We hear the deep longing in your heart for repentance, rest, and a season of renewed nearness to God, and we join you in lifting these burdens before the throne of grace. Your cry for restoration—both spiritually and in the practical areas of life—resonates with the heart of our Father, who desires for His children to return to their first love and walk in obedience to His Word. We also notice the weight of your circumstances, including the unrepentant heart of your wife and the separation from your son, the natural disasters affecting your family’s location, and the pressing needs of employment, order, and physical well-being. These are not small things, and we approach them with both compassion and the uncompromising truth of Scripture.
First, we must address the foundation of your prayers. You have rightly closed your request "in Jesus’ Name," acknowledging that it is only through Christ we have access to the Father (John 14:6, Ephesians 2:18). This is a critical truth, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Your faith in this is evident, and we praise God for it. Yet we also sense a season of spiritual weariness in your words, a need to return to the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3). The Lord is calling you to "come away" with Him, as He did with His disciples in Mark 6:31, so that you might find rest in His presence. This is not an escape from responsibility but a divine invitation to be strengthened by Him before re-engaging the battles ahead.
You have referenced James 4:8, which says, *"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded."* This is the heart of repentance—a turning away from sin and a turning toward God with all your heart. The call to repentance is not just for your wife or others; it is a continual posture for every believer. We urge you to examine your own heart in this season. Are there areas where you have allowed bitterness, unforgiveness, or idolatry to take root? The state of your marriage and family is deeply painful, and while we grieve with you over your wife’s unrepentance, we must also remind you that your response must be one of righteousness, prayer, and trust in God’s sovereignty (1 Peter 3:1-2, 1 Corinthians 7:12-16). You cannot change her heart, but you can surrender it to the Lord in intercession, trusting that He is able to do what seems impossible (Matthew 19:26).
Your mention of your son is heavy with sorrow. We do not know the full context of why your wife lives with him apart from you, but we encourage you to seek the Lord for wisdom in how to pursue reconciliation where possible, while also entrusting your son’s upbringing to God’s care. The Scriptures are clear that children are a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3), and He is deeply concerned with their well-being. Pray for your son’s salvation and protection, that the Lord would raise up godly influences in his life even now. And if there has been sin on your part—whether in the breakdown of your marriage or in your role as a father—we urge you to repent and seek restoration where possible. The Lord is faithful to redeem what has been broken when we humble ourselves before Him.
Regarding your wife’s unrepentance, we must speak the truth in love: marriage is a covenant before God, and His desire is for reconciliation and holiness (Malachi 2:14-16, 1 Corinthians 7:10-11). If she remains hardened, however, you are not responsible for her choices, but you *are* responsible for your own obedience to Christ. This may mean continuing to love her as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25), even if she does not reciprocate. It may mean setting godly boundaries where necessary, but always with a heart that longs for her repentance. Pray that the Lord would convict her by His Spirit, that she would turn from any sin—including the sin of rejecting her husband and the headship God has established in marriage—and return to the Lord and to you. The natural disasters in the Philippines are a sobering reminder of the fragility of life and the urgency of repentance (Luke 13:3-5). Pray that these events would serve as a wake-up call for her and for many.
Your request for a Christian-owned sales job with salary, commission, benefits, and the possibility of remote work is a practical need, and we lift it up to the Lord who supplies all our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). We encourage you to seek Him first in this, trusting that He will provide as you prioritize His kingdom (Matthew 6:33). Be diligent in your search, but also be open to the Lord’s leading, even if it looks different from what you expect. Ask Him for favor with potential employers and for wisdom to recognize His provision. Remember that work is a gift from God, and we are to do all things as unto Him (Colossians 3:23). If remote work is His will for you in this season, He will make a way. If not, trust that He has a purpose in where He places you.
Your desire for order, grace for chores, and the ability to take care of your "own vineyard" (Song of Solomon 1:6) reflects a heart that wants to steward well what God has entrusted to you. This is commendable. The Scriptures call us to live lives of discipline and godliness, for while physical training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way (1 Timothy 4:8). We pray that the Lord would give you the strength and motivation to tend to the practical areas of your life—your home, your health, and your responsibilities—with excellence. Ask Him to help you establish routines that honor Him, whether in Bible study, prayer, exercise, or daily tasks. The Lord is not a God of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33), and He will help you bring order to the chaos if you seek Him.
You have also mentioned angelic ministry, referencing passages like Genesis 19:16, Psalm 91:10-11, and Hebrews 1:14. While we do not worship angels or seek them above seeking Christ, we acknowledge that they are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation. We pray that the Lord would dispatch His angels to watch over you, your wife, and your son, protecting you from harm and guiding you in His will. May they minister to you in ways that draw you closer to Jesus, not to themselves. Our focus must always remain on Christ, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Finally, we sense in your request a deep hunger for the "rest" that Jesus offers—not just physical rest, but the soul-rest that comes from abiding in Him (Matthew 11:28-30). The swirl of international events, job searches, family struggles, and personal disciplines can leave one feeling overwhelmed. But Jesus invites you to cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). He is your Sabbath rest, your peace in the storm. We pray that you would enter into that rest, trusting Him with the things you cannot control and obeying Him in the things you can.
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**Let us pray together:**
Heavenly Father, we come before You in the name of Jesus, lifting up our brother who longs for a season of nearness to You. Lord, You have said that when we draw near to You, You will draw near to us (James 4:8). We ask that You would ignite in him a fresh passion for Your presence, a returning to his first love (Revelation 2:4). Strip away any distraction, any idolatry, any double-mindedness that would hinder him from walking closely with You. Renew his mind in Your Word, and let the Holy Spirit fill him with revelation and wisdom (Ephesians 1:17, 2 Timothy 2:15).
Lord, we lift up his marriage and his wife, who remains unrepentant. Father, You hate divorce (Malachi 2:16), and You are able to soften even the hardest heart. We pray that You would convict her by Your Spirit, leading her to repentance and reconciliation—first with You, and then with her husband. Break the chains of sin that bind her, whether it be pride, rebellion, or any other stronghold. Raise up godly influences in her life, and let her see the gravity of her choices. Lord, if there is any way our brother can love her as Christ loves the church, show him how. Give him wisdom to know when to speak, when to act, and when to wait in silence. Protect their son, Lord. Surround him with Your angels, and let him grow up to know You as his Savior. Bring restoration to this family where it aligns with Your will.
Father, we ask for Your provision in his job search. Open doors that no man can shut (Revelation 3:8), and give him favor with Christian employers who will honor Your name in their business. Provide for his financial needs, and let him work with excellence as unto You. If remote work is Your will, make it clear. If not, prepare his heart for where You are leading him.
Lord, we pray for order in his life—grace for chores, discipline in his time with You, and strength for physical exercise. Help him to tend well to his "vineyard," to steward his time, his home, and his body for Your glory. Let him experience the peace that comes from a life submitted to You (1 Corinthians 14:33).
We ask for Your protection over him, his wife, and his son. Dispatch Your angels to guard them, especially in the midst of natural disasters and uncertainty. Let them be hidden under the shadow of Your wings (Psalm 91:4).
Finally, Lord, we pray for rest. The storms of life have been relentless, but You are the Prince of Peace. Quiet his heart with Your presence. Let him find rest in You alone, even as he walks through this season of pressing needs and spiritual warfare.
We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer. Let Your will be done in his life, and let Your kingdom come. Amen.
I pray for a season of nearness to God, James 4:8, first love, Rev 2:4, ability to take care of my own vineyard, Song 1:6, after a swirl of international events (3 Typhoons, 2 Earthquakes in the Philippines where my unrepentant wife lives with my ### mo son), moves and job-related activity (Seeking Christian Owned Sales Job Salary, Commission, Benefits, Remote if Possible), Mark 6:11. Holy Spirit of revelation of God, Eph 1:17, time in The Word, 2 Tim 2:15, and physical exercise, 1 Tim 4:8. Order, 1 Cor 14:33, grace for chores, pressing needs, Tit 3:14, simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ, 2 Cor 11:3, angelic ministry, Gen 19:16, 1 Kings 19:6, Ps 91:10-11, Heb 1:14, Acts 12:7, Heb 13:2. "He said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.' (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat)." Thank You in Jesus' Name, Phil 4:6-7.
