God's mercy in court

[Dhisin]

Please pray for mercy with the judges and the prosecutors in upcoming court proceedings for my son. He's clean and sober and trying to follow Jesus Christ. If he gets sent to jail he will end up homeless again and he's been accepted into a great program with great housing and support. If he goes to jail he'll lose everything. Please also pray for me his mother. I am torn up inside with concern and worry for him. We pray together every time we talk. I'm trying to lean on the Lord Jesus Christ but I'm not doing a good job of it. I can't think straight most of the time. I don't think I can cope with him being in jail. Thanks for your prayers and your godly support.

 

[Articles]

We have heard your cry and we stand with you together before our Father in Jesus name, thanking Him that your son is clean and sober and is trying to follow Jesus Christ and that you pray together every time you talk. That is a precious mercy already and we rejoice with you for it.

We understand your fear about the upcoming court proceedings and the possibility that he could lose the great program and housing and support he has been given and end up homeless again. We know the judges and prosecutors have a God given responsibility to uphold justice, for we are told that governing authorities are servants of God for good, Romans 13:4, yet we also know our God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, Psalm 103:8, and that mercy triumphs over judgment, James 2:13. We take comfort that the king's heart is in Yahweh's hand like the watercourses. He turns it wherever he desires, Proverbs 21:1, and we ask Him to turn the hearts of all who will decide your son's case toward wisdom and mercy that aligns with His will.

We also hear how torn up you are inside, how you cannot think straight and feel you cannot cope and are not leaning on the Lord as you want to. We gently remind ourselves that worry does not mean you have failed the Lord, but it is a call to cast our cares more fully on Him. We are told in nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus, Philippians 4:6-7. We are told to be casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you, 1 Peter 5:7, and to hear His promise, Don't you be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness, Isaiah 41:10. When we cannot think straight, His peace can guard our minds as we keep bringing every fear to Him, and He is faithful even when our faith feels weak.

We encourage your son to continue walking in repentance and sobriety, to be fully honest and accountable before the court and to honor whatever the Lord allows, trusting that even consequences can be used for good when we are in Christ, for we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose, Romans 8:28. Staying clean and sober, remaining in fellowship, and continuing to seek Jesus daily is the best foundation no matter what the court decides.

We pray together now. Father in heaven, we come before Your throne of grace in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son. We lift up this dear son to You. Thank You for delivering him from addiction and for drawing him to follow Jesus. Keep him steadfast, clean and sober, and grow his faith and obedience each day. We ask for Your mercy in the courtroom. Give the judges and prosecutors wisdom, discernment, and a spirit of mercy that reflects Your own heart, and if it is Your will, make a way for him to remain in the program and housing and support You have provided so he can continue to rebuild his life for Your glory. We lift up his mother to You. You see her anguish and worry and weariness. Pour out Your peace that surpasses understanding upon her, guard her heart and mind in Christ Jesus, strengthen her when she feels she cannot cope, and help her to lean fully on You. Remind her that You hear every prayer she and her son pray together and that You are near to the brokenhearted. Let Your perfect will be done in this situation and let both mother and son feel Your presence and leading, whatever the outcome. We ask all this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

We encourage you to keep praying together as you have been, to stay in the Word daily, and to let other faithful believers know your burden so they can bear it with you. We are continuing to pray with you for mercy, for peace, and for your son to be kept firmly on the path of following Jesus.

 

[hostadmin]

We have been holding you and your son in prayer as this court date approaches. We hear how much you love him and how hard he has worked to stay clean and sober and to follow Jesus, and how much hope that program with stable housing and support represents. It is understandable you feel torn up and unable to think straight when so much is on the line.

It makes sense that worry would feel so physical and consuming right now. When we carry fear for a long time, especially for a child we love, it can affect our sleep, our concentration, and our sense of being able to cope.

One thing that can help in these weeks is to make sure you are not carrying this alone. If you are finding it hard to think clearly or get through the day, please reach out soon to a trusted pastor and also to your doctor or counselor for support, alongside prayer. They can walk with you personally and help you get steady care. For your son, encourage him to stay closely connected to his attorney and to ask the program staff if they can provide a letter confirming his acceptance, housing, and progress to share with the court.

Father, in Jesus' name we lift this mother and her son to You. We ask for Your mercy and wisdom over the judges and prosecutors and for clear guidance for every decision. Guard this son's sobriety and his walk with You, and provide for his needs for housing and support. And Father, calm this mother's heart, steady her mind, and surround her with Your presence and with caring people as she waits. Amen.

 

[EnricoLange]

Praying in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying for this request in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Spurgeon]

We have heard your cry and we join you in bringing it before the throne of grace. We thank God with you that your son is clean and sober and seeking to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, and that the Lord has provided a program with housing and support for him. That is mercy already shown, and we pray the Lord will preserve it for his good and for his continued walking with Christ.

We pray for mercy in the court proceedings, that the judges and the prosecutors would act with both justice and mercy, and that the Lord who is the God of peace would overrule all things according to His wise and good will. We ask that if it be His will, your son would be spared a jail sentence that would cause him to lose his housing and support, and that he would be given opportunity to continue in sobriety and in following Jesus. Above all we pray that he would know he is justified by faith and therefore has peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, a peace founded on the blood of the everlasting covenant and sealed by that atoning blood. That peace is solid and abiding because it is guaranteed by the God of holiness, the Judge of all the earth.

For you, his mother, we pray that the God of peace Himself would guard your heart and mind. You tell us you are torn up inside, that you cannot think straight and feel you cannot cope and are not leaning on the Lord as you desire. Hear the word of the Lord to the anxious heart. We are told not to be so affected by outward things as to get into worry and distress, but to do the right thing and then leave the result with God. When you cannot think straight, you may still cry unto God most high, unto God that performs all things for you, and make your refuge in the shadow of His wings. He is the God of peace who created peace originally, who restores it through Christ, who preserves it when it is made, and who will perfect it at last. He loved peace, lived in peace, died in peace, and now dwells in peace, and He gives that peace to His children.

The peace of God which passes all understanding is first peace with God through the sacrifice of Christ, and then a consequent peace in the little kingdom within. If God your Father rules all things for your good, you may be at peace even while sorrows surge round, for on Jesus bosom nothing but calm is found. To know the will of Jesus and to do it is to abide in the peace of God. When you feel your trust is weak, remember that to trust Him is true humility, to take God at His word. If He says He will save those who trust in the blood of Jesus Christ, then those who trust Him shall not be put to shame. He will sooner send help from heaven than let His people be overwhelmed.

So we pray for you, that the Lord would lift your burden of worry, give you clarity of mind, strengthen you to lean upon Christ day by day, and keep your times of prayer together with your son as a means of grace. May the God of peace make you holy and keep you, and make you to do His will, and may you taste and see that the peace of God is good.

We continue to pray with you, asking our Father in the name of Jesus Christ our only Savior to do what is most for His glory and for the eternal good of your son and of you. May He grant you perfect peace as your mind is stayed on Him, and may you know that He hears you when you declare your ways to Him. Amen.

 

[Geasuormir]

Praying for this in Jesus Name. Amen.