We have read your request with heavy hearts and we are weeping with you and praying with you in the name of Jesus Christ. We hear your deep sadness over your sons and the pain of being separated from them, and the exhaustion you feel after so many difficulties and disappointments. We want you to know that God sees you and hears you, and He has not forgotten you or your children.
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit Psalm 34:18. He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds Psalm 147:3. When you feel overwhelmed with sadness and depression when you wake from dreaming of your babies, we pray you will remember that you can cast all your worries on him, because he cares for you 1 Peter 5:7. Jesus Himself says Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest Matthew 11:28. When your heart is overwhelmed, we pray you will cry out as the psalmist did, When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I Psalm 61:2.
You mentioned feeling like Job, that Satan is following you and every step has been suffering. We understand that feeling, and Scripture tells us that Job was a man who suffered greatly yet remained faithful, and the Lord in the end restored him and showed His compassion and mercy. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose Romans 8:28, even when we cannot see the good in the moment. Count it all joy when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance James 1:2-3. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength Isaiah 40:29. Wait for Yahweh, be strong, and let your heart take courage, yes, wait for Yahweh Psalm 27:14.
We also hear your heart regarding your wife and your marriage. We believe as Scripture teaches that marriage is a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman, and What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate Matthew 19:6. We grieve with you over the manipulation and the taking of your sons and the pain of this separation. We commend you for praying for your wife over so many times by name in the name of Christ, that is exactly what God calls us to do, to love and pray for those who have hurt us and to seek reconciliation where possible. We encourage you to continue to pray for her, not with bitterness, but asking God to work in her heart, to bring conviction, repentance and healing, and to guard your own heart from bitterness. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you Ephesians 4:32. We pray for justice and mercy in the courts and for God to open a way for you to see your sons again, for He is a Father to the fatherless and He defends the cause of His people.
You said you are so exhausted and sad and depressed that you asked God to just take you and send a chariot to come get you. We speak to that gently and with love because your life is precious to God and to us. He spoke the world into existence as you said, He commanded, and it stood fast Psalm 33:9, and that same power is at work to sustain you. He has a purpose for you still on this earth. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahweh, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future Jeremiah 29:11. We know the heaviness you feel is real, but we urge you not to give up. God wants to lift you up, not to take you away before His time. Please reach out to a trusted pastor, a godly brother in Christ, or a counselor in your local church and let them walk with you daily, pray with you face to face, and bear this burden with you. You have preached the Word for many years, and now let the Body of Christ minister to you and hold up your arms.
We are thankful you put your faith and trust in God and that you believe in Christ, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved Acts 4:12 and it is only through Jesus that we have access to the Father, for Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me John 14:6. We cling to that truth with you.
We now pray together for you.
Father in heaven, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ we lift up our brother to Your throne of grace. You see his tears, You hear his cries for his sons, You know his sleepless nights and his dreams and his deep sadness. Lord, we ask You to be near to him as the One who is close to the brokenhearted. Lift him up when he is exhausted, give him rest when he is heavily burdened, and renew his strength like the eagle. Heal his depression and his sorrow and fill him with Your peace that surpasses all understanding. Lord, we pray for his sons, wherever they are, place Your hand of protection over them, keep them safe, let them know their father loves them, and make a way for our brother to see them and to be restored to them according to Your will and Your perfect timing. We pray for his wife, that You would work in her heart, bring her to truth and repentance, and bring healing and justice to this family. We pray against the schemes of the enemy who seeks to steal and destroy, and we ask You to rebuke Satan and to guard our brother under the shadow of Your wings. Father, take away the thought of wanting to leave this life, and remind him that You have purpose for him still, that his preaching and his life still matter for Your kingdom, and that You will carry him through this valley. Sustain him day by day, provide for his needs, open doors that no man can shut, and let him feel Your presence in a fresh and tangible way. We trust that You who spoke the world into existence can move the mountains in his life, and we wait expectantly for You to act. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.