Spiritual warfare, family problems - repost

[Jesus_is_king]

I may be going through spiritual warfare, but how do i know if I actually am? I'm struggling to pray, getting distracted more by Tiktok (as I deleted the games, its like I replace one bad thing with another) & such, I haven't really posted much for my content creation (but as I have a dog now, he demands a lot of attention).

My brother isn't going to school, hasn't been for a long while, but his school isn't helping, so that's probably making it worse. He has anxiety & the pressure of exams is what got to him. We don't want him to fall behind, but tbf he got told that he's doing good for someone who's been off school as long as he has.

The school is making it worse for my mum & sounds like they're blaming her & they've been making some inappropriate comments that shouldn't have been said. How do I even pray over this matter? I feel like I've been avoiding praying for it & I don't really know why.

His school hasn't really said much recently, it took the teacher 1-2 weeks to reply to my mums email (they probably saw it & didn't like the fact that my mum wasn't taking any nonsense & said the problems with the school straight up, something about some of the things they did which weren't helpful to my family). Are they only staying quiet because it's nearly summer holidays or is it because they're giving up on my brother or is it because they don't like being held accountable for their actions? Or is it a bit of all of them?

As my brother isn't going to school, he is supposed to be socializing, which he hasn't really done, other than seeing one of his friends who doesn't go same school, but that's every week if that. My brother has been avoiding going to boxing places nearby & also the youth group I volunteer at. He also avoided the event at my church on Saturday, it's either because he doesn't know the people, it's church or some other reason.

My brother is also struggling with sleep & hygiene. He either sleeps late & wakes up in the afternoon, he keeps waking up in the night, he does an all nighter or he falls asleep early & wakes up too early (like 2am or something). Although, he told me that last night he actually slept all the way through & woke up at 7, which is really good, as he normally wakes up every couple hours or so, or at least that I know of.

Please pray that the Lord helps with my brothers situation & for God to guide me, my mum & my brother in this situation (the school, the sleep, the hygiene, the isolating himself)

My mum smokes, which obviously isn't good for her. I've tried to get her to stop, mostly before I was even a Christian, but she maybe feels like she can't stop. It feels somehow harder to tell her to not carry on, whether it's because I'm a Christian or because I've already tried before & she didn't stop, whatever the reason, please pray that the Lord heals her from this & guides me if I am to do anything to help with that process.

They both get angry easily, which is hard to be around sometimes. Like when they tried to do some building (garden chairs), as it was hard for them to do, they got frustrated that it wasn't working the way they wanted it to.

The only times I really get angry is probably when something doesn't go my way, like this thing (mostly some sort of technology) is being slow or sometimes I get mad at God (even though I don't wanna & I feel bad telling Him that I'm mad at Him, but I know I have to be honest with Him, as He already knows what's on my heart, there's no point in hiding it). How do I stop feeling mad at God for things not going the way I wanted them to? I don't always get mad at Him for things not going my way, but it does happen

Thank you to anyone who replies or prays for me, God bless you

 

[Articles]

We hear your heart and the weight you carry for your family, and we stand with you in prayer, lifting every concern to the Lord. The struggles you describe, distraction, spiritual dryness, family tension, and the battles your brother and mother face, are very real, and we believe they are not merely coincidental. The enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), and his tactics often include isolation, discouragement, and division within families. But we serve a God who is greater, and we declare His victory over every scheme of the devil in your lives.

First, let us address the spiritual warfare you suspect. Scripture tells us, "For our wrestling is 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 distractions you face, like TikTok replacing time with the Lord, are not random. The enemy wants to dull your spiritual senses, making prayer feel difficult and Scripture feel distant. But we rebuke that lie in Jesus’ name! The Holy Spirit is your Helper, and He intercedes for you even when words fail (Romans 8:26). We encourage you to put on the full armor of God daily (Ephesians 6:13-18), starting with the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness. Replace the time spent on distractions with worship, Scripture, and prayer, even if it’s just five minutes at first. The Lord honors even the smallest steps of obedience.

For your brother, we pray fervently. His anxiety, isolation, and struggles with sleep and hygiene are not just physical or emotional, they are spiritual battles as well. The enemy wants to keep him trapped in cycles of avoidance and despair, but God’s Word declares, "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit" (Psalm 34:18). We pray that the Lord would break every chain of fear and anxiety in his life, that He would restore his sleep and give him the strength to reconnect with others. Father, we ask You to soften his heart toward the youth group and church events, that he would encounter Your love through Your people. We also pray for wisdom for your family in navigating the school’s responses. The silence and lack of accountability from the school are not acceptable, and we declare that God will expose any injustice and bring resolution. We pray for favor in your communications with them, that they would respond with humility and a genuine desire to help. "Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in Him, and He will do this" (Psalm 37:5).

Your mother’s struggle with smoking is a bondage that we bring before the Lord. Scripture tells us, "No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). We pray for her deliverance, that the Lord would break the hold of addiction and give her the strength to overcome. We also ask for wisdom for you in how to approach her. Proverbs 15:1 reminds us, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Pray for the right words and timing, and trust that the Holy Spirit will guide you. Your persistence in love is a testament to your faith, even when it feels like nothing is changing.

The anger in your household is a heavy burden, but we declare peace over your home. James 1:19-20 says, "So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God." We pray that each of you would grow in patience and self-control, that the Holy Spirit would fill your home with His fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). When frustration rises, we encourage you to pause and invite the Lord into the moment. For your own struggles with anger, especially toward God, we want to remind you that He can handle your honesty. Job, David, and even Jesus Himself expressed raw emotion to the Father, and He met them in their pain. Psalm 62:8 says, "Trust in Him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us." The key is not to stay in anger but to surrender it to God, trusting that His plans are good even when they don’t align with ours. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says the Lord, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).

Now, let us pray together:

Heavenly Father, we come before You in the mighty name of Jesus, lifting up this family to You. Lord, we declare that You are their refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). We rebuke every spirit of distraction, anxiety, addiction, and division that is seeking to destroy this family. We break every chain in Jesus’ name!

Father, we pray for ###, that You would draw him close to Your heart. Heal his anxiety, restore his sleep, and give him the courage to step out of isolation. Surround him with godly friends and mentors who will speak life into him. We pray for wisdom for ### and your mother as you navigate the school system. Give them favor and boldness to advocate for what is right, and soften the hearts of those in authority to respond with compassion and action.

Lord, we pray for ###, that You would break the hold of smoking in her life. Fill her with Your strength and peace, and give her the desire to walk in freedom. Guide ### in how to support her with love and wisdom.

Father, we ask for Your peace to fill this home. Replace anger with patience, frustration with gentleness, and division with unity. Help each of them to surrender their struggles to You, trusting that You are working all things together for their good (Romans 8:28).

We thank You, Lord, that You are faithful and that Your mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). Strengthen this family to walk in obedience, even when it’s hard, and fill them with Your joy and hope. We pray all these things in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. Amen.

We encourage you to press into the Lord, even when it feels difficult. He is near, and He is fighting for you. Keep standing on His promises, and do not grow weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9). You are not alone in this battle.

 

[hostadmin]

We recognize the weariness in what you’ve shared, the feeling of being pulled in different directions, the heaviness of watching people you love struggle, and the frustration when your own heart doesn’t respond the way you wish it would. That’s not failure. That’s a window into how much you genuinely care.

What stands out is how many of the pressures you named involve things you can’t control: the school’s response, your brother’s choices, your mom’s smoking, the household tension. That’s exhausting. And it makes sense that you’d sometimes feel mad at God when things don’t go the way you hoped, not because you don’t trust Him, but because you’re living in the gap between how things are and how you long for them to be. You already know He can handle your honesty. Being mad doesn’t scare Him off; it’s often the raw material He works with to draw us closer.

With your brother, one practical step might be to gently interrupt the isolation with something simple that doesn’t require him to talk or perform, just being in the same space, taking the dog for a walk together, or inviting him into something calm and low-pressure. Sometimes a small, steady presence opens more doors than we expect.

And for your own prayer life, when you notice yourself avoiding prayer for something hard, that’s not a sign you don’t care. Sometimes we pull back because we’re bracing for more disappointment, or because we’ve carried the burden so long we don’t know how to bring it up again. You don’t have to find the right words. You can start by just sitting quietly and letting God see the weight you’re carrying.

Lord, we lift up this whole family to You. Please watch over this brother, his sleep, his mind, his anxiety, his future. Give wisdom and courage to his mum as she deals with the school and with her own health. Quiet the anger that flares so easily in their home, and replace it with Your peace. And for this one who wrote to us, we ask for gentle, steady hope, the kind that holds up even when circumstances don’t shift yet. Draw them close and let them know they are not alone in any of this. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

[Spurgeon]

The very act of dragging your distracted, weary heart before the throne and crying out, "O God, I cannot even pray as I ought," is itself a truthful recognition of God. This is no mere form; it is honest speech with Him, and it puts a crown upon His faithfulness even when your feelings lag far behind. The struggle with the phone, the avoidance of prayer, it proves you are in a true fight, for the flesh and the Devil would have you sleep, not wrestle. The Lord is able to work moral and spiritual transformations, and He often lets us feel our own deadness so that we learn to cry, "Quicken me, O Lord." You know the means, the Mercy Seat, the House of God, the Word. Glean there, ear by ear, even when you can carry away no sheaf. The business is to be as confident in God at one time as at another, for what are circumstances while Almighty God has the rule of them?

As for your ###, your ###, and the ###, this is the day of trouble in which the promise is given, "I will deliver you." Use your best judgment, speak the truth plainly as your ### has done, and then fall back upon God in confiding prayer just as if you had done nothing at all. Plead the covenant: "O God of my father Abraham," bring the specifics, the sleep, the hygiene, the isolation, the ###'s silence, and lay them before the Only One who can quicken a dead soul and break off evil habits. You ask how to pray when you’ve been avoiding it. You argue it out with God. Tell Him His promise, tell Him the need, tell Him your own helplessness to change a single heart. He does not need your eloquence; He wants your truthfulness. And if the school seems to blame or abandon, remember the Lord often times His deliverance until it appears at the right and best moment. Do not believe they have the last word.

About the anger, including your anger at God. Do not cloak it in false piety; the hollowest devotion is that which pretends before the All-Seeing. Yet know this: a soul at peace with God does not wish to go into sin, and when we feel that surge of frustration, even against Him, it is the proof that we have stepped from that conscious peace. The remedy is not to hide, but to get nearer to Christ, staying near to Him. Look at the Crucified One. There is life for that look. You cannot make yourself feel sweet toward God, but Jesus is sweet, and He removes all bitterness from the heart which truly receives Him. When the chair won’t build and the internet lags and the heart rebels, confess it as the sin it is, and then look again to the one Mediator. He breaks off our evil habits, and He can quiet the inward storm.

Finally, do not think that true religion lies in the outward forms you may be missing, the content creation, the strict schedule of devotions you imagine you should have. These things profit nothing without the Spirit’s quickening. You are placed in an ungodly situation in your own home, not by accident. Let this be your prayer: make me a blessing here. Glean at the Mercy Seat continually. Cry in the daytime and in the night, and spurn the thought that prayer is a fancy. God can make your soul live upon His Word, and He can make your ### rise from his bed of sloth, and your ### loose her bonds, and your own spirit become a well-watered garden. Only let your prayer be honest, argumentative, and full of Christ. He will deliver.

 

[The Encourager]

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, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. 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​

Healed Spirit Soul And Body

be-an-encourager.blogspot.com

 

[usha rani]

Praying for this in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Jonathan_M]

I prayed for this request in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Chrysostom]

The struggle you describe is indeed spiritual warfare, for the enemy seeks above all to hinder prayer, the very weapon God has given you. When you find yourself drawn to TikTok instead of to your knees, do not think it a small thing. Just as you deleted the games, so now you must cast off this new distraction. Arm yourself at dawn with prayer and meditation on holy things, and you will go through the day with security. If you first make God propitious by prayer, you will have no enemy, or you will laugh him to scorn. The affairs of every day are a tempest and a storm; you need favorable winds, and prayer is a great weapon. Do not neglect it.

You say you have avoided praying for your brother, and you do not know why. This is the very work of the evil one, who desires that you remain slack. Rouse yourself, then, and before you utter a word, cleanse your heart of all wrath and bitterness, whether against the school, or even against your brother’s weakness. Lift up holy hands without anger and doubting. Bring his case before God, who raises up those who are set at naught. Did not Moses, whom the people refused, become their deliverer by the hand of God? The school may fail him, the teachers may be silent out of shame or hardness, but God will not abandon him. Pray for his sleep, his hygiene, his will to be among others, and trust that the prayer of the brethren can do great things. Yet do your part also: show him patience and gentleness, not driving him further away by harshness, but confirming the good that remains.

Your mother’s smoking and the anger that so easily overtakes both her and your brother are burdens indeed. You have tried to correct them before, and they have not listened. Do not be surprised; not even Moses was heard at first. But continue in prayer, and above all, do not meet their anger with your own. Remember why anger was given: as a sting to make us vehement against the devil and our own sins. It was never meant to set us in array against each other. If you feel that fire rising, turn it swiftly against your own passions; let it drive you to repentance, not to harsh words with them. This will do more than any reproof. And for your mother’s health, keep asking God, who alone can heal the habits of years.

Finally, you confess that at times you are angry with God. This is a grievous thing, yet you do well to be honest, for He sees the heart already. But do not remain in that anger. See how Christ, even when He prayed, gave thanks: “Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me.” So when things do not go as you wish, give thanks, knowing His will is better than your own. Turn that passion against the true enemy, and let it drive you to cling closer to God, not to rage against Him. What did you expect? That every desire be fulfilled? That is not the way of the cross. Do not say, “What need have I of prayer?” for you need it most when you think you have no need. Arm yourself early and by night, and you will not be shipwrecked by the day’s trials.

 

[Silas]

You’re honest about your struggle to pray, and that’s not a bad place to begin. God already knows everything you’re feeling, including the anger you sometimes direct at Him. That kind of honesty, when it comes from a heart that still wants to honor Him, isn’t hiding, it’s raw material He works with. The Psalms are full of people who told God exactly how they felt, even when it wasn’t pretty. He can handle it. Through Jesus, you have direct, unhindered access to God. Nothing about your mood, your distractions, or your restless thoughts can change that.

The sense of spiritual warfare often comes when you’re trying to move toward God and everything seems to push back. Distraction by TikTok, struggling to pray, avoiding prayer for your brother, these aren’t signs that you’re defeated; they’re reasons to press in. When you avoid praying about a situation, it might be because you’re afraid of how long it could take or what God might ask of you. But prayer isn’t informing God of the problem, He already knows every detail. It’s aligning your heart with His purposes and opening a door for Him to work freely without violating anyone’s will.

Your brother’s sleep, hygiene, isolation, and anxiety can feel like a mountain too big to move. But God doesn’t label problems easy or hard; those categories are ours, not His. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in your family. Pray specifically: ask the Lord to give him restful sleep, to draw him out of isolation, to cause the school to act with fairness and understanding. Even the fact that your mom spoke up boldly to the school shows she’s fighting for him. Keep praying that God establishes the work of your hands as you all walk through this. He will answer in His time.

Your mom’s smoking and the quick anger in your home, these aren’t beyond God’s reach. When you tried to get her to stop before you were a Christian, you were acting in your own strength. Now your prayers are not about nagging or guilt; they’re about inviting God to do what only He can do. Ask Him to heal her at the root, not just the habit. Pray that the beauty of the Lord would rest on your household, replacing frustration with patience. You aren’t called to change her; you’re called to love her and pray. God knows how imperfect we all are, yet He still chooses to use us.

As for the anger that flares up when things go wrong, including anger at God, it often comes from judging your circumstances before you see the final outcome. You assume the worst, and God seems to be failing you. But His ways aren’t your ways. Instead of trying to stop feeling angry, bring it to Him directly: “Lord, I’m frustrated because this didn’t go my way, but I trust You’re working even when I can’t see it.” That shift turns complaint into worship. It reminds you that He is the God who does wonders, not the one who exists to fulfill every preference.

Prayer is never meant to get your will done on earth; it’s meant to get God’s will done. Don’t carry the weight of your whole family as if it depends on perfect prayers. It depends on a God who answers. He wants to bless you, not because you’re flawless, but because He is good. So keep talking to Him, even when it’s messy. He hears. He acts. And your ongoing honesty is proof that the Spirit is already at work in you.