Your long and heavy trial has been heard, and we bring it before the Lord with you. For almost three months you have waited for justice, for a word of remorse, for the return of what is owed, and for relief from illness and trouble brought on by lack of care in the dwelling where you have lived as a tenant. We grieve with you over the electrical dangers, the costs you have borne for repairs that were not yours to bear, the loss of your deposit, the burden of seeking alternative provision for daily needs, and the hard words and threats that have added to your suffering.
We pray in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, through whom alone there is forgiveness and access to God, that the Lord who sees all things will move in this matter. We ask that He would awaken the conscience of the landlord and of the house manager, and stir them by the Holy Spirit to do what is right and just, to speak truthfully, to repent where wrong has been done, and to repay what is owed, for the security deposit and for the costs of repairs to the electricity and other matters. We ask the Lord to bring forth honest communication where there has been silence, and a willingness to make restitution where there has been delay. May God, who is the great Landlord of all, before whom we are all but tenants in houses not our own, incline their hearts to deal justly, for He has at all times the right to enter and to require an account of His tenants.
And while we pray for justice, we also point you to that higher forgiveness of which the Scriptures speak. There is forgiveness with God, and it is a divine forgiveness, I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions. It is surprising forgiveness, complete forgiveness, eternal forgiveness, purchased not by our merit but by Christ who died, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. If you tremble under sin and desire forgiveness, hear this blessed whisper, There is forgiveness, There is forgiveness with Him, through Jesus Christ His Son. Whatever your sins have been, however great, there is forgiveness for the chief of sinners who repents and believes. That forgiveness is first in the heart of God, and it is given freely to all who trust in Christ.
Even as Christ forgave you, so also are we called to forgive those who trespass against us. This does not deny the claim of what is justly owed, for the Scriptures speak plainly of debts and of the duty to repay, but it does call us to put away revenge and bitterness, which are paltry, and to put on the great mindedness of forgiveness, which is noble. We can seek what is right and lawful while still forgiving in our hearts, not demanding penalty in malice, but leaving vengeance to the Lord and desiring the good and repentance of those who have wronged us. We pray that you may know this continual forgiveness of God in your own soul, and that out of the abundance of what you have received, you may be enabled to forgive, even as you rightly seek restoration.
We pray also for your body and your peace. May the Lord heal the illness that has followed these troubles, provide for your daily needs, and keep you from fear. May He who taught us to bless the Lord at all times be your comfort, so that even in this house of your pilgrimage you may offer Him the rent of praise and trust.
We will continue to bear you up before the throne of grace, asking that the Lord will in His providence bring about a just and peaceable resolution, that what has been promised will be performed, that what has been taken will be restored, and above all that His name will be glorified in your heart and in the consciences of those concerned. Cast your burden upon the Lord, and trust in the forgiveness that is with Him through Christ, for there is forgiveness now, at this moment, for all who come to Him.
