10 Promises of God for the Single Mom

Single parenting has brought me to the end of myself like nothing else. I cannot do it. But in this place of utter inability, I’ve learned to cling to and count on specific promises God gives us.

When I became a sudden single mom of seven after my husband died, God’s promises became my hope. I was desperate for Biblical encouragement to single parent my children in this new season. I was making countless decisions, navigating my kids through their grief and wondering how in the world I could raise seven children alone.

As I found scripture promises in my daily Bible reading, I copied them in my journal. I kept a growing list of these promises, praying them in hard moments and claiming them as I faced scary new tasks.

I pray these promises renew your hope that while we don’t got this, God does. When you’re tempted to lose heart, when exhaustion or circumstances are whispering lies, lean on the truth of scripture and rest in the faithfulness of these promises.

10 Promises of God for the Single Mom

1. God sees you.
“She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” (Gen 16:13, NIV)

One of the first single moms mentioned in the Bible is Hagar. Her story is found in Genesis. Hagar, despondent at her situation and mistreatment, had run away to the desert. There, God revealed himself to her as “The God Who Sees” or El-Roi in Hebrew.

God sees you as well. He has not sidelined you or overlooked you. He sees your needs, your hopes and your fears. He knows your past wounds, your present struggles and your future concerns. You are the apple of God’s eye. He sees you and he cares for you.

2. God will guide you.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” (Psalm 32:8, NIV)

Becoming a single parent means facing new scary tasks almost daily. Two weeks after my husband died, an issue came up with one of our two rental houses. It was one more thing Dan had handled that was now mine to manage.

As I cried out for God’s help, it was like he downloaded a mental outline of what to tell the tenant. I immediately called the tenant, walked through the outline and wrapped up the issue better than I could have imagined. God will guide us when we go to him for help.

3. God will provide for every need.
 ^“And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:19, CSB)

I was so fearful for how I was going to support seven children as a single mom. We’d been a one-income family and now that income was gone.  

As I stewed over it, I realized God had provided for us in each season. He’d provided when we were both in college, when we started our careers and then when I stayed home and only Dan worked. Our circumstances had changed but God’s promise to provide had not.

4. God will give wisdom for every parenting decision.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5, NIV)

This is a promise I’ve prayed over and over as a single mom. Scripture tells us to ask for wisdom and God will give it generously.

I’ve found the insight God gives is practical, personal and clear. He knows our children and their circumstances better than we ever will. His answers often surprise me, but they always bring peace as I offload my decision overwhelm to him and follow the promptings and insight he gives.

5. God is a Father to the fatherless.
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” (Psalm 68:5, NIV)

I miss all the ways Dan provided protection, stability and security for our children. I miss the good boundaries he provided and his strength.

God’s promise to be Father to the fatherless is part of his character. He provides for our children the protection, stability, security and strength an earthly father would have given. While my children will always grieve the loss of their dad, the missing makes them to look to their heavenly Father in ways they may not have otherwise.

6. You are not alone.
“…for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5, CSB)

There’s no lonely like single mom like single mom lonely. It’s a loss of your best friend and most intimate union. You no longer fit into a neat category at church. Friendships change and invitations to join other families or couples slowly stop as well.

But God promises we are never alone. God says he will never leave us or abandon us. He is a God who not only understands our pain, but is with us in it.

7. God is strong in our weakness.
“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9, NLT)

After Dan died, people often commented about how strong I was. If you only knew, I’d think. Because I felt frail and incapable. I was constantly stretched past my own ability, crying out to God for help and chiding myself for messing up the good family we’d started.

What assurance that our weakness is the catalyst for God’s strength. We’re not supposed to have it all together. God never expects us to be super mom. We can take God’s grace and let ourselves off the hook of having to be enough. Our children will learn far more watching us depend on God in our weakness.

8. God will not withhold something good from you.
“The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” (Psalm 84:11, NLT)

I’ve had some pretty good pity parties as a single mom where I accuse God of keeping a heart’s desire from me. Maybe you’ve done it too, accusing God of withholding a second marriage or better job or bigger house from you.

But scripture assures us that God withholds no good thing from us when we’re following him. If we don’t have it, it wouldn’t be good for us – at least not right now. We can ask God to give us the desire of our heart and trust his answer is wrapped in lavish love.

9. God will give you peace.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7, NIV)

The sudden death of my husband opened the door to all kinds of fear. I feared for our finances, my future and the health of my children. I began to parent out of fear and soon realized fear was paralyzing me from moving forward.

God’s peace is promised to us when we’re consumed with anxiety. First, we need to take our fears captive to the truth of Christ. Next, we need to give our worries to God and begin thanking him for who he is and what he’s done. As we do that, God’s supernatural peace that passes all understanding will take the place of fear.

10. God will bring a harvest even if you sow in tears.
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Gal 6:9, NKJV)

Listen, being a single mom is exhausting. No one needs to tell you that solo parenting every decision and struggle, parent meeting and double header, meal, routine, appointment, milestone, holiday, school day, field trip, church event, and more can tap you out.

Do not let weariness make you lose heart. Your day in, day out, unseen, unacknowledged mothering matters. Eternally. Keep sowing, Keep praying. And keep trusting that in due season, God will bring his promised harvest.