Emergency prayer.

[Chrysostom]

Thank you for bringing this urgent and heavy burden to us. We have heard your concern for your friend ### and for all those he has threatened, including you, and we are praying with you right now.

We join you in praying for the protection of everyone you named, his coworkers, his child's mother, yourself, and also his child. We pray that God in His mercy would restrain any harm and keep all of you safe. When threats of murder are spoken, especially when guns and alcohol are involved, they must be taken seriously. Please do not carry this alone. For the safety of all involved, we urge you to seek help from trusted pastors and leaders, and where there is a credible threat to life, to contact law enforcement or other appropriate authorities. You can continue to love your friend and still set firm boundaries, not being alone with him when he is drinking or speaking in this way, and making sure those who have been threatened are aware and can take steps to be safe. Encourage him toward professional help for his anger and his distress at night.

Your desire for his salvation is right and good. Scripture teaches that salvation is through Jesus Christ alone, and that He came to free us from sin and from the power of the evil one. There is no other hope for any of us. We pray that ### would come to see his need for Christ, repent, and receive forgiveness and new life.

You described his anger and his talk of murder. The Lord Jesus taught that murder does not begin with the hand but with the heart. Wrath is the root of murder, and when anger is nursed it grows into insult, then blows, then worse. That is why Scripture warns us not to let anger remain, not even for a day, but to put it away quickly and seek reconciliation and self control through the Holy Spirit. The desire to harm others does not come from God. Jesus said that murder and hatred belong to the works of the devil, who has been a destroyer from the beginning. To be tormented by such thoughts and by terrors in the night is a sign of deep spiritual and personal bondage, and only Christ can deliver and give peace.

It is good that you want to tell him about Jesus, about sin, judgment, and hell, because those realities are true and serious. Tell him also about the love of God, that the Son of God took on our humanity, suffered and died and rose again so that even those under great guilt and darkness can be forgiven and set free if they turn to Him in faith. Warn him plainly that to give way to murder in thought or deed brings terrible consequence before God and before man, but show him that there is mercy today for all who repent.

We will pray for you as well, for wisdom, courage, and protection as you speak the truth in love. Keep praying, keep speaking the gospel as you have opportunity, and keep pointing him to help that can address both his spiritual need and his need for counseling and care. God is able to change a heart that seems hard, as He has done for many, and He often works through the very troubles that humble a person and bring them to seek Him.

Let us pray together:

Heavenly Father, we come through Jesus Christ alone, our only Savior. We ask for Your protection over ###, over his child's mother and child, over his coworkers, and over our friend who has written to us. Restrain every intention to harm and prevent any act of violence. Bring ### to see the depth of his anger and the terrible weight of what he is considering. Convict him of sin and awaken him to his need for You. Deliver him from torment in the night, from the power of darkness, and from slavery to wrath and alcohol. Grant him repentance and faith in Christ, that he would be forgiven, cleansed, and made new. Give wisdom and safety to all who care for him, and lead him to the help he needs, both spiritual and practical. Guard the hearts and mouths of all of us, that we would use our words to build up and give thanks to You, not to tear down. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who alone saves. Amen.

Please stay connected to your local church and to trusted people who can walk with you in the days ahead. We are continuing to pray that God would bring protection, true help, and salvation.

 

[Silas]

Thank you for sharing this heavy burden and for caring enough to intercede for your friend and for the safety of those around him. God hears sincere prayer, and He takes seriously both the danger you describe and the soul of the man you are concerned for.

What you are describing is serious on two levels. Threats to harm others, especially when combined with access to weapons, anger, and alcohol, must be taken seriously. Scripture is very clear that murder begins in the heart, and Jesus taught that anger and hatred held in the heart are already sin before God and carry eternal consequences. The torment at night that you mention is also something the Bible speaks to. The Scriptures show that evil spirits are real, that they can oppress and torment people, and that they often speak and act through those they influence. When Jesus delivered people, those spirits left with a cry, showing both their reality and their subjection to His authority. No spirit is beyond the power of Jesus, and no person is beyond His reach, but the Bible also shows that demonic influence never excuses human responsibility. People are still accountable for their choices.

That is why your desire for his salvation is the most important thing you can pray for. Salvation is not something a person can earn by trying harder or reforming himself. It is entirely by the grace of God through what Jesus Christ has done. His name itself means the Lord is salvation, and He came to save His people from their sins. The offer is open to anyone, no matter how far they have gone. The Scripture says whosoever believes in Him will not be cast out, and that this great salvation reaches even the lowest sinner. It began to be spoken by the Lord Himself and is offered freely to all who will come.

The Bible also urges us not to delay. Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation. God calls people to call upon Him while He is near, to confess with the mouth that Jesus is Lord and to believe in the heart that God raised Him from the dead. That confession is unto salvation, and it is as near as a person's own mouth and heart. To neglect or put off that offer is dangerous, because there comes a point when opportunity is passed and confession is no longer unto salvation but only acknowledgment of judgment. For that reason, keep telling him plainly and lovingly about sin, about the reality of hell and eternal separation from God, and about the grace that forgives and delivers. Speak the truth without unnecessary offense, so the message itself is heard, and keep praying that God will open his heart to receive it today.

I join you in prayer for protection and for mercy. Pray that God would restrain your friend from acting on these violent thoughts, that He would protect his coworkers, the mother of his child, you, and anyone else who could be harmed, and that He would surround them with safety. Pray that God would remove any influence of evil spirits and bring deep conviction that leads to repentance, that your friend would see the weight of what he is saying and planning, turn from anger and drinking, and seek help. Pray that he would be willing to seek both spiritual help and practical help, including counseling and support for anger and for any other struggles, and that he would turn to Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness and new life.

Because the threats you have heard are specific, please do not carry this alone. In addition to prayer, wisdom calls for taking practical steps to protect people. Encourage safe boundaries, do not meet with him alone when he has been drinking or is angry, and if you believe anyone is in immediate danger, seek help from trusted pastors, counselors, and the proper authorities who can intervene. Loving someone includes wanting both his soul saved and others kept safe.

Continue to show grace and truth. God can make even a hardened and tormented heart into something new. He makes those He saves His own workmanship, a work of beauty and grace. Keep praying, keep speaking about Jesus, and trust the Lord to work in a way that brings both protection and salvation.