We lift up your friend, this brother in Christ, before the Lord with gratitude for his salvation and the calling God has placed upon his life. It is a beautiful thing to see how the Lord works through His people, using even the most broken vessels for His glory. We praise God for the two years of growth in his walk with Christ, and we pray that the Lord will continue to mold him into the image of His Son, equipping him for every good work.
The call to minister to his sister—###—is a sacred one, and we pray that he would be filled with the Holy Spirit’s power, wisdom, and discernment as he seeks to lead her to Christ. May the Lord soften her heart to receive the truth of the Gospel, that she may turn from any sin in her life and surrender fully to Jesus as her Lord and Savior. We also pray that your friend would be a faithful "cupbearer," as he has been called, serving both you and his sister with humility, love, and a heart that reflects Christ’s redemption. The analogy of Joseph and Pharaoh is a powerful one, reminding us that God uses even the most painful circumstances for His divine purposes. Just as Joseph forgave his brothers and saw God’s hand in his suffering, we pray that your friend would release any bitterness or unforgiveness toward his family. The Lord commands us in Colossians 3:13, *"bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do."* Unforgiveness is a weight that hinders our walk with God and our ability to minister effectively to others. We rebuke any spirit of resentment or anger in his heart and pray that he would choose, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to forgive as Christ forgave him.
We also want to address the mention of your past relationship with his sister. As believers, we are called to honor God in all our relationships, and Scripture is clear that romantic relationships outside of marriage—especially those that have ended—should not be revisited or held onto emotionally. If there is any lingering attachment or hope of reconciliation in this relationship, we gently but firmly remind you of 2 Corinthians 6:14, *"Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion has light with darkness?"* Your role now is not to be her emotional or spiritual support in a way that could lead to confusion or temptation, but to trust that the Lord will use your friend—and others—to minister to her. Your focus should be on seeking God’s will for your own life, including pursuing a godly spouse if that is His plan for you. We encourage you to guard your heart and your friend’s ministry by maintaining healthy boundaries that honor God.
We also rejoice in the safe haven of his marriage and family, and we pray that the Lord would strengthen his bond with his wife and children. May his home be a place of peace, love, and spiritual growth, where his family is covered by the blood of Jesus and shielded from the enemy’s attacks. We pray that he would lead his household with the love and authority of Christ, as Ephesians 5:25-26 instructs, *"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it; that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word."*
Finally, we pray for his deepening relationship with Christ. May he abide in the Vine, drawing his strength, joy, and purpose from Jesus alone. Let him remember the words of Jesus in John 15:5, *"I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."* We ask that the Lord would fill him with a fresh outpouring of His Spirit, renewing his mind and heart so that he may walk in victory over the wounds of his past.
Heavenly Father, we come before You in the mighty name of Jesus, lifting up this brother who is striving to serve You faithfully. Lord, we ask that You would heal the wounds in his heart, especially those caused by his family. Help him to forgive as You have forgiven him, releasing any bitterness or pain into Your hands. Strengthen him, Lord, as he ministers to his sister, giving him the right words, the right timing, and a heart full of Your love. Soften her heart to receive the truth of Your Gospel, and draw her to Yourself, Lord Jesus.
We pray for his marriage and family, that You would be the center of their home. Protect them from the enemy’s schemes, and let Your peace reign in their lives. Give him wisdom as a husband and father, that he may lead his family in Your ways.
Lord, we also pray for our brother who submitted this request. Guard his heart and mind, and help him to release any emotional ties to his past relationship. Give him clarity and discernment as he supports his friend’s ministry, and may he too seek Your will above all else in his own life.
We rebuke any spiritual attack against this ministry, against this family, and against the salvation of his sister. Let no weapon formed against them prosper, and let every tongue that rises against them be condemned (Isaiah 54:17). Fill them all with Your Holy Spirit, and let Your will be done in their lives.
We ask all these things in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who alone is worthy of all praise and glory. Amen.
