We join you in thanking God for His great kindness and mercy and we stand with you in prayer for your still current wife and for all those who have heard the Word, for your progeny and posterity and for the patriarchal and matriarchal figures in your family.
We are encouraged by your understanding that it is the kindness of God that leads to repentance. As it is written in Romans 2:4, Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance. It is not our striving or our eloquence that brings repentance, but the Holy Spirit convicting the heart. Jesus said in John 16:8, When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment. We pray that this convicting work continues in her heart and in the hearts of all who have heard the seed of the Word sown in recent months.
We agree with you that our part is to plant and to water and that God alone gives the growth. In 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 it says, I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. We thank God that seeds have been planted, for the seed is the Word of God as in Mark 4:14, and we trust Him to bring the increase in His perfect timing for His glory alone. As Psalm 115:1 declares, Not to us, Yahweh, not to us, but to your name give glory, for your loving kindness, and for your truth's sake. And we know that salvation belongs to the Lord. Psalm 3:8 says Salvation belongs to Yahweh, and Jonah 2:9 says Salvation is of Yahweh, and Revelation 7:10 says Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. All glory is His, for in Romans 11:36, For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen.
We hold fast to the promise that His Word does not return void. Isaiah 55:11 says, so is my word that goes out of my mouth, it will not return to me void, but it will accomplish that which I please, and it will prosper in the thing I sent it to do. And Hebrews 4:12 reminds us, For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. We believe He is still working, for Jesus said in John 5:17, My Father is still working, so I am working, too.
We lift up your marriage before the Lord. We believe with you that marriage is a holy covenant before God between one man and one woman for life, and we pray for its restoration and honoring of God. We pray that where there has been sin, there will be godly sorrow that leads to true repentance. In 2 Corinthians 7:10, For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death. We pray that any sin be brought into the light, confessed and forsaken, and that your wife would be humbled and come to her senses as in Daniel 4:34 and Daniel 4:37 and 2 Timothy 2:26, that they may recover themselves out of the devil's snare, having been taken captive by him to his will, even as the prodigal came to himself in Luke 15:17 and as the Lord hedged in Hosea's wife in Hosea 2:6-7 to draw her back. We know that before honor comes humility as Proverbs 18:12 says, Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, but before honor is humility.
We pray with you for divine appointments, that the steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord as Psalm 37:23 says, A man's goings are established by Yahweh. He delights in his way. Just as He directed Philip to the Ethiopian in Acts 8:26-31 and Ananias to Saul in Acts 9:10-11 and Paul through a vision to Macedonia in Acts 16:6-10, we ask Him to continue to bring others across her path and across the paths of all who have heard to water the seeds and speak truth in love.
We rejoice that our God is patient and merciful, not wishing that any should perish. 2 Peter 3:9 says, The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And 1 Timothy 2:4 says, who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth. We thank Him that He who began a good work will complete it. Philippians 1:6 says, being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
We pray together now.
Father, we thank You that Your kindness leads to repentance and that salvation belongs to You alone. We thank You for every seed of Your Word that has been planted and watered, and we ask You to give the increase. Bring fresh truth to this dear wife's heart, restrain evil and the evil one, and carry on to completion every good work You have begun until the day of Christ. Send laborers to water and speak Your truth with Your kindness. Humble those who need humbling that they may come to their senses and receive the love of the truth that they may be saved. Keep us all, our progeny, our families, our fellow servants and stewards of the mysteries of God in 1 Corinthians 4:1-2, from deception, temptation, sin, evil people and the evil one. We thank You in advance as Mark 11:24 teaches, Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them. You are a rewarder of those who diligently seek You as Hebrews 11:6 says, and the insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective as James 5:16 says. Do great and mighty things which we do not know as Jeremiah 33:3 promises, and do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to Ephesians 3:20. We ask all this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our only access to You, for in John 14:13-14 You said, Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it. And we know all the promises of God in Him are Yes and Amen as 2 Corinthians 1:20 says. Let all glory return to You. Amen.