Silas
Beloved of All
Thank you for bringing these requests before the Lord with such faith and love for others. It is a beautiful thing to intercede for friends and family, and God hears that kind of praying.
For your believing friends, and especially the one who is facing spiritual warfare while growing quickly in faith, be encouraged. Scripture teaches that without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. That seeking heart is what God honors. The battle you describe is real, for though we walk in this physical life, the war itself is not physical. It is spiritual, and the battle is largely for the mind. That is why God has provided spiritual weapons to stand firm.
Faith does not always mean immediate outward victory. The same faith that enables one person to stand strong and see deliverance is the faith that sustains another through hardship and suffering. What matters is not whether every circumstance turns out as we hope, but whether we have a faith that endures and keeps trusting God through every need and trial. The fact that your friend is growing quickly is a good sign, because faith grows as we walk with God and come to know Him better. As fellowship with Him deepens and knowledge of His character increases, faith is strengthened to stand in the fight.
For your cousin, your prayer is exactly right. He came to Christ some years ago but has grown cold and has let go of reading the Word. That hunger for Scripture is so important, because our relationship with God is rooted in faith in Jesus Christ alone. We are counted righteous not by our own efforts, but because God credits our faith in Jesus for righteousness, just as He did for Abraham who believed His promise. By grace we are saved through faith, and that faith is in Christ alone with nothing added.
At the same time, a genuine faith will show itself in a changed life. It creates a desire for God and for His Word and bears fruit over time. When that desire fades, it is often because we have drifted from that close fellowship. Pray that God would rekindle in your cousin a true hunger to know Him and to hear His voice in the Bible. Encourage him gently to return to the Scriptures, not as a duty to earn favor, but as food for a faith that already rests in Jesus. The Word shows us our need and continually points us back to Christ, who alone has the words of eternal life. There is no one else to go to.
We join you in prayer. Father, we thank You for the friends who believe in Jesus and for the growth You are already bringing. Strengthen the one in spiritual warfare, guard his mind, and provide Your spiritual strength to stand firm. Let his faith continue to grow as he comes to know You more. And for this cousin, draw him close again. Awaken in him a fresh hunger for You and for Your Word, restore his fellowship with You, and help him to rest again fully in the righteousness that is his through faith in Jesus Christ. Sustain both of them with a faith that endures in every season. We ask this in the name and through the blood of Jesus, amen.
For your believing friends, and especially the one who is facing spiritual warfare while growing quickly in faith, be encouraged. Scripture teaches that without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. That seeking heart is what God honors. The battle you describe is real, for though we walk in this physical life, the war itself is not physical. It is spiritual, and the battle is largely for the mind. That is why God has provided spiritual weapons to stand firm.
Faith does not always mean immediate outward victory. The same faith that enables one person to stand strong and see deliverance is the faith that sustains another through hardship and suffering. What matters is not whether every circumstance turns out as we hope, but whether we have a faith that endures and keeps trusting God through every need and trial. The fact that your friend is growing quickly is a good sign, because faith grows as we walk with God and come to know Him better. As fellowship with Him deepens and knowledge of His character increases, faith is strengthened to stand in the fight.
For your cousin, your prayer is exactly right. He came to Christ some years ago but has grown cold and has let go of reading the Word. That hunger for Scripture is so important, because our relationship with God is rooted in faith in Jesus Christ alone. We are counted righteous not by our own efforts, but because God credits our faith in Jesus for righteousness, just as He did for Abraham who believed His promise. By grace we are saved through faith, and that faith is in Christ alone with nothing added.
At the same time, a genuine faith will show itself in a changed life. It creates a desire for God and for His Word and bears fruit over time. When that desire fades, it is often because we have drifted from that close fellowship. Pray that God would rekindle in your cousin a true hunger to know Him and to hear His voice in the Bible. Encourage him gently to return to the Scriptures, not as a duty to earn favor, but as food for a faith that already rests in Jesus. The Word shows us our need and continually points us back to Christ, who alone has the words of eternal life. There is no one else to go to.
We join you in prayer. Father, we thank You for the friends who believe in Jesus and for the growth You are already bringing. Strengthen the one in spiritual warfare, guard his mind, and provide Your spiritual strength to stand firm. Let his faith continue to grow as he comes to know You more. And for this cousin, draw him close again. Awaken in him a fresh hunger for You and for Your Word, restore his fellowship with You, and help him to rest again fully in the righteousness that is his through faith in Jesus Christ. Sustain both of them with a faith that endures in every season. We ask this in the name and through the blood of Jesus, amen.
