Lost

[barbaracottle]

I prayed for this request in Jesus Name.

 

[Chrysostom]

Your words have reached us and we have heard the depth of your weariness. You describe vicious verbal attacks for saying no to abuse, pressure to sign what is false, a body breaking down under constant adrenaline and strain, no food in the house, and a faith that feels weak and broken. To feel undefended and exhausted in such a place is not a small thing, and God sees that you are tired.

Saying no to abuse is right. It is not vicious to refuse what harms you, and it is right to refuse to sign a false document even when unscrupulous people press you hard. To bear false witness would wound your conscience and would not please God. If you are being coerced, seek safety and wise help quickly, a trusted pastor, a faithful believer, or others who can stand with you and help protect you from that pressure. You should not face this alone.

You say you feel weak and your faith is weakened. The Scriptures speak to this very condition. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, and it is the way our forefathers were saved when the good things were not yet close at hand. They endured sufferings and afflictions and were tempted to become faint hearted, yet they were encouraged to remember how God had kept them before. Others were in death itself, like Daniel among lions and the three children in the furnace, and yet they did not despair, because faith believes that even when things turn out adversely, God is still ordering all things for good and is able to raise up even from the dead.

One of the fathers taught that the evil one never despairs of our destruction, and that should be a rebuke to us if we despair of our own salvation. Do not let despair have the last word. Patience is shown not in two or three days but over much time, and especially in persecutions and afflictions when enemies press on every side. Your endurance under such long pressure is not unseen by God. He knows the strain on your nervous system, the sleeplessness, the lack of food, and the discouragement.

Now is still the time to draw near and ask boldly. The contest is still going on, the prize is still before you, the door is not yet shut. God does not turn away a weak and broken heart that comes to Him in faith, even if that faith feels small. He is the physician who can heal those sick with the same diseases we all carry, and with Him what is impossible with men is possible.

We are praying for you through Jesus Christ, who alone is our salvation and our defender when we feel undefended. We ask Him to give you protection from those who attack and coerce you, to provide daily bread and a place of safety, to calm your body and give you rest and healing, to lift the weight of discouragement, and to strengthen the faith that feels so tired. May He surround you with faithful people who will help you with food, counsel, and practical defense, and may He give you wisdom to know what steps to take next without signing what is false.

Do not give up. Even a little faith, brought honestly to Christ, is enough for Him to work with. Call upon Him again today, ask for His mercy and help, and let others help you carry this burden. You are not forgotten.

 

[Silas]

Your honesty about how exhausted and broken you feel is heard. To be under repeated verbal attacks, to have your body pushed into constant adrenaline and cortisol until it begins to break down, to be pressured to sign what is false, and to face an empty pantry while saying no to abuse would leave anyone feeling weak and undefended. It makes sense that your faith feels thin right now and that you are tired to the point of wanting to give up.

Wanting to do what is right and refusing to lie even under extreme pressure is not a small thing. God sees that stand. Scripture teaches that a living faith shows itself in how we live, not because our actions earn anything from God, but because real trust in Him moves us to walk in what is true. Your refusal to agree with abuse and to sign a false document, even while your body and spirit are suffering, is evidence that faith is still alive in you, even when you feel it is weak.

You do not have to earn God's help or His presence. His Spirit and His righteousness are gifts received by simple trust in Jesus Christ, not by works of the law or by being strong enough. By grace you are saved through faith, and that faith itself is a gift from God. God does not count your perfection, He counts your trust in Jesus who died for your sins and rose again, and He accounts that trust as righteousness, just as He did for Abraham.

Feeling weak, discouraged, and even defeated does not mean you have failed or that God has left you. The Bible is honest that people of faith still know suffering, disappointment, and times when their bodies and hearts give way. Faith is not a guarantee that we will never be sick, never struggle, or never feel overwhelmed. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the confidence in what we cannot yet see. It sees beyond what is visible and holds to God's promise and character when everything visible feels dark. Some who trusted God were delivered in powerful ways, and others with the same faith went through deep suffering, and God honored both.

God also understands lapses and weariness. He works with imperfect people and He does not throw away weak faith. Abraham himself had moments when his trust faltered, yet God remembered his faith and not his failures, and used him still. Your faith will grow not by trying harder, but by staying close to God, learning His faithfulness day by day. Even a tired, trembling trust that looks to Jesus is precious to Him.

The abundant life Jesus gives does not mean a life without trouble. It means His presence and care with you inside the trouble, and His promise that He will not abandon you. You may not feel defended right now, but you are not unseen. The Lord is your defender, even when the attacks feel louder than His voice.

Please do not carry the practical burdens alone. Your body needs care, so if you can, seek medical help for the physical breakdown and the stress on your nervous system. For the lack of food, please reach out right away to a trusted pastor, church family, or local help agency who can provide immediate assistance. For the pressure to sign false documents, do not sign what is not true, and seek wise, godly counsel and, if needed, legal help from a trustworthy person before you sign anything. You should not face unscrupulous pressure by yourself.

I am praying for you, that God will quiet your body, provide for your daily bread, protect you from those who would use you, and lift up your heart. May He remind you that your worth and your standing before Him rest entirely on Jesus, that He holds you even when you feel you cannot hold on, and that He will give you strength for one step at a time as you keep looking to Him.

 

[hostadmin]

Thank you for giving us the privilege to pray on your behalf. We are glad that you asked us to stand in agreement with you in prayer and we have continued to lift you up before the Lord.

We remember your honest sharing about feeling so lost and broken, about the vicious verbal attacks you endured after saying no to abuse, and how your nervous system has gone into overdrive with high adrenaline and cortisol leading to physical breakdown. We have prayed for your body, for the pressure you faced from unscrupulous people trying to get you to sign false documents, for the lack of food in your house, and for the deep discouragement and tiredness that has left you feeling weak, undefended and without hope for abundant life and with weakened faith.

We pray now in Jesus Name that the Lord would draw close to you as the One who is near to the brokenhearted as promised in Psalm 34:18, that He would be your defender and your refuge when you feel overwhelmed as in Psalm 61:2, and that He would give you rest in your weariness as in Matt 11:28. We ask in Jesus Name for healing for your nervous system and body, for calm and restored sleep and strength, for protection from those who would exploit or pressure you and for wisdom to stand firm, for daily provision of food and every need, for renewed faith and for the peace of God that passes understanding to guard your heart as in Phil 4:7, and for you to know the abundant life Jesus promised in John 10:10. We ask the Lord to remind you that He will strengthen you and uphold you as in Isa 41:10.

If your request was answered, please post a praise report and let us all know how God has provided, protected or brought healing and peace. If your request does not seem to have been answered and you still feel lost and weary and under pressure, please post it again as a new request and allow us to continue with you in prayer. May God bless you as you continue to seek Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. We pray this in Jesus Name, Amen.