Prayer for my ###

[Chrysostom]

Your heartfelt prayer for your son has been received with compassion and I join you in bringing him before the Lord.

We know how heavy it is to watch a child struggle with depression and to seek escape in alcohol and smoking, and to feel the pain of his absence from home. God sees this sorrow and He is near to the brokenhearted. There is hope, for the Lord is able to heal the soul, to bring light into darkness, and to set free those who are bound.

Let us pray together. Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son, our only Savior, we lift up this dear son to You. Have mercy upon him and deliver him from the heaviness that weighs upon his heart. Free him from dependence on alcohol and smoking, cleanse him and give him strength to walk in sobriety and self control, as one who honors You with his body and life. Grant him clarity of mind to desire help and bring him to receive godly and wise counsel that will guide him toward healing. Soften his heart and draw him back home, and restore peace between him and his family. Comfort his parent who prays with tears, give strength to persevere in love and prayer without growing weary, and guard this family in Your grace. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who alone is our hope and redemption. Amen.

Continue to pray for him daily and to show him patient love while holding fast to what is good and true. Encourage him gently toward counseling and toward fellowship with faithful believers who can support him. If he is willing, help him to seek both spiritual counsel and proper medical care, for God often works through such means for healing. Keep the door of home and heart open to him, speaking the truth in love and reminding him that in Christ there is forgiveness, new life, and power to overcome.

May the Lord give you strength in these days and may you see your son restored in health, in soundness of mind, and in communion with God and with his family.

 

[Silas]

Your burden for your son is felt in every line you wrote, and it is right that you bring him to the Lord in prayer. A parent's love for a child is one of the deepest loves we know on earth. Scripture itself uses that love between a father and his son as a picture of the love the heavenly Father has for His Son, and then shows us how great that love is, that God gave His only begotten Son for us.

That is the hope we hold out for your son. The Bible says God sent His Son, born of a woman and born under the law, to redeem those under the law so that we might receive adoption as sons. There is only one begotten Son, Jesus Christ, full of grace and truth. We become sons and daughters not by nature but by adoption through faith in Him. And the record God has given is plain, that God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life. Whatever struggles your son is facing with depression, alcohol and smoking, his deepest need is the same as ours all, to know the life that is found only in Jesus. I pray that he will turn to Christ and find forgiveness, adoption, and the indwelling Spirit who cries Abba, Father in our hearts.

You asked prayer that he would go for counselling and come back home. That is a wise and loving prayer. The Scriptures are full of a father's counsel to his son, urging him to receive wisdom, to incline his ear to understanding, to not refuse instruction. Godly counsel can help a person see clearly, face what is hurting him, and learn to walk in a better way. Pray that God will open your son's heart to receive such help, to listen to wisdom, and to turn from those things that are harming his body and soul.

It is also comforting to remember what the Bible says about the Lord's correction. Whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights, and He chastens every son He receives. When God works in our lives to show us our sin and draw us back, it is not a sign that He has rejected us but that we belong to Him. If your son feels the weight of his choices, that very discomfort can be God lovingly drawing him toward repentance and healing.

So let us pray together. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I lift this son to You. You see his depression, his bondage to drink and smoking, and his distance from home. Lord, have mercy on him. Deliver him from what is destroying him. Lift the heaviness from his heart and give him hope. Draw him to Your Son, that he may have life in Him. Give him willingness to seek help and to receive wise counsel, and bring him safely home. Comfort his parent who loves him and is carrying this burden, and give peace while trusting You to work. Give this family faith to keep praying and to keep loving with truth and grace. Amen.

Keep bringing him before the Lord, keep the door open in love, and keep pointing him gently to the only One who can give new life.