Peace & Release

[Clirxainarn]

Last year I reconciled with my parents after seven years of not seeing them due to emotional abuse and high conflict. On Easter, the Holy Spirit led my dad to contact me asking to start our relationship over, and what followed was a series of healthy, loving conversations with me, my husband, and my children. Then, my dad came to visit us in our home, and we had a wonderful time, ironically just before we moved to a new state. My mom chose not to visit. Six months later, the Holy Spirit led my husband and I to bring our kids to visit my parents in their home. This would have made it seven years since we saw my mom. The Lord upheld His promise to fill me with His peace and let go of the need to be liked or approved of by my mom. The typical shame I used to feel in her presence disappeared, and I was able to relax while still protecting my peace from the constant arrows of attacks from my mom. It was a miracle. Since then, I have spoken with them on the phone once a month or so, with most of my communication happening with my dad. When I spoke with them yesterday, I had just sent them flowers for their anniversary and on the card I put the verse 1 John 7. I do feel there is a spiritual battle happening within my mom. Although she would call herself a Christian, I don’t experience the love of God coming from her. I do believe she is subject to a supernatural struggle and not something she is willingly choosing. That said, I am asking for prayers for continued peace as I speak with her more often. I ask to not be weighed down by the pressure to defend myself when she criticizes me and mocks me and seeks to disregard me. I know I am not loving for her but for God’s glory. I ask that Satan release her from his talons and that she would submit to God so that her heart can soften and love others. I also ask that God continue to guide me on how to be a loving wife and mother despite the lack of love I receive from my mom. He has already started instructing me and it is making a big difference on my mindset and actions. I also pray for my dad, that he would continue to walk in love and stand up for Christ’s example around my mom and the rest of my relatives. I know the Lord has been using him to introduce peace and healing into the family. One small example is when we visited my parents in their home before they moved out of state. When we sat down for dinner, my dad pulled out a paper from his pocket and on it was the Lord’s Prayer. He commented on the beauty of having his daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren in his home and then read out the Lord’s Prayer to us. My mom rolled her eyes and said, “Oh, ###.” But that didn’t stop him, he read the entire prayer and then we ate together. It was a touching moment, shockingly so, and not to be overcome by the wiles of my mom the rest of that weekend. Finally, my husband is encouraging me to consider doing a missions trip to Ethiopia this summer, which is next to the country where my parents are originally from. I am apprehensive about traveling this far, particularly with our 8 and 9 year old, and feel nervous about showing my children a part of my past that dictated so much of my childhood. I ask for direction on whether we should take this trip with our church or rather focus on local service as we have been doing. Thank you.

 

[Articles]

We hear your heart, dear sister, and we stand with you in prayer, lifting every concern to our Heavenly Father. Your journey of reconciliation with your parents is a powerful testimony of God’s healing and restoration. The Holy Spirit has clearly been at work in your life, guiding you into peace and freedom from the bondage of seeking approval. We rejoice with you in the miraculous way He has upheld His promise to fill you with His peace, even in the face of criticism and mockery. This is not by your strength but by His grace, and we give Him all the glory.

First, we want to affirm the love and wisdom you are showing in your relationship with your mother. It is clear that you are not seeking her approval but are instead walking in obedience to Christ, loving her as He commands. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:44, "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." You are living this out, and we pray that your mother’s heart would be softened by the love of God working through you. The spiritual battle you sense is real, and we take authority over it in the name of Jesus. We rebuke the enemy’s grip on her heart and declare that she would be set free from any stronghold that blinds her to the love of Christ. We pray that the Holy Spirit would convict her of any sin, hardness, or resistance to God’s truth, and that she would surrender fully to Him. As it says in James 4:7, "Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." We stand on this promise for her life.

We also lift up your father, praising God for the way He has used him to bring peace and healing to your family. Your father’s boldness in reading the Lord’s Prayer, despite your mother’s resistance, is a beautiful example of standing firm in faith. We pray that God would continue to strengthen him, giving him wisdom and courage to walk in love and truth, even when faced with opposition. May his faith be a light to your mother and the rest of your family, drawing them closer to Christ.

For your own heart, we pray that God would continue to guide you in being a loving wife and mother. You are right to recognize that your worth and identity are found in Christ alone, not in the approval of others. As you seek to love your family well, we pray that God would fill you with His joy, strength, and discernment. Proverbs 31:26 says, "She opens her mouth with wisdom. Faithful instruction is on her tongue." May this be true of you as you lead your home with grace and wisdom.

Regarding the missions trip to Ethiopia, we seek the Lord’s guidance with you. This is a significant decision, especially with young children, and we pray that God would make His will clear to you and your husband. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, "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." We pray that God would give you peace and clarity about whether this trip aligns with His purpose for your family at this time. If it is His will, we pray for protection, provision, and a deep outpouring of His Spirit as you serve. If He is calling you to focus on local ministry, we pray that He would open doors for you to serve in ways that bring Him glory and bless your family.

Finally, we want to encourage you to continue walking in the freedom Christ has given you. The enemy would love to weigh you down with guilt, shame, or the need to defend yourself, but you are not bound by those chains. Galatians 5:1 says, "Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." We pray that you would rest in the finished work of Jesus, knowing that you are deeply loved and accepted by Him. May His peace guard your heart and mind as you continue to walk in obedience and trust.

Let us pray together:

Heavenly Father, we come before You with hearts full of gratitude for the work You are doing in this sister’s life. We thank You for the reconciliation You have brought between her and her parents, and we ask that You would continue to heal and restore their relationships. Lord, we rebuke the enemy’s grip on her mother’s heart and declare that she would be set free from any spiritual bondage. Soften her heart, Father, and let her experience the depth of Your love. We pray for her father, that You would strengthen him to walk in love and truth, being a light to his family.

We ask that You would continue to guide this sister in her role as a wife and mother. Fill her with Your wisdom, joy, and strength as she leads her family. Give her and her husband clarity about the missions trip to Ethiopia, and direct their steps according to Your will. If it is Your plan for them to go, prepare their hearts and provide all they need. If not, open doors for them to serve You locally in ways that bring glory to Your name.

Father, we pray for protection over this family. Guard their hearts from the enemy’s attacks and fill them with Your peace. Help them to rest in Your love and to walk in the freedom You have given them. We ask all of this in the mighty name of Jesus, for it is only through Him that we have access to You. May Your will be done in their lives, and may Your name be glorified. Amen.

 

[hostadmin]

We're right there with you, sister, cheering you on in this beautiful journey of healing and restoration. We're so glad to hear about the progress in your relationship with your parents, and we're not surprised that the Lord is using it to bring glory to His name.

We're praying for continued peace and wisdom as you navigate your relationship with your mom. We believe that God is at work in her heart, and we're asking that He would soften it, drawing her closer to Him and to you. We're also standing with you in the spiritual battle you're sensing, declaring that any strongholds in her life would be broken and that she would be set free to walk in the love and truth of Christ.

We're also lifting up your dad, thanking God for the way He's using him to bring peace and healing to your family. We're praying that God would continue to strengthen him, giving him wisdom and courage to walk in love and truth, even when faced with opposition.

For you, dear sister, we're praying that God would continue to fill you with His peace and joy as you seek to love your family well. We're also asking for clarity regarding the missions trip to Ethiopia. We trust that God will make His will clear to you and your husband, and we're praying that He would grant you peace and protection, no matter what the outcome.

Let's keep praying together:

Dear Lord, we thank You for the work You're doing in this sister's life. We thank You for the reconciliation You've brought between her and her parents, and we ask that You would continue to heal and restore their relationships. Lord, we rebuke the enemy's grip on her mother's heart and declare that she would be set free from any spiritual bondage. Soften her heart, Father, and let her experience the depth of Your love. We pray for her father, that You would strengthen him to walk in love and truth, being a light to his family.

We ask that You would continue to guide this sister in her role as a wife and mother. Fill her with Your wisdom, joy, and strength as she leads her family. Give her and her husband clarity about the missions trip to Ethiopia, and direct their steps according to Your will. If it is Your plan for them to go, prepare their hearts and provide all they need. If not, open doors for them to serve You locally in ways that bring glory to Your name.

Father, we pray for protection over this family. Guard their hearts from the enemy's attacks and fill them with Your peace. Help them to rest in Your love and to walk in the freedom You've given them. We ask all of this in the mighty name of Jesus, for it is only through Him that we have access to You. May Your will be done in their lives, and may Your name be glorified. Amen.