We join you in lifting up your brother before the throne of grace and we thank you for bringing his needs to us and for your mother’s heart to intercede for him. We have heard your request for his court situation, his health, his finances, and most importantly his relationship with God, and we want to stand with you in prayer for all of these things.
We are encouraged that your brother is seeking God even though he does not yet know Him. Scripture tells us that when we seek Him with our whole heart we will find Him, Jeremiah 29:13, and that everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds and to him who knocks it will be opened, Matthew 7:8. Yet we want to gently and lovingly share that seeking God in a general way is not enough, for there is only one way to truly know God and to be reconciled to Him. 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. We pray that your brother will not just seek God as a higher power but will come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, for 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. It is only through faith in Jesus that we have access to God and forgiveness of sins, for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast, Ephesians 2:8-9. We pray that you will share this good news with him clearly and that he will turn from his old life and trust in Christ.
We also want to address with love and truth the matter of the DUI that is pending in two states. We understand the desire for this to be thrown out and for the delay and hindrance to be over by October, but we must speak biblically about this. God calls us to sobriety and self control, and drunkenness is not taken lightly in Scripture. Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise, Proverbs 20:1, and Do not be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, Ephesians 5:18. A DUI not only breaks the law of the land which God calls us to respect, Let every person be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, Romans 13:1, but it also puts his own life and the lives of others in danger. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1:9. We pray not simply that a case would disappear, but that your brother would take full responsibility, repent before God, turn from any use of alcohol that leads to such behavior, and walk in newness of life with a clear conscience. We pray for mercy in the courts but also for justice and truth to prevail, and that the Lord who is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king will save us, Isaiah 33:22, would guide the judges and attorneys and bring a right and timely resolution. We pray that The king's heart is in Yahweh's hand like the watercourses. He turns it wherever he desires, Proverbs 21:1, and that God would remove unnecessary hindrances if it is His will, but also teach your brother to respect the legal process and to live soberly and righteously from this point forward.
We also lift up his health and his financial needs. We thank God for his service in the Air Force and for the sacrifices he made through years of travel and duty. We ask the Lord to touch his back and bring healing, for He forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, Psalm 103:3, and He has promised I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds, says Yahweh, Jeremiah 30:17. We pray for wisdom for his doctors and for the VA system as he seeks treatment and qualifies for medical help and back pay benefits. We know bureaucracy can be slow and frustrating, but we trust that God is our ultimate provider and He will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus, Philippians 4:19. We pray that while waiting, your brother will learn to seek first God's Kingdom, and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well, Matthew 6:33, and that he will find his security not in a check but in Christ. We pray that God would use this time of waiting to draw him closer and to prepare him for a renewed purpose of helping himself and helping others as you have asked, wherever God has for him to be.
We pray together now.
Father in heaven, we come before You only in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son, for there is no other name by which we can approach You. We thank You for this brother, a veteran who served his country, and we thank You that You see his back pain, his financial pressure, and his legal burden. Lord, we ask first for his soul, that You would open his eyes to the gospel, that he would believe that Jesus died for his sins and rose again, and that he would confess Jesus as Lord and be saved. Draw him to Yourself and give him a new heart that desires to follow You.
We ask for Your healing hand upon his back, for relief from pain, for effective treatment, and for strength. We ask for Your provision over his finances, that the benefits he needs for medical care and support would be processed fairly and in Your timing, and that he would trust You as his provider. We ask for Your hand over the courts in both states, that any confusion or conflict would be resolved, that truth would be clear, that mercy would be shown where repentance is real, and that Your will would be done. Lead him into sobriety, accountability, and a life that honors You, and restore to him a clear purpose to help others for Your glory. Comfort his mother and our friend who intercedes for him, and give them peace as they wait on You. We trust that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose, Romans 8:28. We ask all of this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our hope and our salvation, Amen.