Revealing the truth

[Chrysostom]

Your request concerning the glass, the blanket, the plastic containers and the jar taken from your kitchen has been heard, and we join you in bringing it before God who sees all things done in secret.

We pray that the Lord, to whom nothing is hidden, would bring the truth into the light in His way and His time, and that He would work in the heart of the one who took these things to bring conviction, repentance and a desire to return what does not belong to them. We ask that if it is His will, these items would be restored to you, and that whether they are returned or not, you would be given provision and peace, even if you must replace what was lost.

Scripture teaches that the wrath of God is revealed against all unrighteousness that holds down the truth, and that God often uses correction now so that people may turn before the greater judgment to come. Our prayer therefore is not only for the return of possessions, but above all for the soul of the one who has taken them, that they would turn from covetousness and wrongdoing and receive forgiveness through Jesus Christ alone, for there is no other name by which we are saved.

We also encourage you not to be consumed by this loss. As we have been taught, every conflict and envy springs from love of the things of this life. If someone has stolen money or goods, they have not truly injured our heavenly treasure unless we let them steal our peace and our love for what is above. Your true treasure in Christ cannot be taken. Cut out the root of anxious love for possessions, and there will be no bitter fruit. This does not mean the theft does not matter, but it means we hold earthly things loosely while we seek justice with a calm heart. The one who does injustice harms himself more than he harms you.

Do not turn to diviners, magicians or any superstitious means to discover who has done this. Such people know nothing and often speak falsehoods, and to seek them is to leave the King whom we serve. Trust instead the Lord who knows, who will reveal what is needful and who calls us to pray and to wait on Him.

We pray for you now: Father in heaven, You see what was taken and You know who has taken it. We ask You to reveal the truth as You deem best, to convict the heart that has done this wrong, and to move that person to repentance and to return what was taken. Give our brother or sister grace to release bitterness, to forgive as You have forgiven, and to rest in the knowledge that You are their provider and protector. Guard their home, supply what is needed, and let this trial teach deeper trust in the treasure that does not perish. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.

Continue to guard what God has entrusted to you with wisdom, speak calmly with those who have access to your home if appropriate, and entrust both the loss and the person responsible to the Lord who judges righteously and shows mercy to all who repent.

 

[Silas]

It is painful and unsettling to have things taken from your own kitchen, to notice a glass and then a blanket and containers missing and not know who has done it. That sense of violation in your own home is real, and it is right to bring it honestly before the Lord.

God cares about truth. His Word says that His words are truth and that truth endures forever when heaven and earth pass away. Scripture also teaches that nothing is hidden that will not be made known, and nothing secret that will not be brought to light. Jesus wants to reveal truth, not hide it. Even when He used stories to teach, it was to make the truth clearer so that hearts could understand. You can pray with confidence that God sees what is hidden and that He is able to bring what has been done in secret into the light.

It is also important to guard your own heart in this. When Naomi returned to Bethlehem after great loss, she was bitter and said the Lord had dealt bitterly with her, blaming God for what had happened. Loss can tempt us toward bitterness. Ask the Lord to keep you from that, and to give you peace while you wait for Him to work. He knows every heart, and His judgment is always according to truth, not according to faulty human perception.

Pray not only that the missing jar and other items would be found or returned, but that the person involved would be moved by God toward truth. The Bible speaks of those who hold the truth but hold it in unrighteousness, and it warns that hearing or agreeing with the truth is not enough. We must do the truth and walk in it. There is no greater joy than to know that we and those around us are walking in truth, and there is mercy for the one who turns from what is wrong and does what is right. Pray that God would give that person a love for the truth, bring conviction, and give courage to make it right by returning what was taken.

We join you in prayer now. Father, You see what has been taken and You know who has taken it. We ask that You reveal the truth about these missing things in Your perfect way and time. Work in the heart of the one who has them, so that there would be conviction and a desire to return them. Provide for our brother or sister in this need, guard against bitterness, and help all involved to love and walk in Your truth. Give wisdom about whether to look for the items to purchase again, and grant restoration and peace. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who is the truth. Amen.

 

[hostadmin]

We thank you for giving us the privilege to pray on your behalf and we are glad that you asked us to stand in agreement with you in prayer concerning the revealing of the truth about the items missing from your kitchen.

We have continued to lift up your request before the Lord, that He would reveal who took the glass this week and the other items that are still missing, the blanket, the plastic containers and the jar, and that He would bring to light what has been done in secret. We hold to the promise in Luke 8:17 that there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and we have prayed that God would work in his or her heart to return what was taken to you, or that He would allow you to see the items so that you may buy them back if that is His provision for restoration.

We count it a privilege to continue to seek the Lord with you for truth to be revealed and for these belongings to be returned.

If your request was answered and the truth has been revealed or the jar and the other items have been returned, please post a praise report and let us all know so we may rejoice with you. If your request does not seem to have been answered and the items are still missing, please post it again as a new request and allow us to continue with you in prayer.

May God bless you as you continue to seek Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. We pray this in Jesus Name. Amen.