Chrysostom
Beloved of All
Your desperate cry has been heard and we have carried it before the Lord with both sorrow and hope. You have spoken honestly about your infidelities and the divorce that followed, and about the fear that now presses on you because of your former wife's threats, and the burden this places on your mother and siblings who have already endured much. We do not take this lightly, and we will pray for you.
Scripture teaches that godly sorrow is not the same as worldly sorrow. Worldly sorrow brings condemnation and fear, but godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation without regret, and leads to a clearing of the soul, to indignation against sin itself, to fear of God, and to a real turning. Do not think of what happened as only a mistake that can be left behind. It was sin against God and against your marriage covenant, which in God's design is a lifelong union of one man and one woman, with sexual faithfulness belonging only within it. That covenant is holy, and to break it wounds many. Yet the same Scripture teaches that the Church is like a spiritual bath that washes not the body but the stains of the soul, through repentance, tears, prayer, and works of mercy. David after his sin became better not by hiding it, but by hearing the word of God and coming to excellent repentance. So you also are called not to sleep after the stain, but to wash it continually by turning fully to Christ, in whom alone salvation is found.
We pray for you now in the name of Jesus Christ alone, who shed His blood and from whose side flowed the saving fountains for the world. We ask Him to have mercy on you, to grant you a deep and true repentance, to forgive you as you confess your sins without excuse, and to teach you to walk in purity and self control from this day forward. We ask Him to guard your heart from seeking comfort in another relationship outside of His will, and to help you live chastely and faithfully as you seek His healing.
We also pray for your former wife. She has been deeply wounded, and her anger, though understandable in its pain, must not be allowed to become vengeance or violence. We ask the Lord to restrain any intent to harm, to calm what is enraged, to protect all involved from sinful retaliation, and to bring her comfort and healing that only He can give. We pray that threats would not become deeds, and that truth and peace would prevail over revenge and exposure.
We remember before God your mother and your siblings. You said you have already been through so much as a family. We ask the Lord to cover them with His protection, to give them peace in this turmoil, to instill in them the fear of God from their youth and age, which is a wall that no outward trouble can break, and to keep them from bearing the weight of what is not theirs to carry.
Do not remain alone in this. Come frequently to the hearing of the word of God, to prayer, and to the fellowship of faithful believers. Seek a mature pastor who holds to the word of God, confess fully, and accept wise counsel and accountability. If threats of harm are serious, seek also the proper help to ensure safety for everyone, and do not answer threat with threat. Let your conduct now be pure, your course of life be the best, and let every step show the fruit of repentance.
The Lord is merciful to those who turn to Him with a humble heart. Continue to seek Him, to pray, to weep for your sin, and to do good to others as you are able. He who gives every blessing will not cast away a broken and contrite heart that comes to Him through Jesus Christ. We will continue to pray that God restrains evil, brings repentance and reconciliation where possible, and guards you and your family in His mercy.
Scripture teaches that godly sorrow is not the same as worldly sorrow. Worldly sorrow brings condemnation and fear, but godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation without regret, and leads to a clearing of the soul, to indignation against sin itself, to fear of God, and to a real turning. Do not think of what happened as only a mistake that can be left behind. It was sin against God and against your marriage covenant, which in God's design is a lifelong union of one man and one woman, with sexual faithfulness belonging only within it. That covenant is holy, and to break it wounds many. Yet the same Scripture teaches that the Church is like a spiritual bath that washes not the body but the stains of the soul, through repentance, tears, prayer, and works of mercy. David after his sin became better not by hiding it, but by hearing the word of God and coming to excellent repentance. So you also are called not to sleep after the stain, but to wash it continually by turning fully to Christ, in whom alone salvation is found.
We pray for you now in the name of Jesus Christ alone, who shed His blood and from whose side flowed the saving fountains for the world. We ask Him to have mercy on you, to grant you a deep and true repentance, to forgive you as you confess your sins without excuse, and to teach you to walk in purity and self control from this day forward. We ask Him to guard your heart from seeking comfort in another relationship outside of His will, and to help you live chastely and faithfully as you seek His healing.
We also pray for your former wife. She has been deeply wounded, and her anger, though understandable in its pain, must not be allowed to become vengeance or violence. We ask the Lord to restrain any intent to harm, to calm what is enraged, to protect all involved from sinful retaliation, and to bring her comfort and healing that only He can give. We pray that threats would not become deeds, and that truth and peace would prevail over revenge and exposure.
We remember before God your mother and your siblings. You said you have already been through so much as a family. We ask the Lord to cover them with His protection, to give them peace in this turmoil, to instill in them the fear of God from their youth and age, which is a wall that no outward trouble can break, and to keep them from bearing the weight of what is not theirs to carry.
Do not remain alone in this. Come frequently to the hearing of the word of God, to prayer, and to the fellowship of faithful believers. Seek a mature pastor who holds to the word of God, confess fully, and accept wise counsel and accountability. If threats of harm are serious, seek also the proper help to ensure safety for everyone, and do not answer threat with threat. Let your conduct now be pure, your course of life be the best, and let every step show the fruit of repentance.
The Lord is merciful to those who turn to Him with a humble heart. Continue to seek Him, to pray, to weep for your sin, and to do good to others as you are able. He who gives every blessing will not cast away a broken and contrite heart that comes to Him through Jesus Christ. We will continue to pray that God restrains evil, brings repentance and reconciliation where possible, and guards you and your family in His mercy.
