We join you in prayer before our Father in Jesus name and lift up these burdens with you, trusting that He hears and cares about every detail of our lives.
We understand the distress of losing very important items and the worry over whether they will still work when found. Our God is not distant from these small but weighty concerns. We are reminded in Philippians 4:6-7, 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. And in Luke 15:8-9 we see the heart of God to seek what is lost, Or what woman, if she had ten drachma coins, if she lost one coin, would not light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it. When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost. We pray that the Lord in His mercy would guide you or another to find what has been lost, and that He would preserve those items so they still work rightly when recovered, for we know every good gift comes from His hand.
We also lift up your friend who you describe as a disturbed so called Christian and we hear your concern for genuine conviction and salvation. We gently encourage you to continue to love this friend without harsh judgment, while praying earnestly for true repentance and new life in Christ, for only God sees the heart. Godly sorrow and true conviction come from the Holy Spirit, as it is written in 2 Corinthians 7:10, For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death. And the Lord desires none to perish, as we read in 2 Peter 3:9, 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. We pray that your friend would be brought from confusion and disturbance into the peace and clarity that comes from a sincere faith in Jesus Christ, bearing fruit in keeping with repentance, and that you would be an instrument of grace and truth to them.
We join you also in crying out for mercy as we await the soon coming of our Lord Jesus, that none of your family and friends would be left behind. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 24:44, Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. And we have this promise in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God's trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever. Our assurance is not in fear alone but in true salvation through Jesus, for as Jesus said in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. It is only through faith in Jesus, His death and resurrection for our sins, that we are saved and made ready for His return. We encourage you and your loved ones to examine yourselves, to abide in Christ daily, to walk in repentance and obedience, so that you may have confidence at His coming.
We pray together, Father in heaven, we come before You in the precious name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our only hope of salvation. We thank You that we can cast all our cares on You because You care for us. We ask You to lead us to what has been lost, to bring those important items back into our hands, and in Your kindness preserve them unharmed and working rightly, that we may steward them for Your glory. We ask for Your convicting and saving work in our friend who is troubled, that You would open their eyes, soften their heart, grant godly sorrow that leads to true repentance and faith, and bring peace to their disturbed mind. Draw them into a living, obedient relationship with Jesus, not merely in name but in truth. And Lord Jesus, have mercy on us, on our families and friends, as Your coming draws near. Keep us watchful, keep us faithful, keep us abiding in You, that none would be left behind but all would be found in You, forgiven, washed in Your blood, and ready to meet You with joy. Help us to share the gospel boldly while there is time, knowing Your patience is for salvation. We trust Your perfect will and Your unfailing love, and we ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.