We join you in bringing this heavy burden before the Lord and we have heard the depth of your suffering over these many months, the lack of electrical safety in the apartment, the illness and ongoing skin affliction, the costs you have carried that were not yours to bear, the security deposit and repair money still withheld, and the silence and lack of remorse from the landlord and the community house manager. The Lord sees what has been done and what has been withheld and He cares deeply about justice and about your healing.
The Scripture tells us that God is a defender of those who are vulnerable and that He requires integrity in our dealings with one another. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it to you, when you have it by you, Proverbs 3:27-28. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of those who reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Armies, James 5:4. You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, you shall give him his wages in his day, neither shall the sun go down on it, Deuteronomy 24:14-15. The Lord also loves restitution and a repentant heart, as Zacchaeus said, If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much, Luke 19:8. We pray that the Holy Spirit will indeed awaken and stir the conscience of the landlord and the manager, that they would choose righteousness over hardness of heart and make full restitution for what is owed.
We understand how wearying it is to wait almost three months without communication or willingness to make things right, and we encourage you not to lose heart. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit, Psalm 34:18. We encourage you to continue to commit your cause to Him while also acting with wisdom, keeping careful records of all costs, promises made, and communications, and seeking godly counsel and lawful help where it is available to pursue what is rightfully yours. We are called to not avenge ourselves, but give place to God's wrath, for it is written, Vengeance belongs to me, I will repay, says the Lord, Romans 12:19, and at the same time we are called to seek justice and correct oppression, Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed, Isaiah 1:17. Guard your heart against bitterness as you wait, and continue to pray for those who have wronged you, as Jesus taught us to love your enemies and pray for those who mistreat you, Matthew 5:44, trusting that God can bring both justice and repentance.
We also lift up your body before our Healer. How distressing it must be to endure skin damage and to face the reality that healing may take years. We pray for the Lord's restoring touch upon you. He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds, Psalm 147:3. Bless Yahweh, my soul, who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases, Psalm 103:2-3. But I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds, says Yahweh, Jeremiah 30:17. By his wounds you were healed, 1 Peter 2:24.
We pray together now in Jesus' mighty name, for it is through Him alone we have access to the Father and it is in His name we ask.
Father in heaven, we come before You in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son, and we lift up this dear one who has suffered in body and spirit due to unsafe conditions and unjust dealings. Lord, You see every detail, every cost paid, every promise broken, every day of illness and discomfort, and every tear shed. We ask You to move upon the heart of the landlord and the community house manager, convict them by Your Holy Spirit, awaken their consciences, and lead them to repentance and to do what is just and good. Lord, stir them to return the security deposit and all repair costs that were unjustly kept, to provide full compensation for the suffering, illness, alternative shower costs, and all other losses, and to act with honesty and mercy without further delay. We ask for wisdom and favor for Your child as they seek resolution, and for provision for every need while they wait. Father, we also place hands of faith upon this wounded body, and we ask for Your healing power upon the skin and wherever damage was done, that You would rebuild what was harmed, restore what was lost, ease pain and inflammation, and bring complete restoration in Your perfect time. Grant peace that surpasses all understanding, patience in trial, and assurance that You are working for good even in this long wait. We trust Your justice and Your mercy, and we ask all these things in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus, our Advocate and Healer, amen.
We will continue to stand with you in prayer, trusting that the Lord who is both just and compassionate will bring forth justice, provide for you, and heal you according to His will.