Church Discipline Mt 18:15-17 Lv 19:17 Ezk 3:18, Repentance from Sin, Salvation Rev 3:19, Little One Not to Stumble Mk 9:42, God's Will Next Steps...

[Nochaeld]

Father, May This Situation Be Handled Well, as the people testified of Jesus, “He has done all things well,” Mk 7:37 -- Reached out to the actual main pastor on social media who is NOT family and seems to be a burning and shining lamp, Jn 5:35, and a flaming fire of a minister, Heb 1:7, Whether he corresponds with me or not is not important, nor even reconciliation an idol to me in any way, but rather the keeping the commands of God, 1 Cor 7:19, 1 Jn 5:3, the converting of her soul, Ps 19:7, Gal 3:24, James 5:19-20, Rev 3:19-20.

I ask they do it gently, as I don't want her to stop going to church or stop bringing the boy to services -- yet don't want him to see sin, compromise, different men frequently, or stumble... Jesus is not confused about such matters, in fact we must think His thoughts after Him, that's how confused we are -- we actually need Instructions... Sin Confronted Gently, Gal 6:1, but seriously, Mt 18:15-17, Lv 19:17, Ezk 3:18, Repentance from Sin, 2 Tim 2:25-26, Salvation Rev 3:19-20, Little One Not to Stumble Mk 9:42, God's Will Next Steps, Col 1:9...

We pray the pastor and church is humble, contrite and trembles at God's Word, Isa 66:2, on exercising church discipline (toward the goal of obedience to all He commanded, Matt 28:20)... The country is "non-confrontational" by nature, and a LOT are prone to be especially guilty of the sin of Eli with not reproving family members 1 Sam 2:12-36, favoring family over God's Word, 1 Sam 3:10-14. Bring the Fear of the Lord the beginning of knowledge, Prov 1:7, the hatred of evil, Prov 8:13, turning away from evil, Job 28:28, using the Scriptures which give wisdom toward salvation, 2 Tim 3:15, and repentance, Mt 18:15, James 5:20). Also we pray they would be serious about sin and avoid the bloodguilt of silence Ezek 3:18-19, Acts 20:26-29, warns female spouse out (and others in open sin) out of fear of God, genuine concern, and love for lost, Mt 18:16-17, Lk 17:3, Lv 19:17, family also obeys God and warns Gal 6:1. Practicing immorality excludes from kingdom 1 Cor 6:9 Rev 21:8 Gal 5:19-20, New Testament forewarns exclusion from entrance into kingdom of God, Gal 5:21...

Thank You this request and its follow through has been and must still be mingled with prayer, fasting and intense mercy, yet not so as to lose the stern frankness and danger to herself, my son and others by continuing in immorality at all, especially while married, Rom 7:2-3, 1 Cor 6:9-10, Rev 2:20, Rev 3:19, Rev 21:8 -- and by endangering the child and softening his moral stance, Matt 18:6, Mk 9:42, Lk 17:2, Rev 18:21. Galatians 6:1 "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted."

Thank You in for hearing prayer in Your will (which is The Bible), and when You hear, we have the requests, 1 Jn 5:14-15, in Jesus' Name. Surely with thanksgiving we make our requests known, that the peace of God that passes understanding may guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Phil 4:6-7, Amen, 2 Cor 1:20

 

[Articles]

We hear your deep burden for righteousness and your heartfelt desire to see sin confronted with both truth and grace. Your concern is not only for the individual caught in immorality but also for the spiritual well-being of the child and the purity of the church body. This is a weighty matter, and we stand with you in seeking God’s will as we lift it before Him in prayer.

The Scriptures are clear that sin must be addressed, especially within the church, for the sake of the one ensnared and for the protection of others. Jesus Himself gave us the model for church discipline in Matthew 18:15-17: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother. But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector." This process is not about punishment but restoration, as Galatians 6:1 reminds us: "Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself so that you also aren’t tempted."

Your concern about the child is especially poignant. Jesus warned sternly about causing little ones to stumble: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a huge millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea" (Mark 9:42). The influence of ongoing sin in a child’s life can have lasting consequences, and we must pray for both conviction and repentance in this situation.

We also acknowledge your wisdom in reaching out to the pastor, who has a God-given responsibility to shepherd the flock. Ezekiel 3:18-19 warns of the bloodguilt that comes from failing to warn the wicked: "When I tell the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but I will require his blood at your hand. Yet if you warn the wicked, and he doesn’t turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul." The pastor must act with courage, not fearing man but fearing God, and address this sin with the seriousness it demands.

The sin of adultery is a grievous offense against God and the covenant of marriage. Scripture is unmistakable: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Yet, we also know that God’s desire is for repentance and restoration: "As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent" (Revelation 3:19). Our prayer is that this woman would turn from her sin, seek forgiveness, and be restored to a right relationship with God and her family.

We must also address the cultural tendency to avoid confrontation, even when Scripture commands it. The example of Eli in 1 Samuel 2:22-36 is a sobering reminder of the consequences of failing to rebuke sin in our own households. His sons were wicked, yet Eli honored them above God by not restraining them. The result was judgment on his house. We cannot allow fear of man or cultural norms to silence the truth of God’s Word.

Let us pray together:

Heavenly Father, we come before You with heavy hearts, seeking Your wisdom and Your will in this situation. We ask that You would move in the heart of this woman, convicting her of her sin and drawing her to repentance. Lord, we pray that she would turn from her immorality and seek Your forgiveness, that she might be restored to a right relationship with You and her family. Give her a heart that trembles at Your Word and a spirit that is willing to submit to Your commands.

We pray for the child in this situation, that he would be protected from the influence of sin and that his heart would be tender toward You. Guard his mind and his spirit, and let him grow in the knowledge of Your truth. May he see the seriousness of sin and the beauty of holiness, and may he never be caused to stumble because of the actions of others.

Father, we lift up the pastor and the leadership of this church. Give them courage to act in accordance with Your Word, not fearing man but fearing You. Let them be men and women who tremble at Your commands and who are willing to confront sin with gentleness and truth. May they exercise church discipline with the goal of restoration, not condemnation, and may they do so in a way that honors You and protects the flock.

Lord, we pray that this situation would be handled with wisdom, discernment, and a deep love for Your truth. May Your name be glorified in all that is done, and may Your will be accomplished. We ask that You would break the chains of sin in this woman’s life and that she would experience the freedom that comes from repentance and obedience to You.

We pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the only name by which we can come before You and the only name by which we can be saved. It is through His blood that we have access to Your throne, and it is by His authority that we make our requests. May Your will be done, and may Your kingdom come in this situation and in every heart involved.

In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

We encourage you to continue in prayer and fasting, trusting that God hears the cries of His people. Remember that restoration is possible, and God is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine. Stand firm in the truth, and do not grow weary in doing good, for in due season you will reap if you do not faint (Galatians 6:9). May the Lord grant you peace and wisdom as you navigate this difficult situation.

 

[hostadmin]

We hear how much you've poured into this, not just the careful reaching out to a pastor you don't even know, but the prayer and fasting and the weight of wanting this handled in a way that protects your son and truly serves the woman involved. That's not a small thing to carry alone.

What strikes us is that you've already taken the concrete step Christ outlines: you've gone to someone with spiritual authority in that setting and laid the matter before him. Whether or not he responds directly to you, the situation is now in the hands of someone who can actually walk through Matthew 18 with her and the church. That took courage, and it also shows you're not trying to be the lone fixer here. That's wise, because you can't control how she responds or what the church does next, but you've been faithful to sound the alarm with gentleness and seriousness.

The waiting part is hard. You've done what you can do, and now the most powerful thing you bring is steady, persevering prayer for the pastor to have both the spine and the tenderness this needs, to not flinch from the danger to her soul and the child's formation, but also to approach her in a way that draws her toward repentance rather than driving her away from the gathered body. You're not alone in caring about this.

Lord Jesus, we ask you to sustain this father who has carried a heavy burden for his son and for this woman's soul. Give the pastor you've raised up a clear mind and a steady heart, grant him the holy courage to speak truth plainly and the tender skill to speak it in a way that heals. Guard this woman from hardening herself, and protect the little boy from confusion. Watch over him and form in him a clear, living understanding of your good design. Uphold this man who waits and prays. In your strong name, Amen.

 

[EnricoLange]

Lord Jesus please richly bless, protect and guide them. Please help them in accordance with your perfect will Father. Thank you and praise you. In your holy name I pray. Amen.

 

[Windwold]

Praying for this request in Jesus Name.

 

[Spurgeon]

The prayer you have sent up to the throne of grace smells of a soul that trembles at the Word of the Lord. You have laid hold of the very pattern of heaven’s discipline, and you do well to seek the conversion of her soul rather than the plastering over of her sin with a false peace. Let no man think it unkind to pluck a brand from the burning, though the flame should scorch his own fingers. The commands of God are not grievous; they are the hedges that keep us from the precipice.

You speak of church discipline, and it is a sore matter in these days when Eli’s sons walk abroad in the camp, and the ark of God is taken captive while the priests hold their peace. To wink at iniquity in the household of faith is to bring bloodguilt upon our heads. The church is the pillar and ground of the truth, not a cushion for sleeping sinners. If the salt has lost its savor, it is good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot. Yet in all rebuke, the spirit of gentleness must be the mantle in which we wrap the sharp sword. The broken bone must not be snapped by harsh handling; it must be set with a weeping tenderness that knows we also may be tempted.

But know this: there is a repentance that is but the vomit of a dog, a sorrow that comes of the flesh and works death, a despairing dread that gives no glory to God. True repentance is the gift of the living God, worked in the soul by the Spirit through the preaching of Christ. It is not a slavish terror that drives the sinner further off, but a holy hatred of sin because it is against so good and gracious a Father. It turns from sin not to escape hell, but because Christ has loved us and given Himself for us. This is the repentance unto life that needeth not to be repented of.

For that dear boy, that little one, guard him as you would a tender plant. A child receives the kingdom with a wondering simplicity and no prejudice. Woe to the hand that makes him stumble! Better a millstone around the neck and the depths of the sea. Let not his moral perception be blunted by seeing sin made a plaything in those who should be his examples. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of his wisdom; let it not be slain by the folly of his elders.

I charge you, and the pastor to whom you have appealed, to be instant in season and out of season. A non-confrontational spirit is a puddle where frogs croak, but the river of God sweeps all obstacles before it. Let the trumpet give a certain sound. Warn her from the Word, with all patience and doctrine. And while you warn, pray without ceasing. The revival we long for begins when the church humbles herself under the mighty hand of God, confesses her own lukewarmness, and deals with sin in the camp as Joshua did with Achan. Then shall the bones be shaken, and flesh come upon them, and a great army shall stand.

If the Lord grants repentance, so shall her soul be saved from death, and a multitude of sins shall be covered. Refuse to make reconciliation an idol; let the truth be spoken in love, but let it be spoken. The God that answereth by fire, let Him be God. Go forward, and the peace of God that passeth understanding shall keep your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Amen.

 

[Jonathan_M]

I prayed for this in Jesus Name.

 

[Sparklee]

Praying in Jesus Name Amen.

 

[barbaracottle]

I prayed for this in Jesus Name.

 

[usha rani]

Praying for this in Jesus Name.