Silas
Beloved of All
Thank you for sharing so honestly about what you are carrying right now. Hearing that you feel disappointed by your family and that your peace was so shaken this week when your abusive former partner reappeared, and that you feel very low today, my heart goes out to you. You did the right thing to ask for prayer.
I want you to know that God has not forgotten you and He is not distant from your pain. His thoughts toward you are thoughts of peace, to give you hope and a future. He sees the disappointment and the hurt inside your family, and He sees the disturbance and fear that comes when someone who has harmed you comes back into your life.
Scripture makes a distinction that is so important for a moment like this. First there is peace with God, which only comes through Jesus Christ. Through His blood on the cross He made peace between us and God, ending the war that sin created. When you put your trust in Jesus and receive His forgiveness, you are no longer at enmity with God, you belong to Him. That is the foundation for every other kind of peace.
Then there is the peace of God, that steady, guarding peace that keeps your heart and mind when everything around you feels chaotic. The prophet Isaiah says God will keep in perfect peace the one whose mind is stayed on Him, because that person trusts in Him. Jesus said to His disciples, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives. The world offers peace only when circumstances are calm, but His peace can remain even when circumstances are not. Peter speaks of it as a peace that passes all understanding, a peace the world cannot explain.
That peace grows as you keep turning your mind toward the Lord and resting in His grace. Grace always comes before peace in the New Testament, because you cannot experience His sustaining peace until you know how deeply His grace has covered you. As you fix your thoughts on Him, on His care and His promises, and bring your worries to Him in prayer, He begins to fill your heart with a quiet confidence that He will take care of what you cannot control.
That does not mean the hurt from your family or the pain from the past disappears instantly. For family disappointment, God calls us to be peacemakers where we can, to sow peace rather than strife. Those who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. Sometimes that means speaking honestly and lovingly, sometimes it means setting healthy boundaries and entrusting the outcome to God, while you continue to pray for their peace as well as your own.
Regarding your former partner, please know that God does not ask you to make peace by putting yourself back in harm's way. It is right and wise to protect your safety and your peace. If you feel unsafe, please reach out to a trusted pastor, counselor, or safe family member or friend, and seek help from appropriate support resources in your area. You do not have to face this alone, and you do not have to allow someone who has been abusive to have access to your life.
I am praying for you now, that the Lord would draw near and heal and restore what has been shaken.
Father, thank You for Your deep love for this dear one. Thank You that through Jesus Christ You have made peace with us and You offer that peace to all who come to You, whether near or far. I pray You would help her to know with certainty that she is forgiven, loved, and held by You. Fill her heart with Your perfect peace as she keeps her mind stayed on You and trusts in You. Guard her heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Comfort her in her disappointment with her family, give her wisdom to know how to love well and where to set boundaries, and sow peace where she can. Protect her from harm and from the turmoil brought by this former relationship, and surround her with safe, godly support. Let her experience that You are her peace and that You have ordained peace for her. In Jesus name, Amen.
Please keep reaching out. You are not alone, you are seen and loved by God, and we are continuing to pray for your safety, your healing, and your peace.
I want you to know that God has not forgotten you and He is not distant from your pain. His thoughts toward you are thoughts of peace, to give you hope and a future. He sees the disappointment and the hurt inside your family, and He sees the disturbance and fear that comes when someone who has harmed you comes back into your life.
Scripture makes a distinction that is so important for a moment like this. First there is peace with God, which only comes through Jesus Christ. Through His blood on the cross He made peace between us and God, ending the war that sin created. When you put your trust in Jesus and receive His forgiveness, you are no longer at enmity with God, you belong to Him. That is the foundation for every other kind of peace.
Then there is the peace of God, that steady, guarding peace that keeps your heart and mind when everything around you feels chaotic. The prophet Isaiah says God will keep in perfect peace the one whose mind is stayed on Him, because that person trusts in Him. Jesus said to His disciples, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives. The world offers peace only when circumstances are calm, but His peace can remain even when circumstances are not. Peter speaks of it as a peace that passes all understanding, a peace the world cannot explain.
That peace grows as you keep turning your mind toward the Lord and resting in His grace. Grace always comes before peace in the New Testament, because you cannot experience His sustaining peace until you know how deeply His grace has covered you. As you fix your thoughts on Him, on His care and His promises, and bring your worries to Him in prayer, He begins to fill your heart with a quiet confidence that He will take care of what you cannot control.
That does not mean the hurt from your family or the pain from the past disappears instantly. For family disappointment, God calls us to be peacemakers where we can, to sow peace rather than strife. Those who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. Sometimes that means speaking honestly and lovingly, sometimes it means setting healthy boundaries and entrusting the outcome to God, while you continue to pray for their peace as well as your own.
Regarding your former partner, please know that God does not ask you to make peace by putting yourself back in harm's way. It is right and wise to protect your safety and your peace. If you feel unsafe, please reach out to a trusted pastor, counselor, or safe family member or friend, and seek help from appropriate support resources in your area. You do not have to face this alone, and you do not have to allow someone who has been abusive to have access to your life.
I am praying for you now, that the Lord would draw near and heal and restore what has been shaken.
Father, thank You for Your deep love for this dear one. Thank You that through Jesus Christ You have made peace with us and You offer that peace to all who come to You, whether near or far. I pray You would help her to know with certainty that she is forgiven, loved, and held by You. Fill her heart with Your perfect peace as she keeps her mind stayed on You and trusts in You. Guard her heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Comfort her in her disappointment with her family, give her wisdom to know how to love well and where to set boundaries, and sow peace where she can. Protect her from harm and from the turmoil brought by this former relationship, and surround her with safe, godly support. Let her experience that You are her peace and that You have ordained peace for her. In Jesus name, Amen.
Please keep reaching out. You are not alone, you are seen and loved by God, and we are continuing to pray for your safety, your healing, and your peace.
