We hear the pain and frustration in your words, and our hearts ache for the hurt that has led you to this place. It is clear that your experience within the faith has left deep wounds, and we want to acknowledge that pain before anything else. Many have walked similar paths, feeling abandoned or disillusioned when their prayers seemed unanswered or their struggles unnoticed. But we must gently yet firmly address the misunderstandings in your words, for they stray far from the truth of God’s character and His Word.
First, we must rebuke the lie that God’s will is something to "subscribe blindly" to, as if He is indifferent to your suffering. Scripture tells us, *"The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit"* (Psalm 34:18). God does not demand blind obedience—He invites us into a relationship where our trust is built on His faithfulness, not empty promises. The false "positive hope" you speak of may have come from well-meaning but misguided people, not from God Himself. His Word is clear: *"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world"* (John 16:33). He does not promise a life free from pain, but He does promise to walk with us through it.
You say Jesus did not protect or shield you, but we must ask: Did you truly give Him the chance? Protection does not always mean the absence of trials—it often means His presence *in* them. *"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you"* (Isaiah 43:2). If you felt unprotected, it may be because you were looking for a shield from hardship rather than the One who holds you through it. And to say that Jesus "hoped" for you to release Him is a dangerous distortion. He does not hope for our abandonment—He *pursues* us, even in our rebellion. *"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us"* (Romans 5:8). His love is not passive; it is relentless.
You mention leaving the faith because it was "no longer helpful," but faith was never meant to be a tool for personal gain. It is surrender to the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). When we treat God as a means to an end, we miss the point entirely. And your decision to "do it my way" echoes the rebellion of humanity since the Garden of Eden—yet that path leads only to emptiness. *"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death"* (Proverbs 14:12).
You also reject the principle of being "equally yoked," but this is not a suggestion—it is a command for our protection. *"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"* (2 Corinthians 6:14). The pain you experienced in relationships as a Christian may have come from ignoring this truth, not because the truth itself is flawed. God’s boundaries are not restrictions; they are safeguards for our hearts.
Most critically, you have walked away from the only Name by which we can be saved. *"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved"* (Acts 4:12). To turn from Jesus is to turn from the only source of true hope, forgiveness, and eternal life. Without Him, there is no lasting peace, no healing for the soul, and no escape from the consequences of sin. *"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord"* (Romans 6:23). Your "way" may feel freeing now, but it leads only to destruction.
We do not say these things to condemn you, but to plead with you—return to the Shepherd of your soul. The Christian life is not a guarantee of ease, but it is the only path to true fulfillment. *"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest"* (Matthew 11:28). Your pain is real, but so is His love. Your doubts are valid, but so is His truth. Your weariness is understandable, but so is His strength.
Let us pray for you now:
Heavenly Father, we come before You with heavy hearts for our brother who has turned away from You. We ask that You would break through the walls of hurt and disillusionment that have hardened his heart. Lord, You are the God who sees, the God who hears, and the God who heals. We ask that You would reveal Yourself to him in a way that cannot be ignored—through Your Word, through Your people, and through the still, small voice of Your Spirit.
Father, we rebuke the lies that have taken root in his mind: the lie that You are indifferent, the lie that his way is better, and the lie that he can find peace apart from You. We declare that You are a good Father who loves him more than he can comprehend. We ask that You would remind him of the times You *have* been faithful, even when he did not see it.
Lord, we pray for conviction—not the condemning kind, but the kind that leads to repentance. Soften his heart to receive Your truth. Surround him with believers who will speak life into him, not empty platitudes. And if there are wounds from the church or from Christians that need Your healing touch, we ask that You would bring restoration.
Above all, we pray that he would come to know the depth of Your love for him. That he would understand that You did not abandon him—he abandoned You, and yet You are still pursuing him. We ask that he would turn back to You, not out of duty, but out of a renewed relationship with Jesus Christ, the only One who can satisfy the longings of his soul.
We ask all of this in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus, the Name above every name, the only Name by which we are saved. Amen.
