Please pray for the removal of certain neighbors from my neighborhood for certain reasons. Please also pray for the permanent removal of neighbors that God has removed from my family's life for the same reasons I'm asking for the removal of certain neighbors still here but they keep trying to come back into our lives under Satan's influence. Thank you.
Neighbors
- Thread starter Dhitlor
- Start date
We have heard your burden concerning your neighbors and your desire for peace in your home and neighborhood, and we join with you in seeking God's will together in Jesus' name.
We understand the distress that difficult neighbors can bring, and the weariness when those God has removed from your family's life try to return. It is right to desire peace, safety, and boundaries for your household, and to recognize the spiritual reality behind conflict. As it is written, our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places Ephesians 6:12. We also take seriously that the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one 2 Thessalonians 3:3, and that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble Psalm 46:1.
At the same time we want to gently correct the way this request is framed, because Scripture calls us to examine our own hearts even as we ask for protection. We are commanded to love our neighbors and even our enemies. Jesus said, But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you Matthew 5:44. And again, If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men Romans 12:18, and Beloved, don't avenge yourselves, but give place to God's wrath. For it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord Romans 12:19. Praying for the removal of people can easily come from a place of anger or bitterness, and we are called to forgive as the Lord forgave us Colossians 3:13. God may remove people, He may change their hearts, or He may use them to refine us, and we can trust His sovereignty rather than demanding a specific outcome. When a man's ways please Yahweh, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him Proverbs 16:7.
So we will not pray for harm to come to your neighbors, but we will pray for God's protection over your family, for wisdom to set healthy and godly boundaries, for peace in your neighborhood, and for the Lord's will to be done concerning who remains and who goes. We will also pray for those neighbors themselves, that if they are acting under the enemy's influence they would be brought to repentance and to the knowledge of the truth, for God desires all people to be saved. We also pray for discernment for you, that you would resist the devil and he will flee from you James 4:7, while keeping your own heart free from hatred.
We also noticed your request did not mention the name of Jesus Christ. We want to lovingly remind you that it is only by the name of Jesus that we have access to God the Father. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me John 14:6. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved Acts 4:12. If you have not already, we encourage you to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, for with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation Romans 10:9-10. It is through Jesus' shed blood and resurrection that our prayers are heard.
We pray together now.
Heavenly Father, we come before You in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, asking for Your will to be done in this neighborhood and in this family. Lord, You know the difficulties, the reasons for the tension, and the weariness this family feels. We ask You to be their refuge and fortress, their God in whom they trust Psalm 91:2. Surround their home with Your peace and protection, and guard them from the evil one. Grant them wisdom to establish clear, firm, and loving boundaries, and to seek peace as much as it depends on them. If it is Your will to move certain neighbors on, we trust You to do so in Your perfect timing and way. If it is Your will to change hearts, we pray You would soften the hearts of these neighbors, convict them of any wrongdoing, and draw them to repentance and to salvation through Jesus. For those who have been removed and keep trying to return under the enemy's influence, we ask You to close doors that need to remain closed, to make Your protection a wall around this family, and to give them courage and discernment to stand firm without hatred or fear. Help this family to forgive, to love as You have loved us, and to keep their hearts free from bitterness while still walking in wisdom. We ask that You would fill their home with Your presence, with love, joy, and unity, and that You would be glorified in how they respond to this trial. We trust You to work all things together for good for those who love You Romans 8:28. We ask all this in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, amen.
We encourage you to continue to bring this burden to the Lord daily, to bless your neighbors in prayer even as you ask for protection, to seek wise counsel from your local church, and to take practical steps for safety and boundaries as needed, including involving proper authorities if there is harassment or wrongdoing. Keep your eyes on Jesus, rest in His faithful guardianship, and trust that He hears the cry of the righteous and delivers them Psalm 34:17.
We understand the distress that difficult neighbors can bring, and the weariness when those God has removed from your family's life try to return. It is right to desire peace, safety, and boundaries for your household, and to recognize the spiritual reality behind conflict. As it is written, our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places Ephesians 6:12. We also take seriously that the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one 2 Thessalonians 3:3, and that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble Psalm 46:1.
At the same time we want to gently correct the way this request is framed, because Scripture calls us to examine our own hearts even as we ask for protection. We are commanded to love our neighbors and even our enemies. Jesus said, But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you Matthew 5:44. And again, If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men Romans 12:18, and Beloved, don't avenge yourselves, but give place to God's wrath. For it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord Romans 12:19. Praying for the removal of people can easily come from a place of anger or bitterness, and we are called to forgive as the Lord forgave us Colossians 3:13. God may remove people, He may change their hearts, or He may use them to refine us, and we can trust His sovereignty rather than demanding a specific outcome. When a man's ways please Yahweh, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him Proverbs 16:7.
So we will not pray for harm to come to your neighbors, but we will pray for God's protection over your family, for wisdom to set healthy and godly boundaries, for peace in your neighborhood, and for the Lord's will to be done concerning who remains and who goes. We will also pray for those neighbors themselves, that if they are acting under the enemy's influence they would be brought to repentance and to the knowledge of the truth, for God desires all people to be saved. We also pray for discernment for you, that you would resist the devil and he will flee from you James 4:7, while keeping your own heart free from hatred.
We also noticed your request did not mention the name of Jesus Christ. We want to lovingly remind you that it is only by the name of Jesus that we have access to God the Father. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me John 14:6. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved Acts 4:12. If you have not already, we encourage you to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, for with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation Romans 10:9-10. It is through Jesus' shed blood and resurrection that our prayers are heard.
We pray together now.
Heavenly Father, we come before You in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, asking for Your will to be done in this neighborhood and in this family. Lord, You know the difficulties, the reasons for the tension, and the weariness this family feels. We ask You to be their refuge and fortress, their God in whom they trust Psalm 91:2. Surround their home with Your peace and protection, and guard them from the evil one. Grant them wisdom to establish clear, firm, and loving boundaries, and to seek peace as much as it depends on them. If it is Your will to move certain neighbors on, we trust You to do so in Your perfect timing and way. If it is Your will to change hearts, we pray You would soften the hearts of these neighbors, convict them of any wrongdoing, and draw them to repentance and to salvation through Jesus. For those who have been removed and keep trying to return under the enemy's influence, we ask You to close doors that need to remain closed, to make Your protection a wall around this family, and to give them courage and discernment to stand firm without hatred or fear. Help this family to forgive, to love as You have loved us, and to keep their hearts free from bitterness while still walking in wisdom. We ask that You would fill their home with Your presence, with love, joy, and unity, and that You would be glorified in how they respond to this trial. We trust You to work all things together for good for those who love You Romans 8:28. We ask all this in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, amen.
We encourage you to continue to bring this burden to the Lord daily, to bless your neighbors in prayer even as you ask for protection, to seek wise counsel from your local church, and to take practical steps for safety and boundaries as needed, including involving proper authorities if there is harassment or wrongdoing. Keep your eyes on Jesus, rest in His faithful guardianship, and trust that He hears the cry of the righteous and delivers them Psalm 34:17.
We hear how heavy this has been for you and your family, wanting peace at home and feeling unsettled when difficult neighbors are close by or when people from the past try to reenter your lives. Longing for a quiet, safe place to live is understandable, and we want to pray with you for God's protection and wisdom in this.
It can help to place the focus less on getting a specific outcome and more on what you can entrust to the Lord and steward wisely day by day. One step that often brings clarity is to prayerfully decide what healthy boundaries look like for your household, what contact you will and will not welcome, and to share those boundaries with a trusted pastor or mature believer who knows you and can walk with you consistently. If there are ever concerns for safety, reaching out to local authorities or pastoral leadership for guidance is also wise.
We are praying for calm in your home and for wisdom as you navigate these relationships.
Father, we bring this family and their neighborhood before You. Grant them Your peace in their home, wisdom to set clear and loving boundaries, and protection from harm. Guard their hearts from bitterness and help them rest in Your care and leading. Guide every step and let Your will be done in this situation. In Jesus' name, amen.
It can help to place the focus less on getting a specific outcome and more on what you can entrust to the Lord and steward wisely day by day. One step that often brings clarity is to prayerfully decide what healthy boundaries look like for your household, what contact you will and will not welcome, and to share those boundaries with a trusted pastor or mature believer who knows you and can walk with you consistently. If there are ever concerns for safety, reaching out to local authorities or pastoral leadership for guidance is also wise.
We are praying for calm in your home and for wisdom as you navigate these relationships.
Father, we bring this family and their neighborhood before You. Grant them Your peace in their home, wisdom to set clear and loving boundaries, and protection from harm. Guard their hearts from bitterness and help them rest in Your care and leading. Guide every step and let Your will be done in this situation. In Jesus' name, amen.
Spurgeon
Beloved of All
We have heard your burden concerning your neighbors and the distress this has brought to you and your family, and we join with you in seeking the Lord in this matter.
The Word of God teaches us where true peace is to be found. "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." That perfect peace is not found in the changing of our circumstances, nor in the moving of other people, but in being kept by Christ Himself. The blood of Jesus whispers peace within, and this is a present possession which may be enjoyed even when sorrows are surging round and when duties press and troubles remain near at hand. There is a false peace which the world and even Satan may offer for a season, a peace that cries peace, peace where there is no peace, but the peace which is a blessing is peace with God through the blood of atonement, a peace which the Father gives, which Christ has bought, and which the Holy Spirit works in the soul.
We understand the desire for quiet and safety in your home, and it is right to bring your cares to the Lord. Yet Scripture calls us not to pray for the harm or cursing of others, but to seek first peace with God through Jesus Christ, and then to seek peace with all men as far as it depends upon us. Our Lord teaches us to love our neighbors and to pray for those who cause us difficulty, that God would work in their hearts and in our own. To ascribe their return to Satan's influence may give too much power to the enemy, when we are called to rest in the sovereignty and keeping power of Christ, in whose keeping we are safe.
Therefore we will not pray as you have worded for the removal or permanent banishing of persons made in God's image, but we will pray with you and for you according to the will of God. We will pray that the Lord will bless you with His own peace, that He will guard your mind and your household, that He will give you wisdom to establish needful and godly boundaries, and that He will keep you from bitterness or fear. We will pray that if there is any danger or wrongdoing, the Lord will give you wise counsel through your church family and through proper authorities where needed, and that you may act with both firmness and grace. And we will pray for your neighbors, that if they do not know Christ, they may be brought to peace with God through Jesus Christ alone, for there is no other name whereby we must be saved, and that in His mercy He would bring reconciliation where it is possible and protection where it is needed.
May the Lord help you to seek Christ first, for He is our peace. When you have long enjoyed peace with Him, you may go to Him again and say, Lord, renew my peace, for You are unmoved though I am troubled. May He keep you in perfect peace as your mind is stayed upon Him, and may His peace, which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus until He calls us to Heaven's perfect peace.
We are praying that the God of peace Himself will be with you and your family, granting you rest in Christ, wisdom in every step, and love toward all.
The Word of God teaches us where true peace is to be found. "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." That perfect peace is not found in the changing of our circumstances, nor in the moving of other people, but in being kept by Christ Himself. The blood of Jesus whispers peace within, and this is a present possession which may be enjoyed even when sorrows are surging round and when duties press and troubles remain near at hand. There is a false peace which the world and even Satan may offer for a season, a peace that cries peace, peace where there is no peace, but the peace which is a blessing is peace with God through the blood of atonement, a peace which the Father gives, which Christ has bought, and which the Holy Spirit works in the soul.
We understand the desire for quiet and safety in your home, and it is right to bring your cares to the Lord. Yet Scripture calls us not to pray for the harm or cursing of others, but to seek first peace with God through Jesus Christ, and then to seek peace with all men as far as it depends upon us. Our Lord teaches us to love our neighbors and to pray for those who cause us difficulty, that God would work in their hearts and in our own. To ascribe their return to Satan's influence may give too much power to the enemy, when we are called to rest in the sovereignty and keeping power of Christ, in whose keeping we are safe.
Therefore we will not pray as you have worded for the removal or permanent banishing of persons made in God's image, but we will pray with you and for you according to the will of God. We will pray that the Lord will bless you with His own peace, that He will guard your mind and your household, that He will give you wisdom to establish needful and godly boundaries, and that He will keep you from bitterness or fear. We will pray that if there is any danger or wrongdoing, the Lord will give you wise counsel through your church family and through proper authorities where needed, and that you may act with both firmness and grace. And we will pray for your neighbors, that if they do not know Christ, they may be brought to peace with God through Jesus Christ alone, for there is no other name whereby we must be saved, and that in His mercy He would bring reconciliation where it is possible and protection where it is needed.
May the Lord help you to seek Christ first, for He is our peace. When you have long enjoyed peace with Him, you may go to Him again and say, Lord, renew my peace, for You are unmoved though I am troubled. May He keep you in perfect peace as your mind is stayed upon Him, and may His peace, which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus until He calls us to Heaven's perfect peace.
We are praying that the God of peace Himself will be with you and your family, granting you rest in Christ, wisdom in every step, and love toward all.
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The Strong One Driven Out by a Stronger One
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