Silas
Beloved of All
Your faithful love for your son and your daughter and your desire for peace in your home is clear, and it is good that you have brought all of these burdens to the Lord in prayer.
Scripture makes a distinction that can help you in this season. First there is peace with God, and then there is the peace of God. Peace with God comes only through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, for He made peace through His blood so that those who were at war with God can be forgiven and reconciled. Once we have peace with God, we can then know the peace of God in our daily lives. That is the peace the Bible describes as perfect peace for the one whose mind is stayed on the Lord because he trusts in Him, and the peace that passes all understanding that guards the heart and mind in Christ Jesus. The world cannot understand that peace, and it cannot give it. Jesus said, My peace I give to you, not as the world gives.
In the midst of chaos and constant needs, that perfect peace comes as you keep your mind turned toward Him, trusting that He will take care of what you cannot control. God has said that His thoughts toward His people are thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give a future and a hope, and He invites you to call upon Him and pray, promising that He will listen. Even when you feel forgotten in a long captivity of worry and sleepless nights, He has not forgotten you.
You have asked for healing and restoration for your son, and it is right to bring his health, his mind, his body and spirit before the Lord. The Bible shows that God is a healer and that all healing is from Him, whether it comes instantly or through a gradual process that He has built into our bodies. There is one account where Jesus healed a blind man in stages, and it reminds us that we do not always understand why some are healed quickly and others over time, or why God allows a thorn to remain as He did with Paul. We can believe strongly in healing and pray with confidence for your son's autism, anxiety, sensory struggles, stomach distress and seizure freedom, while also trusting the wisdom and love of the One who hears. Continue to ask for His healing, for calm and contentment to replace agitation and fear, for gentle communication to replace frustration, and for satisfaction and joy in daily routines, meals, grooming, outings and travel. Pray too for His protection, that He would surround your son and your home and every place he goes, wash him in the blood of Christ, clothe him with the full armor of God and station His angels around him, so that no weapon formed against him will prosper.
You also shared the pain concerning your older daughter. Your desire to see her restored to fellowship with you and her siblings and to walk faithfully again is right and loving. Scripture teaches that marriage is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, and that living together and sharing the privileges of marriage outside of that covenant is not in keeping with God's design. To say peace, peace when life is not right with God is not true peace, and there is no lasting peace for those who continue in rebellion against Him. God does extend a genuine offer of peace and healing to those who are far off as well as those who are near, saying peace, peace, I will heal him, to all who will turn to Him. That is our prayer for your daughter, not that God would bless a relationship that dishonors Him, but that He would open her eyes to see the control, jealousy and division influencing her, to recognize how this way of living has isolated her from the supportive family God has given her, and to give her a desire to be free. Pray that she will turn back to Christ, honor her faith above any other loyalty, and be restored to a grateful, respectful and loving relationship with you and her siblings. True restoration in your family will come as each person is first at peace with God, and then learns to sow peace with one another, for those who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness and are called children of God.
For your own heart, as you seek wisdom about services and caregivers and as you trust God for practical needs like the repair of your air conditioner, keep casting those cares on Him. Ask Him to provide godly, compassionate and discerning caregivers and advocates who will encourage your son and support your family, and to give you wisdom to make the best decisions for his good.
May the Lord keep you in perfect peace as your mind stays on Him. May He grant your son restful sleep free from fear and disturbance, calm and joyful days filled with obedient and gentle responses, and safety in every outing and appointment. May He draw your daughter back to Himself and heal the division in your family, so that your home may know the deep, quiet peace that comes only from walking in fellowship with Him.
Father, we bring this mother and her children before You. Thank You for making peace possible through the blood of Jesus. We ask that each one in this family would know peace with You through faith in Christ, and then experience Your peace that surpasses understanding guarding their hearts and minds. Lay Your hand of healing and protection upon this son, calm every storm within him, remove anxiety, torment and confusion, and fill him with Your Holy Spirit, with joy, contentment and godly character. Provide for this family's practical needs, give wisdom to his mother and to all who care for him, and surround him with safety wherever he goes. Draw this daughter back to Yourself, deliver her from what is toxic and controlling, help her to honor You in her relationships and to value the family You have given her, and restore love, unity and joyful fellowship in this home. We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, amen.
Scripture makes a distinction that can help you in this season. First there is peace with God, and then there is the peace of God. Peace with God comes only through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, for He made peace through His blood so that those who were at war with God can be forgiven and reconciled. Once we have peace with God, we can then know the peace of God in our daily lives. That is the peace the Bible describes as perfect peace for the one whose mind is stayed on the Lord because he trusts in Him, and the peace that passes all understanding that guards the heart and mind in Christ Jesus. The world cannot understand that peace, and it cannot give it. Jesus said, My peace I give to you, not as the world gives.
In the midst of chaos and constant needs, that perfect peace comes as you keep your mind turned toward Him, trusting that He will take care of what you cannot control. God has said that His thoughts toward His people are thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give a future and a hope, and He invites you to call upon Him and pray, promising that He will listen. Even when you feel forgotten in a long captivity of worry and sleepless nights, He has not forgotten you.
You have asked for healing and restoration for your son, and it is right to bring his health, his mind, his body and spirit before the Lord. The Bible shows that God is a healer and that all healing is from Him, whether it comes instantly or through a gradual process that He has built into our bodies. There is one account where Jesus healed a blind man in stages, and it reminds us that we do not always understand why some are healed quickly and others over time, or why God allows a thorn to remain as He did with Paul. We can believe strongly in healing and pray with confidence for your son's autism, anxiety, sensory struggles, stomach distress and seizure freedom, while also trusting the wisdom and love of the One who hears. Continue to ask for His healing, for calm and contentment to replace agitation and fear, for gentle communication to replace frustration, and for satisfaction and joy in daily routines, meals, grooming, outings and travel. Pray too for His protection, that He would surround your son and your home and every place he goes, wash him in the blood of Christ, clothe him with the full armor of God and station His angels around him, so that no weapon formed against him will prosper.
You also shared the pain concerning your older daughter. Your desire to see her restored to fellowship with you and her siblings and to walk faithfully again is right and loving. Scripture teaches that marriage is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, and that living together and sharing the privileges of marriage outside of that covenant is not in keeping with God's design. To say peace, peace when life is not right with God is not true peace, and there is no lasting peace for those who continue in rebellion against Him. God does extend a genuine offer of peace and healing to those who are far off as well as those who are near, saying peace, peace, I will heal him, to all who will turn to Him. That is our prayer for your daughter, not that God would bless a relationship that dishonors Him, but that He would open her eyes to see the control, jealousy and division influencing her, to recognize how this way of living has isolated her from the supportive family God has given her, and to give her a desire to be free. Pray that she will turn back to Christ, honor her faith above any other loyalty, and be restored to a grateful, respectful and loving relationship with you and her siblings. True restoration in your family will come as each person is first at peace with God, and then learns to sow peace with one another, for those who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness and are called children of God.
For your own heart, as you seek wisdom about services and caregivers and as you trust God for practical needs like the repair of your air conditioner, keep casting those cares on Him. Ask Him to provide godly, compassionate and discerning caregivers and advocates who will encourage your son and support your family, and to give you wisdom to make the best decisions for his good.
May the Lord keep you in perfect peace as your mind stays on Him. May He grant your son restful sleep free from fear and disturbance, calm and joyful days filled with obedient and gentle responses, and safety in every outing and appointment. May He draw your daughter back to Himself and heal the division in your family, so that your home may know the deep, quiet peace that comes only from walking in fellowship with Him.
Father, we bring this mother and her children before You. Thank You for making peace possible through the blood of Jesus. We ask that each one in this family would know peace with You through faith in Christ, and then experience Your peace that surpasses understanding guarding their hearts and minds. Lay Your hand of healing and protection upon this son, calm every storm within him, remove anxiety, torment and confusion, and fill him with Your Holy Spirit, with joy, contentment and godly character. Provide for this family's practical needs, give wisdom to his mother and to all who care for him, and surround him with safety wherever he goes. Draw this daughter back to Yourself, deliver her from what is toxic and controlling, help her to honor You in her relationships and to value the family You have given her, and restore love, unity and joyful fellowship in this home. We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, amen.
