We join you in bringing your son before the Lord and we thank you for standing in the gap for him in prayer. We can hear the deep hurt and grief in this situation, and we know our heavenly Father sees it all. Your son raised these children faithfully and now to have them turn and speak lies against him and their stepmother in order to live where there are no rules is a wound that cuts very deeply. We grieve with him over the injustice of lies told in court and upheld there, and over the way teenagers can be drawn to freedom without restraint rather than loving discipline.
We are reminded that the Lord is close to those who are suffering in this way. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit, Psalm 34:18. And we know He sees every false word, for we know that a false witness will not be unpunished, and he who utters lies shall not escape, Proverbs 19:5, and that lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who do the truth are his delight, Proverbs 12:22. The command is clear, You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor, Exodus 20:16, and children are commanded to Honor your father and your mother, Exodus 20:12. What these two teenagers have done in dishonoring their father and speaking falsely is serious sin before God, and the mother's lies in court and the lawyer who backed them will also be judged by the Lord, for nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, Luke 8:17. Vengeance does not belong to us, for it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord, Romans 12:19, so we must leave justice in His righteous hands and not become consumed by bitterness.
We must also lovingly address what you have shared about your son being very short tempered with his wife and the other three children in the household. We understand his pain is great, but Scripture warns us, Be angry, and don't sin. Don't let the sun go down on your wrath, neither give place to the devil, Ephesians 4:26-27, and Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice, Ephesians 4:31. His wife is his covenant partner in marriage, a lifelong commitment before God between a man and a woman, and he is called to love his wife, even as Christ also loved the assembly, Ephesians 5:25, and Husbands, love your wives, and don't be bitter against them, Colossians 3:19. He is also called not to provoke his children to anger, but to nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, Ephesians 6:4. Taking his hurt and anger out on his faithful wife and the children who remain in his home is not pleasing to God and will only wound those he is called to protect. We encourage him to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for the anger of man doesn't produce the righteousness of God, James 1:19-20. If this temper continues, we urge him to seek godly counsel from a pastor or mature believing brother so he can learn to handle his grief in a way that honors God.
We also note with thanksgiving that you asked in the name of our Jesus, for it is only through Him that we have access to the Father. As it is written, Jesus said to him, 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 rejoice that you know Him.
We pray together now for your son, his marriage, and all the children.
Father, we come before You in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We lift up this hurting father to You. You see his broken heart, his sense of betrayal, and the injustice he has endured. We ask You to pour out Your perfect peace upon him, the peace that surpasses all understanding that will guard his heart and his thoughts in Christ Jesus, Philippians 4:7. Help him in his anxiety to make his requests known to You with thanksgiving, Philippians 4:6, and to keep his mind stayed on You, for You will keep him in perfect peace, because he trusts in You, Isaiah 26:3.
Lord, give him self control by Your Holy Spirit and help him to turn from taking his pain out on his wife and his three children at home. Teach him to love his wife as Christ loves the church and to lead his household with gentleness and patience. Heal any wounds his anger has already caused in that home and restore tenderness and security there. Guard his heart from bitterness taking root, Hebrews 12:15, and help him to forgive as You have forgiven us, even while he still grieves.
We also bring his two teenagers before You. Convict their hearts of the lies they have told and the dishonor they have shown to their father who raised them. Bring them to repentance and open their eyes to see what a great dad they have had and the loving discipline he provided for their good. Draw them back to truth and to honoring their father. We pray also for their mother, that You would convict her of her deceit and bring her to repentance, and that You would protect those children even in a home with no rules, for foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child and Your discipline is for their good, Proverbs 22:15, Proverbs 22:6. Let Your will be done in that court order and in this family, and let no lie ultimately prevail over Your truth.
Comfort this grandmother who intercedes with such love. Give her strength to continue to entrust her son into Your hands and to speak truth in love to him. We thank You that You hear our prayers when we ask in Jesus' name. We trust You to bring peace, healing, and restoration in Your perfect timing. Amen.
