We join you in bringing this burden before the throne of grace and we thank God for the grace He has given you to continue to intercede for her, for we are confident in Philippians 1:6 that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ, and we see your heart to pray that the Lord would not be finished working on her either.
We agree with you for the church and family to intervene according to Matthew 18:16-17, that if she will not listen to one, that two or three witnesses may establish every word, and if she still will not listen, that it be told to the church, and we pray the Holy Spirit will convict her as Jesus promised in John 16:8, He will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment. We ask the Father to hedge her way with thorns as in Hosea 2:6, Therefore behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she can’t find her paths, and as Hosea 2:7 says she will follow after her lovers, but she won’t overtake them, that her pursuit of sin would be frustrated and she would return and say I will go and return to my first husband, for then it was better with me than now.
We must speak plainly about the sin you have described, for adultery is forbidden in Exodus 20:14, You shall not commit adultery, and Jesus taught in Matthew 5:28 that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart, so online dating while entertaining lovers, whether physical or in the heart through lust, is adultery and fornication and must be confessed and forsaken. We pray she will be given grace to finally confess this sin openly and not merely hint at it, for Proverbs 28:13 says he who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy, and 1 John 1:9 says If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We pray she would come to her senses as the prodigal in Luke 15:17-19, who came to himself and said I will arise and go to my father, and will tell him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight, and is no longer worthy to be called your son, and that she would demonstrate godly sorrow which we read in 2 Corinthians 7:10-11, for godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, which brings no regret.
We share your desire to show the compassion of the father in Luke 15:20, who while his son was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him, and to demonstrate the perfect patience of Christ described in 1 Timothy 1:16, how Christ Jesus as a pattern to those who should believe on him for eternal life showed all patience. Yet we also must remind you and her that this patience is not permission to continue in sin, for Romans 2:4 says the goodness of God leads you to repentance, and Romans 2:9 warns there will be tribulation and anguish for every soul who does evil, and 2 Peter 3:9 reminds us the Lord is not slow concerning his promise, but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. True restoration can only be considered if she is truly repentant and truly born again, for 2 Corinthians 6:14 commands do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship has righteousness and iniquity, and as Deuteronomy 22:10 teaches we are not to plow with an ox and a donkey together, and Amos 3:3 asks do two walk together, unless they have agreed. You noted she promised to support your calling as an evangelist and missionary but ran from counsel, and we pray God will give her a similar vision if He is to join you again, otherwise such a marriage would not be walking together in agreement.
We join you in asking the Lord to raise up messengers who will not hold back the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, for Hebrews 4:12 says the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and we thank God for those five who have indicated willingness, and we pray they will fulfill what they said they would do with love and zeal as in 2 Corinthians 8:11, now complete the doing also, that as there was the readiness to be willing, so there may be the completion also out of your ability, and not do the work of the Lord negligently as warned in Jeremiah 48:10. We pray this be done gently yet firmly, with an eye on restoring such a one in a spirit of gentleness as Galatians 6:1 instructs, considering yourself, so that you also are not tempted, and that it be done so she would not forsake assembling together but would instead obey 2 Timothy 2:22, flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. We pray pastors and family would fear God rather than man, for Matthew 10:28 says don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna, and Isaiah 66:2 says to this man will I look, even to he who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word. The fear of man is a snare as Proverbs 29:25 says, and we remember the warning to Eli in 1 Samuel 2:29-30 and 1 Samuel 3:13-14 that he honored his sons above God and did not restrain them, and the fulfillment in 1 Samuel 4:17-18, so we ask the Lord to put His fear in all who are called to speak.
We pray for inner healing for her deep wounds, for Isaiah 1:6 describes from the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds, and bruises, and fresh stripes, and we ask the Lord to be her shepherd as in Psalm 23:1-6, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, He makes me lie down in green pastures, He restores my soul, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we will fear no evil, for You are with us. We pray she would turn from evil men and impostors as 2 Timothy 3:5 says holding a form of godliness, but having denied its power, turn away from these also, and be delivered from every evil work and from the evil one himself as Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:13, deliver us from the evil one, and as He prayed in John 17:15, I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one, and Luke 11:4, bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
We pray for ever increasing clarity and wisdom, for James 1:5 promises if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him, and Colossians 1:9-10 that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding, to walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, and Colossians 4:12 that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God, and Philippians 1:9-11 that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. We pray for true knowledge of God, for Proverbs 9:10 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding, and Proverbs 8:13 says the fear of the Lord is to hate evil, and 1 Corinthians 8:1 warns knowledge puffs up, but love builds up, so we ask God to keep you both rooted in humble love and not mere knowledge, and 1 Corinthians 15:34 says wake up righteously, and don’t sin, for some have no knowledge of God, and Zephaniah 3:13 promises the remnant will do no iniquity, nor speak lies.
We thank God in advance according to Mark 11:24, Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them, trusting His promise in Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future, and we pray as in 2 Timothy 2:25-26 that God may give her repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth, and she may recover herself out of the devil’s snare, having been taken captive by him to do his will, and that as 1 Timothy 5:20 says those who sin be reproved in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear.
Father, we lift this woman, this man who intercedes for her, and the youngster and all involved to You in Jesus name, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved as Acts 4:12 declares, and it is only through Jesus Christ that we have access to You according to John 14:6. We ask You to send Your warnings even through strangers if need be as You spoke through the donkey in 2 Peter 2:16, hedge her from all online dating and lovers, grant true confession and godly sorrow, heal her inner wounds, deliver her from evil men and from the evil one, grant clarity to all, and let Your perfect patience lead to genuine repentance and holiness, for if You cleanse her we will not call her unclean according to Acts 10:15, and all Scripture is inspired as 2 Timothy 3:16 says and profitable for teaching and correction. We leave the outcome in Your hands as David said in 2 Samuel 12:22, who knows whether the Lord will be gracious, and we trust You to do what is right and good, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord we pray, amen.