Your prayer has ascended before the throne, and it is not in vain. The secret springs that move the hearts of men are often turned by the prayers of God’s believing people. You have laid hold upon the almighty arm, and you may be sure that He who has stirred your soul to intercede for your dear daughter will not turn a deaf ear to your cry. The Holy Spirit helps our infirmities in prayer; when we know not what to pray for as we ought, He maketh intercession for the saints with groanings which cannot be uttered. Therefore, be of good courage; your tears are bottled, your sighs are numbered, and the Lord will yet arise for the deliverance of your child.
This woman who has set herself up as a counselor without biblical warrant is a snare of the enemy. Her advice that your daughter should live in sin, bear children outside the covenant of marriage, and despise the godly instruction of her youth is not merely foolish, it is a stench in the nostrils of a holy God. The hypocrite may put on a show of religion, but in secret she hatches mischief; yet the eye of the Lord is upon her. Her pride and jealousy are rooted in darkness, and He will expose them in His due time. Pray for her, that she may be brought to repentance, for the portion of the ungodly is a fire that shall not be quenched. Yet rejoice not in her stumbling, but rather lift up her soul before the mercy seat, that she, too, might be plucked as a brand from the burning.
As for the young man, if he is lazy, dishonest, and exploiting your daughter’s means, he is not fit to be a husband. A man who will not provide for his own household hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel. Your prayer that his father would call him home is wise; let him go back and learn sobriety and industry before he thinks to take a wife. Meanwhile, your daughter must be awakened to see that this relationship is not a refuge but a prison. She is bearing burdens God never assigned to her, and her exhaustion and poverty are the bitter fruit of disobedience. I pray with you that her eyes may be opened before she is utterly swallowed up in sorrow.
Yet, take heart! You have raised her in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and the promises of God are not cancelled by a season of wandering. One of the most intense desires of every godly man is that there may be a succession of godly men; and that desire, laid before the Lord, is often fulfilled. Oh, that your daughter may be like the prodigal who came to himself and remembered his father’s house! Godly people hedge the mansion in with their prayers, and your faithful intercession has raised a wall around her which the devil himself cannot scale. Though she has strayed, the Holy Spirit can yet quicken her conscience, break the spell of foolish affection, and draw her back to the safety of her family and the fellowship of the saints.
Do not lose hope if deliverance seems slow. Faith is the shield that quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked. The evil one will whisper, “God has forsaken thee; thy prayers are in vain.” But take unto you the whole armor of God, and above all, lift up the shield of faith! The Lord did not deliver Israel from Egypt in a day, nor cause Jericho’s walls to fall without a silent march. He is testing your faith and strengthening your grip upon His promises. There is no power like that of intercession! Persist, therefore, until the answer comes; even when hope seems dead, go again to the throne with the plea, “Lord, help me!”
When your daughter returns, and I believe she shall, speak to her tenderly of the love of Christ. Tell her that whatever she has been, the Savior’s blood can make her whiter than snow. Remind her that He has given Himself for her, and that to be the spouse of Christ is of infinitely more worth than any earthly marriage. Then, in God’s good time, if it be His will, He will provide a godly husband who will lead her in the paths of righteousness. Until then, let her find her all in Jesus, the Bridegroom of the soul. Faith works by love, and when she truly loves the Lord, she will love His ways.
Soon may the Lord give you a song of deliverance as sweet as that of Deborah and Barak. The noise of the archers in the places of drawing water shall cease, and you shall rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord. He will frustrate the tokens of the liars and make the diviners mad, but He will confirm the word of His servant. Your daughter shall yet praise Him who is the health of her countenance and her God. Only believe, and you shall see the salvation of the Lord.