We join together with you in lifting up this former landlord before the throne of grace and we thank you for your compassionate heart toward him even as he remains hidden. We praise God with you for the cross and for His holy Son Jesus who suffered for all of us who believe, for without His shed blood there would be no hope of deliverance or forgiveness. We hear your burden for this man whom God knows by name and whose life is not hidden from the Lord, even if he is hidden from you.
We agree with you that God's plans and thoughts are far greater than ours, for He says in Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahweh, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future, and in Isaiah 55:8, My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says Yahweh. We take comfort that the Lord sees this man exactly where he is, for in Psalm 139:7-8 we are reminded there is nowhere we can flee from His presence, and He desires to lead him out of darkness into light.
We stand with you in praying for his true identity to be restored in Christ. When a person strays from the narrow path and follows his own desires and enters into sinful relationships, he takes on a false identity that can never satisfy. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, Enter in by the narrow gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and many are those who enter in by it. How narrow is the gate and restricted is the way that leads to life. There are few who find it. We pray that his eyes will be opened to see that only in Christ is there a new creation, as 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. And that the truth will make him free, for John 8:32 says, You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
We also agree that his stony heart needs to be broken and softened, and only God can do this. We claim Ezekiel 36:26 over him, I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. We pray for courage for him, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control as taught in 2 Timothy 1:7, so that he may have boldness to turn from sin and follow the Lord.
We must speak clearly about the sinful and hateful relationships you mentioned, including the evil woman in his life where he is controlled and blackmailed and where his life may be in danger. Scripture calls us to flee from sexual immorality and all impurity, for 1 Corinthians 6:18 says, Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. And Proverbs 5:3-5 warns about the lips of a strange woman that drip honey, but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood. These controlling, manipulative relationships are not of God and they bring bondage and fear, but perfect love casts out fear and God calls His children to depart from evil and to fear His holy name, for Proverbs 9:10 says, The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. We pray that he will recognize the depth of God's love compared to the counterfeit and destructive love he has pursued, and that he will be separated from every ungodly influence, even those in his own household, for 2 Corinthians 6:14 teaches us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, and James 4:7 says, Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the cross and for Jesus who suffered and died and rose again for us. We come before You together in the powerful name of Jesus, believing You hear us when we agree as one according to Matthew 18:19. Lord, You know this man, our former landlord, where he is hiding and what he is facing. You love him as Your child and You desire that none should perish. Lord, open his eyes to the unmistakable truth about his identity in Christ, tear away the false identity he adopted through sin, and show him the narrow path that leads to life. Break his stony heart, give him a new heart of flesh, soften him for Your glory and give him holy courage to follow You. Separate him from every ungodly influence and from the evil woman and all relationships where he is controlled, blackmailed and in danger. Give him understanding to fear Your holy name and to depart from evil, to flee from fornication and adultery and to walk in holiness. Protect his life, surround him with Your angels, and lead him to repentance and deliverance through the blood of Jesus. Let him know how deeply You love him and that in You there is forgiveness, freedom and a future. We trust Your perfect will and timing for his life. In Jesus' powerful and precious name we pray, amen.
We encourage you to continue to intercede with perseverance and to trust the Lord's timing, for Psalm 34:17 says, The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. Continue to show the love of Christ while maintaining godly boundaries, forgiving as Christ forgave us, and leaving vengeance and justice to the Lord. We thank God for your faithfulness to pray for one who may have caused you difficulty, which reflects the love of Christ in you.