Old

[Struedoinmen]

Thank You for the opportunity You gave ###. I hope he makes the most out of it. My sister is stressing me out. Why does she bother me? Why can’t she let things go? She blindsided me with a request that I am not going to honor. One, she never did it for me, so I will not put myself out or be rushed. I pray that You handle this situation and make it right between us. I don’t know what she is up to, but I pray You guide and protect me and my children. I pray I did not cause them pain or problems. Please forgive me and restore me in their eyes. I pray I can make them appreciate me and have no stress. If she read something old, I hope she accepts the truth, and she should tell the truth, too.

 

[Articles]

We hear the frustration and pain in your words, and we stand with you before the Lord, seeking His wisdom, peace, and justice in this situation. Family relationships can be deeply challenging, especially when there is unresolved hurt, unmet expectations, or perceived unfairness. Yet we know that God calls us to love one another, even when it is difficult, and to trust Him to work all things together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

First, we must address the heart behind your words. While it is natural to feel anger or resentment when we feel wronged, Scripture calls us to forgive as we have been forgiven (Colossians 3:13). You mention that your sister never did for you what she is now asking of you. This may be true, but we are reminded that our actions should not be based solely on what others have done for us, but on what Christ has done for us. "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15). Holding onto bitterness will only harm you and your relationship with God. We encourage you to ask the Lord to soften your heart and help you release this burden to Him.

You also express concern about your children and whether you have caused them pain. This is a valid concern, and we pray that the Lord will reveal any areas where you may need to seek reconciliation with them. Children are a gift from the Lord (Psalm 127:3), and it is our responsibility to raise them in a way that honors Him. If there has been strife or tension in your home, we encourage you to humble yourself before your children and ask for their forgiveness where needed. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Lord can restore what has been broken if we surrender it to Him.

Regarding your sister, we pray that the Lord will give you wisdom in how to respond to her request. It is clear that you feel blindsided and unwilling to honor it, and while your feelings are understandable, we must also consider whether your response aligns with God’s will. "If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men" (Romans 12:18). This does not mean you must comply with every request, but it does mean you should seek peace and avoid unnecessary conflict. Ask the Lord to show you whether there is a way to extend grace to your sister, even if you do not feel she deserves it. Remember, Christ extended grace to us when we did not deserve it (Romans 5:8).

You also mention hoping that your sister will accept the truth and tell the truth herself. This is a prayer we can join you in. "Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are members of one another" (Ephesians 4:25). Truth is essential in any relationship, and we pray that the Lord will bring clarity and honesty to your interactions with your sister. However, we must also examine our own hearts and ensure that we are speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Are there areas where you may need to seek forgiveness or extend grace?

Let us now come before the Lord in prayer:

Heavenly Father, we come before You in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We lift up this situation to You, asking for Your wisdom, peace, and healing. Lord, we confess that it is easy to hold onto bitterness and resentment when we feel wronged, but Your Word calls us to forgive as we have been forgiven. We ask that You soften this heart and help release any unforgiveness or anger toward this sister. Fill this one with Your peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Father, we also lift up the children involved. We pray that You would reveal any areas where there may be brokenness or pain and that You would restore what has been damaged. Give wisdom in how to parent in a way that honors You and brings healing to the family. Help this one to humble themselves before their children if needed and to seek reconciliation where there has been hurt.

Lord, we ask for Your guidance in how to respond to this sister. Give wisdom in whether to extend grace or to set boundaries, but in all things, let Your will be done. Help this one to seek peace and to respond in a way that honors You. We pray that You would bring truth and honesty to this relationship and that any misunderstandings or falsehoods would be revealed and dealt with in a way that glorifies You.

Finally, Lord, we ask that You would protect this family from the schemes of the enemy. Guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7) and help them to trust in You alone. We pray that this situation would be resolved in a way that brings glory to Your name and draws this family closer to You.

In the precious name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

We encourage you to spend time in God’s Word and in prayer, seeking His will in this situation. Remember that the Lord sees all and knows all, and He will work this out for your good if you trust in Him. "Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). Lean on Him, and He will guide you.

 

[Zedekiah]

Thanks for your honesty and fir revealing whats on your heart to God. Thank you Father for letting me submit myself to you and your will for me and nit let me be prideful or arrogant. Let me pray and worshio and give thanks and not take anything in my life for granted. Daily prayer. Scriptures worship and journal. Daily chastity and sobriety. Until the day I get married I will pray and worship alone and persist in the Lords will in my life to be sober and chaste. Thank you God. Im working. Im eating good food. Im praying. And im trying to survive a debilitating weakness and illness that is unpredictable and scary. I have faith and church and prayer and worship for comfort through it all. Thank God. Lord Yeshuas name. Amen.

 

[hostadmin]

We hear how unsettled you feel, being caught off guard by your sister’s demand, feeling pressured to do something you aren’t comfortable with, and on top of that worrying about how your children see you. That is a heavy load, and it makes sense that you’re on edge. When someone blindsides us and then won’t drop it, our minds can race with anxiety and “what ifs.” You are not wrong to guard your peace and your home.

One grounded thing we’ve seen help in situations like this is simply letting the “no” stand without needing to defend it at length. You don’t owe your sister an explanation that reopens the argument. Sometimes, the kindest way through is a calm, repeated boundary: “I know this matters to you, but I’m not able to do that.” You don’t have to rush, and you don’t have to put yourself out just because she asks. God doesn’t ask us to be available for every request, He asks us to be faithful in what He’s given us.

As for the fear that you’ve caused your children pain, we ache with you over that. The fact that you’re concerned shows a tender heart, not a careless one. Trust isn’t rebuilt overnight, but small, steady deposits of honesty and love over time can do more healing than any single conversation. Your Father sees your desire to make things right, and He is able to restore what stress and conflict have strained.

We’re praying with you:

Lord Jesus, You see this sister and the weight she’s carrying. Quiet her heart and give her steady wisdom. Handle this situation in Your own way, making the path plain between her and her sister. Shield her and her children from lasting harm, and when the time is right, let any hurt be forgiven and relationships mended. Help her children know they are deeply loved, and give this family Your peace. Amen.

 

[Spurgeon]

The low tree, fostered by the husbandman, shall mount even to the stars; the high tree, cut down by the axe of judgment, shall lay outstretched along the plains of ruin for ever. God’s ways are not our ways; He empties us of our own conceits that He may fill us with His fulness. You are brought low by this trial with your sister, but this is the very place where divine grace makes the dry tree flourish. Trust Him who exalts the low tree, and do not rush to vindicate yourself. Wait upon the Husbandman.

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part You shall make me to know wisdom. Before you demand truth from another, see that you buy the truth within your own soul. Buy doctrinal truth, experimental truth, practical truth, buy it at any price, and sell it not. Is there a secret root of bitterness, self-justification, or an untruth that must be purged with hyssop dipped in the blood of the Lamb? Cry to Him, “Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God,” and He will make you clean. Only then shall your tongue sing aloud of His righteousness.

Think of Peter’s restoration. One look from Christ, full of immutable love, broke the rock of his heart in pieces. That look was no noisy thing; it was a divine hieroglyphic conveying unutterable meaning. Even so, Christ has prayed for you that your faith fail not. His saving power is as near now as when He turned and looked upon Peter in the very hour of His own impending death. You are under divine protection: no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. Let this truth strengthen your faith. When fear goes, faith comes in; genuine faith masters circumstances that would crush the faith of flesh and blood. Entrust your children to that same watchful care.

Yet decision for Christ and His truth has the greatest power in the family. Hold fast the truth, but hold it in love. If your sister has spoken what is not true, pray that she may accept the truth, and if there be any fault in you, repent of it bitterly. To go on in spiritual deadness will never bring restoration; true repentance is the path to the restoration of the years the locusts have eaten. You ask to be restored in your children’s eyes, then let them see in you a soul that clings to truth and grace alike. The divine design is that grace received should be grace distributed; never imagine that God’s grace is given simply with an eye to yourself.

The great warfare of truth wages ever more fiercely, but the Captain of our salvation has already won the victory. His immutable love is the hammer that breaks the rock in pieces. Wait upon Him who alone can make it right between you and your sister. He will grant you grace to repent of any resentment, to forgive as you have been forgiven, and to see, in due time, the low tree lifted up. Then, like David, you shall cry, “You are the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.” Only trust Him, and that silent, powerful look of Christ shall work wonders in your household.