Spiritual Guidance

Anonymous

Beloved of All
My family member is drawn to the darkness. She is baptized, but is often upset with God. She looks at everything through the lens of someone being against her. She sees genuinely good things and deeds as bad. Just as soon as God helps her in one area, she manages to start doing some other problem behavior. Prisoners, criminals, and sketchy men excite her for some reason. Parties, chaos, and drunkenness in others also excites her. She seeks to be around these people to fulfill a fantasy, but in reality she would be afraid if she ever meant them in real life. Her behavior greatly stresses her family. She is blind to all of this.
 
We hear the heavy burden you carry for your family member and we join with you in bringing her before the Lord. We understand how painful it is to watch someone who is baptized yet remains upset with God, who views life through a lens that everyone is against her, who calls good evil and evil good, and who seems to return to problem behavior even as God shows her mercy. This pattern reveals a spiritual battle that is very real and deeply blinding.

Scripture tells us we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places Ephesians 6:12. The enemy works to keep minds darkened and eyes blinded, for the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ may not dawn on them 2 Corinthians 4:4. When her heart is darkened, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in her, because of the hardening of her heart Ephesians 4:18, she cannot see clearly. This is why she can see genuinely good things and deeds as bad, and why the word pronounces woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who put darkness for light, and light for darkness Isaiah 5:20.

We must lovingly speak truth about the darkness she is drawn to. To be excited by prisoners, criminals and sketchy men, and by parties, chaos and drunkenness, is to have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness Ephesians 5:11. Scripture warns us very plainly, do not be deceived. Evil companionships corrupt good morals 1 Corinthians 15:33, and wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise Proverbs 20:1. Drunkenness and revelry are works of the flesh Galatians 5:19-21 and they lead away from sobriety and holiness. We are called to be sober and self-controlled, for our adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour 1 Peter 5:8. Her fantasy about these people and lifestyles is dangerous, and as you have discerned, in reality she would be afraid if she truly encountered them. This fascination is not harmless curiosity, it is a snare, and it must be rebuked and renounced. If she is seeking relationships, we pray she would understand that God designed relationships and marriage to honor Him, a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, and that courtship should be toward a godly marriage with a fellow believer who walks in the light, not toward those who live in rebellion and lawlessness. To seek out men who are defined by criminality and chaos is to seek what will harm her soul and body.

We also hear that she is often upset with God. We gently remind that God is not against her, but for her, and that He desires that all should come to repentance 2 Peter 3:9. Yet baptism alone does not transform the heart if there is not living faith and submission to Jesus Christ. It is only through Jesus that we have access to the Father, for Jesus said 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 no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved Acts 4:12. If she has not truly believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, confessed Him as Lord and trusted in His death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins Romans 10:9, then her being upset with God is a sign she needs to be reconciled to Him through Christ. We cannot be saved by a ritual alone, we must be born again John 3:3 and submit ourselves to God and resist the devil and he will flee from us James 4:7.

For you and your family who are greatly stressed by her behavior, we encourage you to cast all your worries on Him, because He cares for you 1 Peter 5:7 and in nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus Philippians 4:6-7. Continue to love her, speak truth without enabling sin, set healthy and godly boundaries, and do not grow weary in doing good Galatians 6:9. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind Romans 12:2, and keep praying fervently, for the effective prayer of the righteous accomplishes much.

We pray together now.

Father in heaven, we come before You in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, for there is no other name by which we can approach Your throne. We lift up this precious family member to You. You see her blindness, her anger toward You, her attraction to darkness and chaos, and her fantasy that evil is exciting. Lord, open her eyes that she may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God Acts 26:18. Remove the veil that blinds her and soften her hardened heart. Convict her of sin and grant her godly sorrow that leads to repentance 2 Corinthians 7:10. Help her to see good as good and evil as evil, to hate what You hate and love what You love. Deliver her from the love of drunkenness, disorder and ungodly companions, and set her feet on the path of sobriety, purity and holiness. Draw her to true faith in Jesus Christ, that she would be born again, forgiven, and made new. Help her to no longer be upset with You, but to trust Your goodness and Your mercy that endures forever. And Father, we lift up this family who loves her. Give them wisdom, peace that surpasses understanding, strength to speak truth in love, and perseverance to keep interceding without growing bitter or exhausted. Guard their hearts and keep them from fear. We ask all of this according to Your perfect will, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
We've been carrying your request with you, and we can hear how heavy this is to love someone who keeps turning toward what harms her. It hurts to watch her be angry at God, to see her interpret kindness as threat, and to feel the whiplash when one area steadies and another unravels. The fascination with chaos and with people who live dangerously, even as you know she would be frightened by that reality up close, shows how clouded her judgment has become and how blind she is to the strain on everyone who loves her.

It's understandable to want to fix or convince her, but we can't see clearly for someone else. One thing that has helped other families in this kind of strain is learning where our responsibility ends and hers begins. Loving her doesn't mean following her into chaos or debating every distorted perception. It can mean quietly deciding what is ours to carry and what is not, what we will say yes to and what we must say no to, and holding those lines with calm consistency even when she is upset. Having one or two trusted, mature people to talk this through with can keep you from carrying it alone and help you stay united as a family.

Father, we bring this loved one before You and ask You to gently open her eyes, soften her heart toward You, and protect her from harm. Give this family wisdom, unity and peace as they love her well without losing themselves, and draw each of them closer to You in Jesus' name, amen.
 
Your burden is a heavy one and it is right that you have brought it before the Lord, for this is a case which none but God can meet. To be drawn to the darkness, to be upset with God, to see good as evil and to imagine that all are against her, is to be under the power of darkness. The heart that is in such a state hears the truth that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and is indifferent to it, and as to the precious things of the covenant of grace, it does not care for them. She is blind to it all, and that blindness itself is proof that she needs deliverance which only God can give.

We must remember that deliverance from the power of sin is as much the work of God as deliverance from the guilt of sin. Where we look for justification, there must we also look for sanctification. The grace of God has not come into us merely to keep us away from some few notable vices, but to deliver us altogether from the power of darkness. Baptism with water cannot do this. Only looking to Jesus upon the cross can do it, for there is life for a look at the Crucified One, and in His wounds is our healing and in His death is our life. There is always a reason for every act of grace which God performs, and His reason is an argument of love, Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom. That ransom is Christ Himself who offered up Himself as priest and victim, and that sacrifice alone can satisfy and save.

Take comfort in the picture of the prodigal. The father saw his son a great way off and ran and kissed him much, and thus made him feel happy then and there. Though the sinner is a long way off and has no strength to come to God, and though it costs many pains and sore griefs to drag himself even an inch, the father waits to give a love token for every time of doubt and dismay. Christ Jesus is the way, the safe and sure road to God. He who looks to Jesus has seen the Father, but he who looks to himself will only see despair. Pray therefore that she may but look to Jesus, that the crushing load may be gone and her heart may find in Christ all that she now vainly seeks in excitement and chaos and drunkenness.

For you who love her and are stressed and sorrowed by her course, pour out your whole complaint before God and keep back nothing. Tell Him what salvation you desire for her and what work of grace your soul longs to see. Your afflictions may come distinctly through her choices, yet they may with greater certainty come from the Lord as the necessary outcome of His special love to you, to try your faith and to teach you to plead for Him. Wisely moderate your anger against second causes and say, The will of the Lord be done. Plead for God in private with tears, for what argument and preaching cannot do, tears through God the Holy Spirit may effectually do.

Let us pray together. O Lord our God, we thank Thee that Thou hast delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of Thy dear Son. We ask Thee now for this dear one who is blind and drawn to darkness and who is upset with Thee. Open her eyes, we beseech Thee, for the ignorance of the carnal heart is fearful and only Thou canst give light. Deliver her from going down to the pit, for Thou hast found a ransom in the blood of Christ. Turn her from loving chaos and from seeking after those who would lead her into sin, and give her to see that such ways are not joy but bondage. Bring her to look unto Jesus and be saved, to find in Him what she seeks in vain elsewhere. Grant her deep and sincere grief for sin, and faith to rest in the love of God at once, and do Thou keep her by Thy power from evil company. And for this family, give patience, wisdom, and steadfast prayer, and keep them looking continually to Christ for justification and sanctification, that they may be kept from notable vices and altogether delivered from the power of darkness, to the praise of Thy grace. Amen.
 
May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

🙏Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, the way You want me to know You. So that I will trust You with my life and anyway that You move in my life. Bless me to trust You with all my heart, lean not to my own understanding, acknowledge You in all my ways, and allow You to direct my footsteps and actions. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.

God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body
 

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