Maneuvers - No. 27
I Heal Your
Orphan Heart
Did you grow up believing you had to be tough, strong, and independent, friend? Maybe your experiences taught you the world wasn’t a safe place and you had to be strong on your own. All on your own.
But something happens the more we embrace this mindset. We become independent and self-sufficient, yes, but it’s more than that.
We cultivate an orphan heart.
What is an orphan heart, you ask? It’s a person who secretly feels alone. They feel they don’t have anyone to rely on, to lean on when they have no strength—not even Jesus.
Sometimes on the surface, they seem to have it all together. They face a problem and they figure it out. They experience a need and they drum up the provision. They push past obstacles because, well, they have to. Alone.
Underneath the facade of smiles, though, it’s clear… an orphan heart is a lonely heart.
Dear friend, if your heart feels abandoned, alone, and without help, know this: You don’t have to be alone. And in fact, you are not alone. Our heavenly Father is here, right now, calling us to go deeper with him. He has a plan, a solution for the problems we face—if we will face them with him.
Let’s hear what he has to say...
01.
The Message
“Come close now. It isn’t an idea, this closeness. It isn’t a physical space either. It is a leaning in of the heart—a leaning toward me, a desire to be with me, a yearning for my company.
“I know you think you are doing fine without it—without me, my company, most days. You must be, you think, for you go through most of each day, and many of your days, as an orphan. You feel like you are on your own, trying to figure everything out.
“An orphaned spirit is connected to no one and nothing—nothing or no one that can truly be of any help. Deep down you know this—and feel alone. And so, in your orphaned state, you strive, working hard to figure out solutions to your problems. The isolation is too great for you; the pride that comes with trying to do things on your own wears you down.
“Will you ask me a question now? It is a question I love to answer. Ask me where I am. Ask me if I am close. Ask me if I know what you are going through. Ask me if you are alone.
“Does it feel silent when you ask? Are you convinced you are alone—that I am nowhere near?
“Dear heart, my love draws me to you. My desire for closeness with you is too great for me to be apart. I am always all you need, even if it doesn’t feel like it sometimes. I am always with you, even when your emotions tell you differently. I am always faithful. I am always good. I am always trustworthy. I am always kind.
“I want us to have everything in common—my heart, my love, my desires, my plans, my hopes, my vision, my wide-open dreams for you. So my Son, who has all things in common with you, came to show you me. His joy, his hope, his life...all was given to you.
“Come now, into my arms. My relationship with you can deepen, for my love for you never ends. Invite me deeper into the places where you feel alone now. Give me your orphan heart. It needs a new name for it now. Ask me what it is.”
02.
Listen
What did you feel as you read this week’s message? Think of the emotions you experienced, the words and memories that came to mind. Then take a moment to let Holy Spirit’s words sink in. And now… let’s write down our response to the Lord.
03.
Think
“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15, NLT).
1. When do you feel alone and left without help? Is it at certain times of the day? In the middle of specific situations that are too difficult for you?
2. Now that you’ve identified the moments you feel orphaned, let’s go deeper. Why do you feel alone? What thoughts and beliefs are causing you to feel like an orphan?
3. What questions have you been afraid to ask Jesus about those moments you felt alone? As you write them down, don’t be afraid. Holy Spirit isn’t intimidated by the strength of your emotions. He can handle your questions and fears.
04.
Trust
All throughout Scripture, we see our heavenly Father’s protective heart for orphans and other vulnerable people.
But Jesus doesn’t just love the vulnerable—he meets their need, whatever it is, with his presence. He’s a husband to the widow (Psalm 68:5), he provides for the poor (1 Samuel 2:8), and he heals the sick (Exodus 15:26).
And to orphans? He’s a Father.
“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (Ephesians 1:5, NLT).
Let’s close our eyes and breathe. Once… Twice… Three times. Deeply.
Can you remember the moments when you still felt like an orphan? When you felt Jesus wasn’t close? Can you see yourself in those memories?
Can you recall Holy Spirit’s words from this week’s message? He said, “I want us to have everything in common—my heart, my love, my desires, my plans, my hopes, my vision, my wide-open dreams for you. So my Son, who has all things in common with you, came to show you me. His joy, his hope, his life...all was given to you.”
Close your eyes again, and let’s go through those moments you felt orphaned. But instead of focusing on the loneliness and helplessness, let’s see Jesus there, standing beside us, protecting us, grieving with us, helping us.
What is he doing in those moments? What is he saying to you? How is he looking at you?
Whatever you heard, saw, or felt in those reimagined moments, we encourage you to write it down. If a detail stands out to you—a look in Jesus’ eye, a word he used, anything—record it in your journal.
And now, let’s respond in prayer.
05.
Pray
Jesus, thank you for not abandoning me as an orphan. You sent your own Spirit to be my helper, my comforter, and my advocate. I know you’re with me, whether I feel you or not.
I know you will never leave me. You gave me your word, and you always keep your word, even when the world says you don’t. I know you do.
When it’s hard to see you and feel you, help me trust that you’re still there, that you never left. It’s so easy to go by what I feel, but I want more than that. I want to go by your Word, the truth that never wavers.
I love you and I need you. I need you so desperately, because I can’t fix these problems on my own. I know that now. Show me how to lean on you as my protective Father.
In your name I pray, amen.
Waving the banner with you,
