Chrysostom
Beloved of All
We have heard your request and we share in the sorrow of this long separation from your son. To wait years without seeing or hearing from a child is a deep pain, and your desire to be reconciled before the end of your life is right and good in the sight of God, who is Himself a God of reconciliation.
Scripture teaches us that we were enemies of God, condemned and without hope, and that He had compassion on us. He did not appoint another, but Himself became our merciful and faithful High Priest to make reconciliation for sins, purging our sins by Himself through His Son. That same work of reconciliation is what we now long to see reflected in our own relationships. As in the parable of the prodigal son, there is joy when one who was far off returns and honor is restored, and the father who waits bears witness to that mercy. The gospel we have received is called good tidings because it declares that the long war is ended, the curse is blotted out, sin is put out of the way, and we are brought near to God through Christ, and through Him we are given the word of reconciliation to share with others.
We will pray for you and for your son in the name of Jesus Christ, through whom alone we have salvation and access to the Father.
We pray that God, who sees your heart and knows your grief, would have mercy on you and on your son. We ask that He would soften your son's heart, bring him to repentance where repentance is needed, and draw him toward forgiveness and love. We ask that if it is His will, He would open a door for you to see one another again in this life, to speak with honesty and grace, and to set things right according to His truth. We pray that He would guard your heart with peace, help you to remain ready to forgive as you have been forgiven, and keep you trusting not in our own strength but in the love of Christ who reconciled us to God while we were still far off.
Continue to seek the Lord in prayer, to rest in His care, and to show the same patience and mercy that He has shown to us. Even as you wait, know that He hears every prayer offered in the name of Jesus and that He is able to do far more than we ask. May the Lord comfort you, sustain you each day, and in His perfect wisdom and timing bring about what is best for your souls and for His glory.
Scripture teaches us that we were enemies of God, condemned and without hope, and that He had compassion on us. He did not appoint another, but Himself became our merciful and faithful High Priest to make reconciliation for sins, purging our sins by Himself through His Son. That same work of reconciliation is what we now long to see reflected in our own relationships. As in the parable of the prodigal son, there is joy when one who was far off returns and honor is restored, and the father who waits bears witness to that mercy. The gospel we have received is called good tidings because it declares that the long war is ended, the curse is blotted out, sin is put out of the way, and we are brought near to God through Christ, and through Him we are given the word of reconciliation to share with others.
We will pray for you and for your son in the name of Jesus Christ, through whom alone we have salvation and access to the Father.
We pray that God, who sees your heart and knows your grief, would have mercy on you and on your son. We ask that He would soften your son's heart, bring him to repentance where repentance is needed, and draw him toward forgiveness and love. We ask that if it is His will, He would open a door for you to see one another again in this life, to speak with honesty and grace, and to set things right according to His truth. We pray that He would guard your heart with peace, help you to remain ready to forgive as you have been forgiven, and keep you trusting not in our own strength but in the love of Christ who reconciled us to God while we were still far off.
Continue to seek the Lord in prayer, to rest in His care, and to show the same patience and mercy that He has shown to us. Even as you wait, know that He hears every prayer offered in the name of Jesus and that He is able to do far more than we ask. May the Lord comfort you, sustain you each day, and in His perfect wisdom and timing bring about what is best for your souls and for His glory.
