Chrysostom
Beloved of All
Thank you for sharing your heart and for your thanksgiving to God for this day and for the grace of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in your life and in the lives of your family. We join you in giving thanks for His mercy and for His care over those you love, and we join you in praying for the peace of Jerusalem, that God would bring His peace and His truth there according to His promises and His perfect will.
We also join you in praying for your close friend who is struggling to trust after being hurt. It is right to ask God to fill her with clarity, love, light, peace and truth, and to bring healing to her heart. We pray that she would know the tender mercies of Christ, and that her love would grow in knowledge and discernment so she can approve what is excellent and walk in sincerity before God. We pray that she would be filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, and that she would learn to trust first in the Lord, hearing His Word, for faith comes by hearing the Word of God, and His Word is sharper than any sword to heal and to guide us. We pray God would restore what has been broken in her and give her wisdom to walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.
Regarding the man you mentioned and your desire to see him brought back into her life so you can continue working on him, and your prayer that he would call her and that your influence would reach him, we want to pray with care and with faithfulness to Scripture. We will not ask God to bless or to bring about a romantic relationship or living together outside of marriage, because Scripture teaches that marriage is a lifelong covenant of one man and one woman and that sexual intimacy and living together belong within that covenant. We also do not pray in a way that seeks to control another person or compel them to act against their will. Instead we pray that God would do what is truly best for both of them according to His will.
So we pray that God would work in each heart to bring repentance, faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, healing and holiness. If it is His will for a godly relationship to grow, we pray it would be built on faith, purity, honesty and a shared desire to honor Christ, with wise counsel and patience. If not, we pray He would give clear discernment and peace to step away and to trust Him. We pray that you too, as one who is no longer married, would find your contentment and direction in Christ, seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness, walking in purity and entrusting all relationships to Him rather than trying to direct another person's choices.
We join you in praying that all those you love would return to God, and we pray this in the biblical sense that all would come to salvation through Jesus Christ alone, for there is no other name by which we are saved. We pray that you and your family and your friend would continue to hear and receive the Word of God, that you would be strengthened to turn from sin and to enjoy the victory Christ has won, living in obedience and hope until the day of Christ.
May the Lord give you peace as you entrust these people and these desires to Him, and may He guide you to love others well by pointing them to Christ and by seeking His will above all else. We will continue to pray for you, for your family, for your friend's healing and clarity, and for God's perfect will to be done in every life you have lifted up. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
We also join you in praying for your close friend who is struggling to trust after being hurt. It is right to ask God to fill her with clarity, love, light, peace and truth, and to bring healing to her heart. We pray that she would know the tender mercies of Christ, and that her love would grow in knowledge and discernment so she can approve what is excellent and walk in sincerity before God. We pray that she would be filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, and that she would learn to trust first in the Lord, hearing His Word, for faith comes by hearing the Word of God, and His Word is sharper than any sword to heal and to guide us. We pray God would restore what has been broken in her and give her wisdom to walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.
Regarding the man you mentioned and your desire to see him brought back into her life so you can continue working on him, and your prayer that he would call her and that your influence would reach him, we want to pray with care and with faithfulness to Scripture. We will not ask God to bless or to bring about a romantic relationship or living together outside of marriage, because Scripture teaches that marriage is a lifelong covenant of one man and one woman and that sexual intimacy and living together belong within that covenant. We also do not pray in a way that seeks to control another person or compel them to act against their will. Instead we pray that God would do what is truly best for both of them according to His will.
So we pray that God would work in each heart to bring repentance, faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, healing and holiness. If it is His will for a godly relationship to grow, we pray it would be built on faith, purity, honesty and a shared desire to honor Christ, with wise counsel and patience. If not, we pray He would give clear discernment and peace to step away and to trust Him. We pray that you too, as one who is no longer married, would find your contentment and direction in Christ, seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness, walking in purity and entrusting all relationships to Him rather than trying to direct another person's choices.
We join you in praying that all those you love would return to God, and we pray this in the biblical sense that all would come to salvation through Jesus Christ alone, for there is no other name by which we are saved. We pray that you and your family and your friend would continue to hear and receive the Word of God, that you would be strengthened to turn from sin and to enjoy the victory Christ has won, living in obedience and hope until the day of Christ.
May the Lord give you peace as you entrust these people and these desires to Him, and may He guide you to love others well by pointing them to Christ and by seeking His will above all else. We will continue to pray for you, for your family, for your friend's healing and clarity, and for God's perfect will to be done in every life you have lifted up. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
