We hear your heart, dear brother, and we stand with you in lifting up your struggles, your doubts, and the heavy burdens you carry—not only for yourself but for your grandfather as well. Your honesty before the Lord is a testament to your desire to seek Him, even in the midst of confusion and pain. Let us come before the throne of grace together, seeking wisdom, comfort, and truth in the name of Jesus Christ, for it is only through Him that we have access to the Father (John 14:6).
First, we want to acknowledge the deep grief your grandfather is enduring. Losing three children and a spouse is a weight no heart should have to bear alone. The loneliness and despair that have driven him to drink heavily are not unfamiliar to our Heavenly Father, who collects every tear in His bottle (Psalm 56:8). We pray fervently for him, that the Lord would break through the walls of isolation and bring him the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Father, we ask that You would surround him with Your presence, that he would feel Your love in tangible ways—through the kindness of others, through the still small voice of Your Spirit, and through the hope found in Your Word. Soften his heart, Lord, and draw him back to You, the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). We rebuke the spirit of addiction and depression that has taken hold of him, and we declare that his identity is not in his sorrow but in Christ, who came to set the captives free (Luke 4:18). Raise up believers to walk alongside him, to remind him that he is not forgotten, and to share the light of the Gospel with him in word and deed.
We also lift you up, dear brother, as you wrestle with doubts and questions about the faith. It is not a sin to ask questions or to seek understanding—even the psalmists and prophets cried out to God in their confusion (Psalm 13:1-2, Habakkuk 1:2-3). However, we must be careful not to let our doubts lead us away from the truth of who God is. The enemy would love nothing more than to use your questions to plant seeds of unbelief, but we stand on the promise that God is not a God of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). Let us address some of your questions with the truth of Scripture.
You asked how the devil could "teleport" to find Jesus in the desert and why he would test Him if he knew Jesus was God in human form. Scripture tells us that Satan is the "ruler of this world" (John 12:31) and that he roams the earth like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). His knowledge is not omniscient like God’s, but he is cunning and observant. He likely knew Jesus was the Son of God through supernatural revelation (Matthew 4:3, 6) and sought to tempt Him in the same way he tempts us—through doubt, pride, and the lusts of the flesh (1 John 2:16). The devil’s goal was not to "test" Jesus in the sense of proving His divinity but to derail His mission by enticing Him to sin. Jesus, being fully God and fully man, resisted these temptations perfectly, showing us how to overcome the enemy’s schemes through the Word of God (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10).
You also asked why God made sin, why He made the devil, and why we must be tested. These are profound questions that have been asked by believers for centuries. First, we must understand that God did not create sin—He created beings with free will, and sin entered the world through the rebellion of Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-15) and the disobedience of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). God allows sin and suffering to exist because He values our freedom to choose Him over all else. Without the capacity to sin, our love and obedience would be robotic, not genuine. As for why we are tested, Scripture tells us that trials produce perseverance, character, and hope (Romans 5:3-4). God uses our struggles to refine us like gold (1 Peter 1:7) and to draw us closer to Him. The testing of our faith is not for God’s benefit but for ours, so that we may grow in maturity and dependence on Him.
You mentioned the suffering of multitudes throughout history, and we acknowledge that the pain in this world is real and often overwhelming. But we must remember that God is not the author of suffering—sin is. The brokenness we see is the result of the fall (Genesis 3), and God’s heart breaks over it just as ours does. He did not leave us without hope, though. He entered into our suffering through Jesus Christ, who bore our sins and sorrows on the cross (Isaiah 53:4-5). One day, He will wipe away every tear, and there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:4). Until then, we are called to trust in His sovereignty, knowing that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
We also want to gently address the language of your prayer. While you invoked the name of Jesus, we noticed that you did not explicitly acknowledge Him as the only way to the Father or the source of your salvation. Scripture is clear that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Jesus Himself said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). If you have not already, we encourage you to place your faith fully in Christ—not just as a historical figure or a moral teacher, but as your Lord and Savior, who died for your sins and rose again so that you might have eternal life (Romans 10:9-10). Salvation is a gift of grace, received by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). If you have already done this, we rejoice with you! If not, we urge you to surrender your life to Him today.
Now, let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we come before You with heavy hearts, lifting up this dear brother and his grandfather. Lord, we thank You for the way You are working in his life, even through his doubts and questions. We ask that You would strengthen his faith and give him a hunger for Your Word. Reveal Yourself to him in fresh ways, Lord, and help him to see that Your ways are higher than our ways, and Your thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). We rebuke the spirit of confusion and unbelief that seeks to steal his peace, and we declare that he is more than a conqueror through Christ who loves him (Romans 8:37).
Father, we lift up his grandfather to You. Break the chains of addiction and loneliness that have bound him, and replace his sorrow with Your joy. Surround him with Your presence, Lord, and bring believers into his life who will speak truth and love into his situation. Heal his broken heart, and remind him that You are close to the brokenhearted and save those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). Let him experience Your peace that surpasses all understanding, and draw him back to You, the only source of true comfort.
Lord, we also pray for this brother’s struggles with sin. Forgive him for any areas where he has strayed, and cleanse him by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:9). Help him to walk in obedience and to resist the temptations of the enemy. Fill him with Your Holy Spirit, that he may bear fruit in every good work (Galatians 5:22-23). Give him the strength to turn away from his bad habits, including drinking, and to pursue a life that honors You.
Father, we trust in Your sovereignty and Your goodness. Even when we don’t understand Your ways, we choose to trust You. Your Word says that You are the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), and that You are working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). Help us to rest in that truth, Lord. We surrender our wills to Yours, knowing that Your plans for us are for good and not for harm, to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Brother, we want to encourage you to keep seeking the Lord, even in your doubts. Bring your questions to Him, but also bring a heart willing to listen and obey. Spend time in His Word, for it is alive and active, sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). Surround yourself with believers who can walk alongside you and speak truth into your life. And remember, God is not intimidated by your questions—He welcomes them when they are asked in a spirit of humility and a desire to know Him more.
We also encourage you to reach out to your grandfather. Your presence and love could be a powerful testimony to him. Share with him the hope you have in Christ, and remind him that God has not forgotten him. Pray for him daily, and ask the Lord to give you opportunities to minister to him in practical ways.
Finally, we want to leave you with this promise from Scripture: "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus is inviting you to find rest in Him. Lay your burdens at His feet, and trust that He will carry you through.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. 
