God is very specific on how we as the body of Christ are to care for widows. Whether it's you or someone you may know, these Scriptures express the importance God places on the care of widows.
(S) “Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword.”
Exodus 22:22-24a NIV
(P) Do not allow anyone to take advantage of ___ Lord. If someone tries to, You said Father You would hear their cry and your anger would come against those who tried to harm ___.
(S) “…the fatherless and widows who live in your towns may come eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the works of your hands.”
Deuteronomy 14:29b NIV
(P) Thank You Father that You care for ___ and bless those who care for ___’s needs.
(S) “He [God] defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.”
Deuteronomy 10:18 NIV
(P) Thank You Father for defending ___ and providing for all their needs.
(S) “When you’re harvesting your field, if you forget a sheaf, don’t go back out into the field to get it. Let the foreigners, orphans, and widows take it. If you do this, the Eternal your God will bless everything you do.”
Deuteronomy 24:19 Voice
(P) Thank You God for reminding us of the creative ways in which we all can help provide for those with needs like ___. Thank You for caring for ___’s needs and blessing all that I put my hands to do as well.
(S) “Every third year is the year when you will store a tenth of that year’s crops in your houses. During that year distribute what you have stored to the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows in your cities, and they may eat all they want.”
Deuteronomy 26:12 GW
(P) Lord, may You bless our work so that in turn, we can share as You told us to help ___ and those in need so that they too will be satisfied.
(S) “We ask the Lord to put a curse on anyone who keeps the poor from getting justice, whether these poor are foreigners, widows, or orphans.”
Deuteronomy 27:19 CEV
(P) I ask You Lord to stop any who may try to keep ___ from receiving justice.
(S) “And you sent widows away empty-handed and broke the strength of the fatherless. That is why snares are all around you, why sudden peril terrifies you, why it is so dark you cannot see, and why a flood of water covers you.”
Job 22:9-11 NIV
(P) Remind us continually Lord to care for those like ___ who need us to look after them.
(S) “Everyone was pleased with what I said and did. 12 When poor people or orphans cried out for help, I came to their rescue. 13 And I was highly praised for my generosity to widows and others in poverty.”
Job 29:11-13 CEV
(P) Thank You Lord for the opportunity to help ___ in her need. You have blessed us all with Your goodness… all glory goes to You, provider of all things.
(S) “Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the Lord— rejoice in his presence! 5 Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy.”
Psalms 68:4-5 NLT
(P) I praise You God and rejoice in Your presence! Thank You for being ___’s defender and father.
(S) “The Lord protects foreigners. The Lord gives relief to orphans and widows. But he keeps wicked people from reaching their goal.”
Psalms 146:9 GW
(P) Thank You Lord for bringing relief to ___.
(S) “The Lord tears down the house of the proud, but he protects the property of widows.”
Proverbs 15:25 Voice
(P) You tear down areas of pride, but thank You Father for protecting ___’s property.
(S) “Learn to do right, seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”
Isaiah 1:17 NIV
(P) Help me Father to commit to doing what is right in Your eyes and plead for justice for ___.
(S) “Do not be afraid — you will not be disgraced again; you will not be humiliated. You will forget your unfaithfulness as a young wife, and your desperate loneliness as a widow. Your Creator will be like a husband to you — the Lord Almighty is his name. The holy God of Israel will save you — he is the ruler of all the world.”
Isaiah 54:4-5 GNT
(P) Help ___ Father to not be fearful of being disgraced or embarrassed, but know that You will be like a husband who cares for ___’s needs. Thank You for saving ___.
(S) “Tell them to be honest and fair—and not to take bribes—and to be merciful and kind to everyone. Tell them to stop oppressing widows and orphans, foreigners and poor people, and to stop plotting evil against each other.”
Zechariah 7:9b-10 LB
(P) Father, help each of us to be honest and fair, full of mercy and kindness to everyone like You. May we help ___ being oppressed by those around and protect ___ from evil plots against them.
(S) “’He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?’ declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah 22:16 NIV
(P) Help us to defend ___ and care for their needs with Your help Lord.
(S) “But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.’”
Mark 12:42-44 NIV
(P) As the widow gave from her heart, may ___ find that same desire to give to You Jesus, knowing You will care for all ___’s needs.
(S) “The prophet Anna was also there in the temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. In her youth she had been married for seven years, but her husband died. And now she was eighty-four years old. Night and day she served God in the temple by praying and often going without eating.”
Luke 2:36-37 CEV
(P) As the prophet Anna was faithful night and day to serve you God through prayer and fasting, help ___ have a heart to serve You with such passion.
(S) “Jesus looked up and saw some rich people tossing their gifts into the offering box. He also saw a poor widow putting in two pennies. And he said, ‘I tell you that this poor woman has put in more than all the others. Everyone else gave what they didn’t need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had.’”
Luke 21:1-4 CEV
(P) Jesus, You showed the heart of the poor widow giving her all for You and out of her need. Help ___ give as the widow gave, trusting You to provide for all of their needs.
(S) “…Jesus said to the disciples, 46 “Beware of the experts in Moses’ Teachings! They like to walk around in long robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces, to have the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at dinners. 47 They rob widows by taking their houses and then say long prayers to make themselves look good. The experts in Moses’ Teachings will receive the most severe punishment.”
Luke 20:45b-47 GW
(P) May I not be guilty as the experts in Moses’ teaching and so rob widows of their possessions. Help ___ through Your protection of all they have and increase to provide for their needs.
(S) 3 “Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her. 4 But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God. 5 Now a true widow, a woman who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. She prays night and day, asking God for his help. 6 But the widow who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead even while she lives. 7 Give these instructions to the church so that no one will be open to criticism. 8 But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers. 9 A widow who is put on the list for support must be a woman who is at least sixty years old and was faithful to her husband. 10 She must be well respected by everyone because of the good she has done. Has she brought up her children well? Has she been kind to strangers and served other believers humbly? Has she helped those who are in trouble? Has she always been ready to do good? 11 The younger widows should not be on the list, because their physical desires will overpower their devotion to Christ and they will want to remarry. 12 Then they would be guilty of breaking their previous pledge. 13 And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t. 14 So I advise these younger widows to marry again, have children, and take care of their own homes. Then the enemy will not be able to say anything against them. 16 If a woman who is a believer has relatives who are widows, she must take care of them and not put the responsibility on the church. Then the church can care for the widows who are truly alone.”
1 Timothy 5:3-8, 16 NLT
(P) Show me how to care for ___’s needs as a widow. Show me how I am to help ___ with the needs -__ has, whether personally or have others help be involved in caring for them. May ___ find comfort in spite of moments of aloneness. Guide us in how we meet the needs of ___ so that they can sense how You care and comfort them through You Holy Spirit.
(S) “Pure, unstained religion, according to God our Father, is to take care of orphans and widows when they suffer and to remain uncorrupted by this world.”
James 1:27 GWT
(P) Help me follow Your teachings Father to care for ___ when they suffer or have needs.