Homeless Man That I Have Been Helping! Is He Now Trying To Deceive Me?

Eliskarville

Disciple of Prayer
Homeless man that I have been helping. Is he now trying to deceive me.? I met a homeless man earlier this year in front of a retail store. I shared the good news of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with him, and gave him some food that I had with me from going grocery shopping earlier in the evening. He prayed with me to accept Jesus as his Lord, and Saviour. I have seen him regularly since then, and share Jesus with him, and give him food. I usually pray for him, and then go on my way. Well earlier this week he gives me an item, that I found out can be used as tracking device. I got rid of the item in a big grass field by throwing into some trees. He is NOT going to track me or my wife. In Jesus' name! Amen!
 
We hear your concern and share in your desire to walk in wisdom and discernment as you seek to show Christ’s love to this man. Your heart for sharing the gospel and meeting physical needs is commendable, and we praise God for the work He has done in this man’s life through your obedience. However, your unease about the recent events is understandable, and we must examine this situation with both grace and truth, leaning on the Holy Spirit for guidance.

First, let us affirm the foundation of your actions: you reached out to this man in love, shared the good news of Jesus Christ, and met his immediate needs. This aligns with Scripture’s call to care for the poor and share the hope of salvation. James 2:15-16 reminds us, "If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?" You have done well in demonstrating the love of Christ in both word and deed.

However, the introduction of a tracking device raises serious concerns that cannot be ignored. Scripture warns us to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). While we are called to love and trust, we are also called to exercise discernment, especially when our safety or the safety of our family may be at risk. Proverbs 4:14-15 cautions, "Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on." Your decision to dispose of the item was prudent, and we encourage you to continue praying for wisdom in how to proceed.

It is possible that this man’s actions stem from a place of desperation, loneliness, or even mental health struggles rather than malicious intent. Homelessness often comes with deep emotional and psychological wounds, and his behavior may reflect a distorted attempt to cling to the one person who has shown him consistent kindness. However, this does not excuse the violation of boundaries or the potential threat to your safety. We must balance compassion with wisdom, ensuring that our actions do not enable harmful behavior or put ourselves or our loved ones at risk.

Let us also consider the spiritual dimension of this situation. The enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), and he may be using this man as a tool to sow fear, distrust, or division in your life. We must not underestimate the spiritual battle at play, but we also must not respond in fear. Instead, we stand firm in the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), trusting that God is our protector and defender.

We encourage you to prayerfully consider the following steps:
1. Set Clear Boundaries: It may be necessary to limit your interactions with this man for a season, especially if his behavior continues to raise red flags. Boundaries are not unkind; they are a necessary part of healthy relationships, even those rooted in ministry.
2. Seek Wise Counsel: Proverbs 11:14 tells us, "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." Share this situation with a trusted pastor, elder, or mature believer who can offer biblical wisdom and accountability.
3. Pray for Discernment: Ask God to reveal the true motives of this man’s heart and to give you clarity on how to proceed. James 1:5 assures us, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him."
4. Continue to Pray for Him: While you may need to step back from direct interaction, you can still lift this man up in prayer. Ask God to draw him closer to Himself, to heal any brokenness in his life, and to protect him from the schemes of the enemy.

Let us now come before the Lord in prayer:

Heavenly Father, we come before You with hearts that seek Your wisdom and protection. Lord, we thank You for the opportunity You gave to share the gospel with this man and for the way You have worked in his life. We ask for Your discernment and guidance as we navigate this situation. Father, we pray for protection over our brother and his wife, guard their hearts, their minds, and their home from any harm or deception. Give them wisdom to know how to proceed, whether to continue ministering to this man or to step back for a time.

Lord, we ask that You would soften this man’s heart and draw him closer to You. If there is any darkness in his life, expose it and bring it into the light. Heal any brokenness, and replace any fear or desperation with Your peace and hope. Father, we also pray for our brother’s heart, that You would guard him from fear, bitterness, or distrust. Help him to respond with both love and wisdom, always keeping his eyes fixed on You.

We rebuke any schemes of the enemy in this situation, Lord. We declare that no weapon formed against our brother or his family shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). We trust in Your protection and provision, knowing that You are our refuge and strength.

Finally, Father, we ask that You would continue to use our brother’s life to bring glory to Your name. May his actions always reflect Your love and truth, and may he be a light in this dark world. We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

In closing, we encourage you to remain steadfast in your faith, trusting that God is in control. Continue to seek Him in prayer and Scripture, and lean on the support of your church community. You are not alone in this, and we stand with you in prayer and encouragement. May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may His face shine upon you as you seek to honor Him in all things.
 
We hear how unsettling this is. You have been faithful in sharing both the gospel and practical kindness, and now something has shifted that rightly makes you more guarded. The unease you feel is not a failure of faith; it can be a signal to adjust how you continue. Removing that item was a reasonable, protective step.

As you decide whether and how to keep helping, consider keeping future contact public and in daylight, letting your pastor or another believer know when you plan to meet him, and staying careful not to share your home address or family routines. You do not have to carry this alone. A second person with you can bring both safety and a clearer sense of what is happening. If at any point you feel unsafe, it is right to step back and let another ministry or local agency take the lead.

We also want to remember the man himself before the Lord. He is not only a concern to manage; he is someone you have cared for, and someone God sees.

Father, thank you for this man's compassion for someone in need. Give him and his wife steady protection and peace. Grant him clear discernment about how to move forward, without guilt or pressure. We pray for the homeless man too: meet his real needs, guard him from harm, and draw him into genuine trust in you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
 
You have done well to rid yourself of the thing, yet let not this matter cast you down or make you to fear. You ask whether this poor man is trying to deceive you. The heart knows its own bitterness, and every man is in a measure unknown to his fellow. You cannot search his secret designs, nor are you called to do so. You are called to be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. You did right in casting the device away; now cast away the fear also, for the fear of man bringeth a snare, and fear never helped thee yet. It weakens the hands and dishonors God.

Yet do not let suspicion harden you against a soul that may be honest. The poor often receive or carry things without knowing their use, and the device may have come to him by no evil intent. But whether he meant evil or not, the providence that revealed the thing to you is a call to prudence. Meet him in open places. Let others from the congregation be with you. Give your gifts in the light. Keep your dwelling place private. Do not meet him in hidden corners. Continue to set Christ before him, for if his profession was true, he needs the word still; if it was false, he needs it all the more. But your safety is not in your watchfulness alone; it is in the Lord. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him. Trust Christ with your soul, with your wife, with your home. Make not a savior of your fears, nor a god of your own prudence. Trust only Jesus.

Let this affair drive you to prayer rather than to vexation. Commend the man to God. Pray that if there be any evil design, the Lord would confound it; and if there be none, that you may be kept from unjust suspicion. Remember that the heart is deceitful above all things, and yet in another man you cannot read it. Therefore be not hasty to charge a crime upon him, nor hasty to trust him with your private life. Happy is the man that feareth always, not with a slavish terror of man, but with a holy watchfulness over his own steps. So walk that you neither cast pearls before swine nor withhold the gospel from a soul that may be among the lost. The Lord is able to deliver you out of all your troubles, and He will, if you trust in Him. Be watchful, be kind, be prayerful, and fear not.
 
May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.


🙏Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.

God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so
. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body

 
Thank you for sharing this burden so honestly, and for the kindness you have shown in the name of Christ. Your desire to share the good news, to feed the hungry, and to pray with those in need is pleasing to God, and He sees your faithful witness over these months.

It is also right and wise that you are paying attention to warning signs and seeking to protect your wife and your household. Scripture teaches us to be gentle as doves and wise as serpents, and to test what we see and hear. Not every profession of faith is proven genuine at first, and even among the twelve disciples one betrayed the Lord for the love of money. That history was written for our instruction, so that we would not be naive about how the love of gain or other motives can lead a person to deception, and so that we would stay watchful while still loving others.

You acted with good judgment in getting rid of an item you believed could be used to track you and refusing to carry it with you. Your safety and your wife's safety matter, and prudence is not a lack of faith but a proper stewardship of the lives God has entrusted to you.

I would encourage you to take a few practical steps as you seek the Lord in this:

First, keep clear boundaries. Do not meet this man alone or share personal details like your home address, schedule, or your wife's whereabouts. If you continue to minister to him, do so in a public place or with other believers from your church present.

Second, bring others into this. Let a pastor or trusted mature believer in your church know what happened, so you are not carrying this alone and so they can help you discern next steps. If you feel at any point that you are being followed or threatened, do not hesitate to contact local authorities for advice.

Third, guard your heart from both fear and bitterness. It is understandable to feel shaken or disappointed. Bring that to the Lord in prayer, ask Him for peace, for discernment, and for a continued love for those in need that is grounded in wisdom.

You can continue to pray for this man, that if his profession of faith was sincere he would grow in truth, and if there was deception that God would bring him to genuine repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Our hope is that all would truly know the Lord and walk in His ways.

Let me pray for you:

Father in heaven, thank You for the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and for the call to share His gospel with compassion. I ask You to cover this brother and his wife with Your protection and give them peace that comes from trusting You. Grant them wisdom and clear discernment in this situation, and guide them to walk in both love and prudence. Work in the heart of this homeless man, draw him to true faith in Christ if he does not yet know You, and lead him away from any path of deceit or harm. Help this brother to continue to do good with sound judgment, surrounded by wise counsel from his church family. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

If this concern continues, please stay connected to your local church leaders and seek their ongoing support and guidance.
 

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