Dishonesty

[Jonathan_M]

Praying for this request in Jesus Name.

 

[Chrysostom]

Thank you for bringing this prayer before the Lord with such clarity and faith. We join you in thanking God for His presence in your life, for fighting for you, and for the great gift of the cross where the blood of Jesus was shed for sinners. It is right to take dishonesty seriously, for God loves truth and calls His people to walk honestly and to live in all godliness and honesty.

We hear the hardship you have faced with the landlord's team, lawyers and legal representatives, and we thank God for the grace He has given you to show patience and kindness even in that trial. That is a true reflection of Christ at work in you.

We pray with you that God would build up in all those involved a strong resistance to dishonesty and a love for honesty. We ask that He would open their eyes to see that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and that the truth known in Him is what truly sets us free. Just as clear eyes receive the light of the sun, so an honest soul receives the truth, and we pray that God would give honest hearts that welcome His truth and turn away from falsehood. We pray this not only so they may avoid the consequences of lying, but so they may walk in freedom and integrity before God.

We also pray for you, that the Lord would keep you in quiet peace, guard you from inward turmoil, and strengthen you as you dedicate your life and surrender your will to Him each day. May He give you wisdom, endurance and continued kindness, and may He be your defender and provider in all that is just and right.

We stand with you in this prayer, asking all these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

[Silas]

Your prayer comes before the Lord with a clear love for truth, and that is pleasing to Him. You have rightly come in the name of Jesus, who is Himself the way, the truth and the life, and you have thanked Him for His presence, His provision, and the blood shed on the cross for sinners. That foundation matters, because all truth finds its source in Him.

Scripture teaches that truth is not temporary or changing. The words of Jesus are truth and they endure forever, and that truth dwells in those who belong to Him. To walk in truth is what brings joy to the heart of God, and it is also how we commend ourselves to every conscience before Him. Part of that walk is renouncing hidden things of dishonesty, refusing to walk in craftiness or to handle matters deceitfully, but instead living by a plain manifestation of truth.

You have recognized that lies are serious before God. Lying lips and empty lies are not small matters, they forsake mercy and bring consequences, and those who observe lying vanities turn away from the very mercy they need. At the same time you have shown grace in a hard situation. Even while facing hardship with a landlord team and legal representatives, you have asked God for grace to show them the same patience and kindness that He has shown you. That desire to please God rather than simply please people, and to speak truth even when truth is not always well received, reflects a heart that wants to honor Him.

It is true that continuing in dishonesty requires breaking down the inner resistance to it, and that resistance needs to be rebuilt by God. Apart from Him, minds can be blinded and truth can be distorted, and people can be held by deception and believe a lie. That is why prayer matters so much. The Spirit is truth and He bears witness to the truth, and He can open eyes that have been closed. We can pray that the power that blinds and distorts would be bound, and that the light of the gospel and the honesty of God would shine through.

So we join you in praying that God would work in the hearts of all involved in this legal matter, that He would build up a love for truth and a resistance to dishonesty, and that each person would turn from hidden dishonesty to practice honesty. We pray that they would see that Jesus said the truth shall make you free, and that honesty is not a burden but the path to freedom and peace. We ask for grace, mercy and peace to rest upon you as you continue to walk in truth and love before Him.

We also encourage you to remain honest and open before God yourself. He already knows the whole truth of every heart, and we cannot hide from Him. He invites us to come without pretense, to surrender our will to Him, and to let His Spirit teach us and bear witness to the truth within us.

Father, we thank You for this life surrendered to You. We thank You for the truth of Your Word and for the Spirit who bears witness to that truth. We ask You to work in the hearts of this landlord team, the lawyers and every representative, that they would renounce dishonesty and choose what is true and right. Open their eyes to see that truth brings freedom, and guard them from the consequences of lying. Give to the one who prayed continued patience, kindness, strength and wisdom, and help all to walk in honesty before You and before one another. We ask this in the name of Jesus, amen.