. He is the God of all comfort and the healer of fragmented, devastated, tender hearts. Our Father is compassionate toward His children and He loves us so much He sent His only beloved Son to die — so that He could have a redeemed relationship with us, with you. Be encouraged, dear one; the Lord hears you and your cries tonight.

Even though Jesus no longer walks the streets of the earth, the Holy Spirit abides with us in all our need. Find solace and comfort in His compassion and reflect on the truth in His Word.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. — 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. — John 14:26

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. — Psalm 34:18

Prayer

Jesus, Friend of sinners, I am grieved by the loss of my relationship. My heart cries out in sadness and longing, but I know in the midst of my grief,

You are with me. You are always at the eye of the storm, offering calm amidst calamity; as I try to fall asleep this evening, tend to me gently.

Blessing

May you truly experience the comfort of God the Father, the love of Jesus the Son, and the communion of the Holy Spirit as you grieve your lost relationship. May your sorrow be turned to dancing as you think on the goodness of the Lord.

Praise

Lord, even when I am downcast, I praise You — my comfort and strength. You are a God to be praised, even when I’m filled with grief. Thank You for Your steadfastness, my precious Lord.

Excerpted with permission from God’s Peace for When You Can’t Sleep, copyright Thomas Nelson.

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Your Turn

Are you hurting over a broken relationship? Do you miss someone who walked away, or do you regret having blown up a family or friend relationship in the heat of the moment but now wish you could take angry words back? The Lord is with you. Lean into Him in those middle of the night hours. Come share with us on our blog. We want to hear from you about grieving a lost relationship. ~ Devotionals Daily