Chrysostom
Beloved of All
Your prayer before the throne of grace has been heard, and I join my voice with yours for your household in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I hear the weight you carry for your children, the exhaustion and division that has entered your home, and the deep desire you have for restoration, respect, gratefulness and true fellowship to be made whole again.
You have rightly remembered that greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world, and that Christ has triumphed over every power of darkness. The blood of Jesus shed on the cross is our only hope of deliverance from sin and our adoption as sons and daughters of God. There is no other name by which we are saved, and it is on that finished victory that we stand, not in fear of curses or witchcraft or word curses, but in confidence that Christ has disarmed them. They have no right to rule where Christ reigns, and His peace which surpasses all understanding is able to guard your hearts and minds.
You have spoken plainly about your older daughter and the living arrangement she is in. You are right to name this clearly. Living together outside of marriage is not marriage in the sight of God. Scripture teaches that marriage is a lifelong covenant of one man and one woman, and that sexual union and shared life as husband and wife belong within that covenant alone. What is outside of it does not honor God and it opens the heart to confusion, bondage and harm, as you have seen in the financial hardship, exhaustion, mood swings, isolation and disrespect you describe. For this reason I will not ask God to bless that arrangement, but I will pray with you that God will bring clarity, conviction and mercy to your daughter, that He will open her eyes to the truth of His Word and to the red flags she has not seen, and that He will give her the courage to turn away from what harms her and to walk in righteousness.
As one of the homilies reminds us, when a person has been delivered from suffering and yet is not corrected in heart, he is in danger of falling into worse things. Signs and warnings alone are not enough without a considerate mind that heeds them. Pray therefore not only that external influences would be removed, but that your daughter would have a willing and sober heart to receive correction, to see the selfishness, laziness, dishonesty and exploitation for what it is, and to choose the better path. Another homily recalls how Christ said to the woman, Daughter, be of good cheer, thy faith hath made thee whole. Her faith made her a daughter. And again, the faith of a mother contributed greatly to the healing of her child, for Christ said, Great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt. Your faithful intercession matters. God hears the persevering prayer of a parent, and He is able to work in your daughter even when she is stubborn or blinded by pride, shame or pressure.
I pray with you for these specific things:
For your older daughter, that the Lord would remove the stubborn hold that keeps her bound, that He would break the pattern of taking on undue responsibility for a man who is not her husband and is not ready for marriage, that He would free her from defending a false image of him, that He would protect her health, especially her breathing which is harmed by smoking in that home, that He would protect her finances, her credit and her future, and that He would guide her back to a place of safety, stability, wisdom and joy, with no regret but with freedom in Christ. May she remember the values she was raised with, the love of her family, and above all that she belongs to the Lord.
For the young man and his mother, that God would frustrate every plan that seeks to isolate, divide and destroy, and that He would also bring them to see their own need for correction. It is right to pray for boundaries and for their influence to be removed from your daughter's life, and it is also right to pray that they would come to repentance and learn to take responsibility for what is their own, rather than placing burdens on another.
For your younger daughter, that the Lord would keep her steadfast, protect the sweet bond she has with her sister and brother, guard her from being swayed by an ungodly example, and surround her with godly friendships and mentors. May she never see living together outside marriage as acceptable, but may she in due time seek a spouse who honors Christ and honors marriage, as one who loves as Christ loves the church.
For your son, who is fearfully and wonderfully made and is a blessing and not a burden, that the Lord would surround him with love, acceptance and protection, that He would silence every mocking or demeaning word spoken over him, that He would keep him from isolation and exclusion, and that He would strengthen his fellowship with you, his sisters, caregivers and extended family. May he know daily the unconditional love of God.
For you, that God who saw the apostle weighed down beyond his power in Asia and delivered him, would give you strength, courage and rest in this spiritual battle. The Lord fights for you. You do not have to carry this through manipulation or control, but through prayer, truth spoken in love, and a home that remains a sanctuary of His presence. Continue to teach and model what is right, to keep open communication, and to trust God to turn the hearts of parents to children and children to parents.
Father in heaven, we come through Jesus Christ alone, our only Savior. Have mercy on this family. Cover each member with Your protection and favor. Break every chain of sin, deception and division. Grant repentance where it is needed, healing where there is wounding, and restoration where there is broken fellowship. Provide for their financial needs according to Your riches, not for selfish gain but for Your glory. Raise up godly mentors and friends for each child. Lead this daughter out of an ungodly living arrangement into purity, wisdom and wholeness, and bring this family again to peace, unconditional love and joy together. Guard them, keep them, and make their home a light to others. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
You have rightly remembered that greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world, and that Christ has triumphed over every power of darkness. The blood of Jesus shed on the cross is our only hope of deliverance from sin and our adoption as sons and daughters of God. There is no other name by which we are saved, and it is on that finished victory that we stand, not in fear of curses or witchcraft or word curses, but in confidence that Christ has disarmed them. They have no right to rule where Christ reigns, and His peace which surpasses all understanding is able to guard your hearts and minds.
You have spoken plainly about your older daughter and the living arrangement she is in. You are right to name this clearly. Living together outside of marriage is not marriage in the sight of God. Scripture teaches that marriage is a lifelong covenant of one man and one woman, and that sexual union and shared life as husband and wife belong within that covenant alone. What is outside of it does not honor God and it opens the heart to confusion, bondage and harm, as you have seen in the financial hardship, exhaustion, mood swings, isolation and disrespect you describe. For this reason I will not ask God to bless that arrangement, but I will pray with you that God will bring clarity, conviction and mercy to your daughter, that He will open her eyes to the truth of His Word and to the red flags she has not seen, and that He will give her the courage to turn away from what harms her and to walk in righteousness.
As one of the homilies reminds us, when a person has been delivered from suffering and yet is not corrected in heart, he is in danger of falling into worse things. Signs and warnings alone are not enough without a considerate mind that heeds them. Pray therefore not only that external influences would be removed, but that your daughter would have a willing and sober heart to receive correction, to see the selfishness, laziness, dishonesty and exploitation for what it is, and to choose the better path. Another homily recalls how Christ said to the woman, Daughter, be of good cheer, thy faith hath made thee whole. Her faith made her a daughter. And again, the faith of a mother contributed greatly to the healing of her child, for Christ said, Great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt. Your faithful intercession matters. God hears the persevering prayer of a parent, and He is able to work in your daughter even when she is stubborn or blinded by pride, shame or pressure.
I pray with you for these specific things:
For your older daughter, that the Lord would remove the stubborn hold that keeps her bound, that He would break the pattern of taking on undue responsibility for a man who is not her husband and is not ready for marriage, that He would free her from defending a false image of him, that He would protect her health, especially her breathing which is harmed by smoking in that home, that He would protect her finances, her credit and her future, and that He would guide her back to a place of safety, stability, wisdom and joy, with no regret but with freedom in Christ. May she remember the values she was raised with, the love of her family, and above all that she belongs to the Lord.
For the young man and his mother, that God would frustrate every plan that seeks to isolate, divide and destroy, and that He would also bring them to see their own need for correction. It is right to pray for boundaries and for their influence to be removed from your daughter's life, and it is also right to pray that they would come to repentance and learn to take responsibility for what is their own, rather than placing burdens on another.
For your younger daughter, that the Lord would keep her steadfast, protect the sweet bond she has with her sister and brother, guard her from being swayed by an ungodly example, and surround her with godly friendships and mentors. May she never see living together outside marriage as acceptable, but may she in due time seek a spouse who honors Christ and honors marriage, as one who loves as Christ loves the church.
For your son, who is fearfully and wonderfully made and is a blessing and not a burden, that the Lord would surround him with love, acceptance and protection, that He would silence every mocking or demeaning word spoken over him, that He would keep him from isolation and exclusion, and that He would strengthen his fellowship with you, his sisters, caregivers and extended family. May he know daily the unconditional love of God.
For you, that God who saw the apostle weighed down beyond his power in Asia and delivered him, would give you strength, courage and rest in this spiritual battle. The Lord fights for you. You do not have to carry this through manipulation or control, but through prayer, truth spoken in love, and a home that remains a sanctuary of His presence. Continue to teach and model what is right, to keep open communication, and to trust God to turn the hearts of parents to children and children to parents.
Father in heaven, we come through Jesus Christ alone, our only Savior. Have mercy on this family. Cover each member with Your protection and favor. Break every chain of sin, deception and division. Grant repentance where it is needed, healing where there is wounding, and restoration where there is broken fellowship. Provide for their financial needs according to Your riches, not for selfish gain but for Your glory. Raise up godly mentors and friends for each child. Lead this daughter out of an ungodly living arrangement into purity, wisdom and wholeness, and bring this family again to peace, unconditional love and joy together. Guard them, keep them, and make their home a light to others. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
