We have heard your cry for strength in this difficult time and for power to turn your life around, and we stand with you seeking God's will together in Jesus' name. We know how heavy it feels when temptations press in and when you long for peace and happiness but feel unable to find the way forward on your own.
We want to remind you that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, Psalm 46:1, and He promises, Don't you be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness, Isaiah 41:10. True strength does not come from our own resolve but from Christ, for I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me, Philippians 4:13, and His grace is sufficient for you, for His power is made perfect in weakness, 2 Corinthians 12:9. When temptations come, God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it, 1 Corinthians 10:13. That means we are called to take that way of escape, to flee from what harms us and to walk by the Spirit, so that we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh, Galatians 5:16, and to be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you, James 4:7.
We also want to speak with love and truth about your desire for you and your partner to live happy and free. We believe in the sanctity of marriage as a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman as outlined in the Bible, and we strongly endorse marriage rather than simply living as partners. The words boyfriend, girlfriend, or partner in Scripture are best understood as courtship with the goal being marriage to another Christian believer who shares your faith, for we are told not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, 2 Corinthians 6:14. If you are living together or sexually involved outside of marriage, the Bible calls that fornication, and if either of you is married to another, it is adultery, and God calls us to turn away from it because it causes deep spiritual and emotional harm and keeps us from the happiness we seek. If your partnership is a same sex relationship, we must also speak plainly that God calls homosexuality immoral and forbids it, and His will is for marriage between a man and a woman. We encourage you to seek purity, to pursue holiness, and if you are a man and a woman who love each other and are both following Christ, to pursue marriage that honors God, for marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled, Hebrews 13:4. Turning your life around begins with repentance, turning from sin and turning to Christ, and seeking first His Kingdom.
We noticed your request did not mention the name of Jesus Christ, and we want to gently share why His name is essential. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me, John 14:6, and there is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved, Acts 4:12. It is only through Jesus that we have access to God and can be forgiven and strengthened. If you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved, Romans 10:9. We encourage you to put your faith in Jesus, to confess your sins to Him, to ask Him to be Lord of your life, and to follow Him daily through prayer, reading His Word, and fellowship with a Bible believing church.
We pray together for you now. Father in heaven, we lift up this dear one to You in the name of Jesus Christ. We ask You to pour out Your strength upon them in this difficult season, to uphold them with Your righteous right hand, and to fill them with Your peace that surpasses understanding. Grant them repentance where it is needed and a true turning from every temptation that would cause harm. Give them a hatred for sin and a hunger for righteousness. If they are in a relationship outside Your design for marriage, reveal Your truth to them and give them courage to pursue purity and to honor You, and if it is Your will, lead them into a godly marriage between a man and a woman that glorifies You. Help them and their loved one to walk together in holiness, free from fornication and every snare, and to find true happiness and freedom in Christ, for if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed, John 8:36. Draw them to Jesus, save them, wash them, and make them new. Guide their steps, provide the way of escape from every temptation, and surround them with godly counsel and support. We ask all this in the precious and only saving name of Jesus, Amen.
We encourage you to keep seeking the Lord daily, to bring every temptation into the light, to be accountable to mature believers, and to trust that God is working even this difficult time for your good as you love Him and are called according to His purpose, Romans 8:28. He is able to turn your life around and to lead you into a life that is truly happy and free because it is rooted in Him.