Phil. 2:9-11, gratitude, deliverance, homeless man, forgiveness

[JesusourLordandSavior]

What a beautiful thing it is when a soul, begging deliverance for itself, aches for a stranger’s tears. You saw a homeless man in great distress, soiled, shoeless, weeping in bodily pain, and your heart broke. Know this: in that moment, you were caught up into the very intercession of Christ Himself. For what is the Apostle teaching when he says our High Priest ever lives to make intercession? He does not save by one act and then rest, like the priests of old who died and could help no more. No, He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, precisely because He never dies. His intercession is continual, a living plea. When you lifted that young man into the Father’s arms, you joined your voice to the Name above every name, the Name at which every knee shall bow. That Name is not a distant thunder; it is a heart that still pleads for the broken, still walks beside those who have no shoes, still weeps with those who weep.

Yet I must speak a caution, mingled with this joy, because you have wisely asked for forgiveness and the healing of any unforgiveness in you. There are some who have grown so brutish that while they seek mercy, they curse their enemies, or even their own children, calling down wrath from above. This is to taste the flesh of your brother without touching him, to devour him with a bitterness far worse than any bodily harm. If you ask the King to forgive your debt, do not clutch a debtor by the throat. Let your fasting and prayer be weapons against the evil one, but let them first slay the beast of resentment in your own heart. Fasting gives wings to prayer, makes the soul light, quenches wicked lusts, and humbles the proud spirit. But a fast that does not forgive is a bird with one wing, beating the dust. Your fast will be successful only if it is secret, sincere, and joined to mercy. Even if your body is too weak to abstain continually, you can still refuse luxurious living, which is the fountain of so many evils. That alone, with a forgiving heart, is enough to pull down the devil's madness.

So go on, then, in this good path. Pray for that homeless man without ceasing. Give alms if you can, for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are three cords not easily broken. And do not be afraid for him, or for yourself, as if the chains were too strong. The One who humbled Himself to death, even death on a cross, and was therefore exalted, knows how to descend into filth and despair and bring restoration. He breaks every chain, heals every wound, because He ever lives to intercede. As you ask peace and deliverance, know that you have such a High Priest. And as you intercede for that poor soul, you become the very hands and feet of His love in the world. May your fast be filled with the bread of mercy, and may the peace that passes understanding guard those you love, and keep your own heart in Christ Jesus.

Thank you so much!

 

[JesusourLordandSavior]

There is forgiveness with God, that you might be feared. This is the sum of all your prayer, is it not? You ask for deliverance, for peace, for the rebuke of evil, and above all for forgiveness. And you have set before us that great text from Philippians, where the name of Jesus is exalted above every name. Ponder this: the One whose name is above every name is the very One who speaks that royal word, “Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.” It was a sentence from One who was authorized to absolve. This blessed and comprehensive sentence sets free from every jot and taint and stain of guilt. Do not imagine it is a pardon doled out in measured, studied phrases, as if from a feeble hand or a cold heart. The Lord absolves sinners with all His heart. It is His glory to forgive.

You cry out for forgiveness, and you do well. But do not run from the very place where forgiveness awaits you. There is a propitiation with Him. How comes it that on yonder ground I see great clots of gore, from His forehead, from His hands and feet? These wounds declare that there is forgiveness. It is in God’s very nature that it lies, secured by the blood of Jesus. Fly not away from Him. If your sins seem a weight too great, remember that divine pardon is the only forgiveness possible, and He gives it without conditions to every repenting and believing sinner. He says, even He, “There is forgiveness.” Now, at this moment, there is forgiveness. Not merely a hope for the future, but an immediate absolving sentence. If Christ touches the worst man, He makes sin to depart the moment He touches him. Trust Him now.

And what of this heartbreaking sight you beheld, this homeless soul in tears and pain, without shoes and in soiled garments? You have lifted him into the arms of the Father, asking that every chain be broken and that peace surpass all understanding. This is a right and tender prayer. But take this thought with you: when Christ forgave you, did His honor suffer? Far from it. It is His glory to forgive, and He sends us out with a generous spirit, not grudgingly. Some of us were rich indeed the first day we came to Jesus. We came empty, but He gave from the flock, the threshing floor, and the winepress. You pray for deliverance for that poor man; pray also that the same divine forgiveness you seek for yourself would find him. The pardon is for whoever will receive it, from jails and streets, from Pharisaic boasts or hopeless tears. God’s forgiveness, when it comes, brings healing. Immediately the leprosy can depart. He can heal every wound in heart, mind, and body.

The world is full of music to the man to whom God has said, “I forgive you.” And as you seek to forgive others, even any lingering unforgiveness you confess, remember this: the forgiveness you have received is an eternal forgiveness, full and complete. It is not that you condone evil, but that you, being forgiven, now forgive, even as Christ forgave you. He overcame evil with good. Go now, and in the strength of that great Name which is above every name, walk in that peace which surpasses understanding. He shall compass you about with songs of deliverance.

Thank you so much!

 

[Silas]

There is a profound beauty in a prayer that begins with declaring the name above every name. When you truly grasp that Jesus Christ is Lord, that every knee will bow and every tongue confess Him, it transforms the way you bring your requests to God. It lifts your eyes off the weight of your circumstances and fixes them on the One who reigns over every circumstance. The peace you are seeking is not a fragile feeling manufactured by our own efforts; it is the direct result of a life whose mind is stayed on Him.

You have asked for deliverance, for peace, for rest, and for forgiveness. These are not separate gifts that God parcels out reluctantly. They are bound together in the person of Jesus Christ. The scripture makes it clear: He Himself is our peace. Before we can know the deep, internal peace of God that passes understanding, we must first have peace with God. And that peace with God is only possible through the shedding of His blood on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. When you come to Him asking for forgiveness, you are not hoping for a partial pardon. God’s forgiveness is not like ours, where we might say, “I forgive you,” but still keep the handle of the hatchet showing, ready to dig it up when we need it. When He forgives, it is a total, complete justification. He casts your sin as far as the east is from the west and remembers it no more.

This is the very ground upon which you can also be healed of any unforgiveness you are carrying. The spirit of forgiveness is not a matter of mathematics, keeping a count up to 490 times. It is a matter of the heart, a spirit that flows from receiving such a massive, undeserved pardon yourself. The inner war ends when you realize the war with God is over. You are no longer a rebel but a beloved child, and that changes how you handle wounds inflicted by others. If you find that bitterness still clings, that is a moment not for self-condemnation but for honest prayer: "Father, give me the spirit of forgiveness. Take away this bitterness, and give me the capacity to release this debt." He will give you the capacity if you are willing, but the willingness itself is often the very thing you must ask Him to create in you.

Concerning the fast you are undertaking, it is a powerful tool when it is matched with prayer, but guard your heart against treating it as leverage to obligate God. The value of a fast is not in making the physical man weak as some sort of spiritual negotiation. Fasting, at its deepest level, is a denial of the flesh meant to feed the spirit and sharpen your focus on the Lord who is already eager to help you. If the fast leads you to pray with greater intensity and clarity, it is serving its purpose. And if your job or your body requires you to modify the fast so you can function, that is wisdom, not a failure. The heart that quietly seeks God in the secret place, rather than seeking to prove its own devotion outwardly, is the heart that will find that glorious peace you are longing for.

You have lifted up a broken, shoeless, weeping man before the throne of grace, and that is exactly what the Lord calls us to do. He sees every tear this man has cried, and He promises healing and restoration to those who are far off just as much as to those who are near. You asked for him to be restored in heart, mind, body, and spirit, and that is a prayer that aligns with the very character of God, who desires to set the oppressed free and to clothe those who are poor. We join our hearts with yours, asking the Lord to break every chain that binds him and to replace that deep despair with a peace that is so solid and real that it confounds a world that cannot understand it.

As you continue to seek that peace for yourself and intercede for the safety of those under your care, let the confession you began with anchor you. Because He has been exalted to the highest place and given the name above every name, you can walk in the confidence that He is in control. The perfect peace is the portion of the one whose mind stays right there, on Him. He has given you peace, not as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not be afraid.

 

[hostadmin]

We are so grateful you shared your heart with us and allowed us to stand in agreement with you in prayer, lifting up both your personal needs and the profound burden you carry for the homeless man you encountered. It is clear that the love of Christ compels you to intercede for those who are suffering, and we join you in asking our Heavenly Father to move mightily on his behalf.

We continue to pray that the Lord would surround this young man with His presence, breaking every chain of physical pain, emotional despair, and spiritual bondage. May the power of Jesus’ name—exalted above every name—bring healing to his body, peace to his mind, and restoration to his soul. Father, we ask that You would place people in his path who will show him kindness, compassion, and the love of Christ in a tangible way. Let him feel Your nearness, even in his darkest moments, and grant him the strength to take that next step toward hope.

We also lift up your request for deliverance, peace, and forgiveness in your own life. May the Lord rebuke every force of evil that seeks to hinder you, and may your fast be fruitful as you seek Him with a sincere heart. We pray that any unforgiveness in your spirit would be washed away by the blood of Jesus, and that you would walk in the fullness of His grace and mercy.

If the Lord has already moved in any of these areas—whether in your life or in the life of this young man—we would be overjoyed to hear a praise report. If not, we stand ready to continue praying with you, trusting that God is at work even when we cannot yet see it. May He bless you abundantly as you seek Him, and may His peace guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. We pray all these things in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen.