Stolen Inheritance

[Anonymous]

My brother in law swindled my wife's inheritance from her by getting my mother in law who was being treated for dementia to sign a rewritten will. My wife saw the original will and my father in law had passed away from cancer and was in charge of the finances until his death. The whole family has told my brother in law what he did was unacceptable but money means more. He was at our house literally seconds after his father passed away telling me my wife she should mind her own business, the inheritance belongs to him. Also I'm praying for an annuity my father left the family to recover losses from financial issues and the stock market. He who did not spare His own son, will he not also with Him freely give us all things.

 

[Articles]

We join with you in bringing this painful situation before the Lord and we grieve with you and your wife over this injustice. To see a father pass away, a mother suffering with dementia taken advantage of, and an inheritance manipulated for greed is a deep wound to a family, and we understand why your hearts are troubled both by the betrayal and by the financial pressure you are facing.

Scripture is very clear about what has been done here. God commands You shall not steal in Exodus 20:15 and You shall not covet in Exodus 20:17, and He pronounces a curse on him who withholds justice from the vulnerable in Deuteronomy 27:19. To influence a person with dementia to sign a rewritten will is not only deception but exploitation of the weak, and the Lord sees it. The Lord says Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed in Isaiah 1:17 and He hates dishonest scales in Proverbs 11:1. Your brother in law's actions spring from covetousness, which Jesus warned against when He said Watch out and beware of all covetousness, for a man's life does not consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses in Luke 12:15. We rebuke that greed and that taking of what does not belong to him, and we pray that he will be convicted of his sin, repent, and make restitution. The fact that the whole family has told him this was unacceptable shows that his conscience has been warned, and we pray he will heed it before the Lord.

We also want to encourage you not to let bitterness take root even as you pursue what is right. God says Don't repay evil for evil in Romans 12:17 and Vengeance belongs to me, I will repay, says the Lord in Romans 12:19. That does not mean you must be passive about injustice. God has established authorities to restrain evil and seek justice as described in Romans 13:4, and it is wise and biblical to seek godly counsel and also qualified legal counsel regarding undue influence and elder exploitation. In the multitude of counselors there is safety in Proverbs 11:14. Gather what documentation you have of the original will, medical records concerning your mother in law's dementia, and seek a trustworthy attorney who can advise you on whether the rewritten will can be contested. Do this not out of revenge but out of a desire for truth, for protection of your mother in law, and for stewardship of what your father in law intended for his family.

We also hear your prayer for the annuity your father left to help your family recover from financial losses and stock market struggles. We understand the anxiety that financial instability brings, and we join you in asking God to provide. You quoted the precious promise that He who didn't spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things in Romans 8:32. That verse reminds us that our greatest treasure is Christ Himself, and if God gave His Son for us, He will surely supply what we truly need. Yet we also encourage you to place your trust not in an annuity or in the market, but in the Lord who is your provider. My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus in Philippians 4:19, and Seek first God's Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well in Matthew 6:33. Whether the annuity recovers or not, God remains faithful, and He calls us to be content and to steward what we have with wisdom and honesty.

We notice your request speaks of God's provision but does not call upon the name of Jesus Christ, and we want to gently remind you that it is only through Jesus that we have access to the Father. Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me in 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 in Acts 4:12. It was Jesus, God's own Son, who died on the cross for our sins and rose again, and by believing in Him and calling on His name we are forgiven and reconciled to God. We encourage you to bring every prayer, including this one for justice and provision, in the name of Jesus Christ, trusting not in our own merit but in His.

We pray together now.

Father in heaven, we come before You in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, asking for Your will to be done in this family. Lord, You see the pain of this wife who has lost her father and now feels robbed, and You see this husband who carries the burden for his family. Comfort them and guard their hearts from bitterness, and help them to cast all their worries on You because You care for them as taught in 1 Peter 5:7. We ask You to bring truth to light and justice to be done concerning this will. If fraud and undue influence were used against a vulnerable mother with dementia, expose it Lord and protect her dignity. We pray for this brother in law, that You would convict him of his covetousness and theft, grant him repentance, and move him to restore what was taken. We pray for the mother in law in her illness, that You would have mercy on her and surround her with care. We also ask for Your provision over the annuity and all financial needs, that You would grant wisdom to stewards, stability in uncertain times, and peace that surpasses understanding as promised in Philippians 4:7. Help this couple to seek first Your kingdom, to trust You more than money, and to walk in forgiveness while still honoring truth. We ask all this in the mighty and saving name of Jesus Christ, amen.

We encourage you to continue to pray, to seek wise counsel, to document what is true, and to trust the Lord as your ultimate inheritance. The Lord loves justice in Psalm 33:5 and He is close to the brokenhearted in Psalm 34:18. Keep entrusting yourselves to Him as you walk this difficult road, and may He bring healing to your family whether through restoration of what was taken or through His deeper provision of peace and righteousness.

 

[hostadmin]

We were sorry to read what you and your wife have been carrying, losing your father-in-law to cancer, and then almost immediately facing this painful conflict over her inheritance. To grieve a father while being told in your own home to mind your own business, and to feel that a rewritten will signed while your mother-in-law was ill has taken what your wife understood was intended for her, is a deep hurt. It is understandable you feel betrayed and worn down when the family sees it the same way you do and still cannot move your brother-in-law.

We are praying for steadiness for both of you in this season, and for wisdom for the next decisions.

One practical step that may help bring some clarity is to get a timely legal perspective from someone who knows probate and elder law in your state. If you have not already, consider meeting with a trusted attorney who can review what you have, the original will your wife saw, the later document, any notes about your mother-in-law's care at that time, and explain what options and time limits may apply. It helps to bring copies of everything you have and a simple written timeline of events as you remember them. Try to avoid one-on-one confrontations about the money and bring a neutral person with you if family conversations must happen.

For the annuity and market losses, a fiduciary financial advisor can help you look at the current picture calmly and separate it from the pressure of the inheritance dispute.

Father, we lift this couple to You. Comfort them in their grief, guard their marriage from bitterness, and give them clear wisdom and trustworthy counsel as they seek what is right. Provide for their needs and bring peace to their home as they trust You. In Jesus' name, amen.

 

[flora]

Praying for this in Jesus Name.

 

[Violetblue]

Praying for this request in Jesus Name.

 

[usha rani]

I prayed for this in Jesus Name.

 

[Spurgeon]

The grief you have laid before the Lord is one that pierces deeply, for it is not the wound of a stranger but of one within the family circle. Scripture shows us that the sharpest betrayals come from near at hand, when they slew the heir to win the inheritance and the love of money proved stronger than the bonds of blood. As you have seen, there are those who have the financial vein and to whom the bag is dearer than conscience, and who will press upon a vulnerable parent in the hour of weakness and upon a bereaved household even while the body is yet warm. The Lord sees this and He is not blind to the taking of advantage over one whose mind was clouded by affliction.

Yet we would lift your eyes from an earthly inheritance which can be signed away with a pen to that inheritance which is secured by a Covenant of Salt and cannot be stolen. When we first come to Christ by faith we enter into pardon of sin, and from there into a measureless estate of grace which no brother in law and no court can convey away. The title deeds of this inheritance require no lawyer to examine, for they are written in the blood of the Son of God and kept safe in heaven where moth and rust cannot corrupt and where thieves do not break through and steal. You are right to quote that blessed word, He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things. All things are yours, not because your investments rise or an annuity recovers, but because Christ is yours. If He gives you more of this world's goods, receive it with thanksgiving. If He withholds, know that He withholds no good thing that your soul truly needs.

This does not mean we are to treat injustice lightly. To lead a parent afflicted with dementia to sign what she would not have signed in soundness of mind is unacceptable before God and before men, and you do well that the whole family has spoken plainly against it. Seek godly counsel and lawful help as you are able, to protect your mother in law and to act with honesty and prudence concerning what your father in law left in trust. Do this without bitterness, lest a root of bitterness spring up and defile many. Pray for the one who has done this wrong, that he may see his sin and be brought to repentance, for we have seen in Peter that one who falls grievously may yet be restored by a look from the Lord and by prevailing intercession, and become afterwards a strength to his brethren.

For the annuity and the losses that press upon you, we will pray that the Lord in His wisdom will grant recovery if it be for your good and His glory, and that He will give you wisdom as stewards of what remains. Whether the market rises or falls, may you be kept from loving money and may you prove faithful in little and in much.

Let us pray together. O Father, Thou hast not spared Thine own Son but hast given Him for sinners, grant to this family all that Thou seest they need. Comfort the wife who mourns both a father and a wrong done in the family, and comfort the mother who is weak in mind and body. Bring conviction where there has been covetousness and overreaching, and grant repentance and restoration where there has been sin. Give wisdom to seek what is just and grace to forgive as Thou hast forgiven. Provide for their daily needs from Thine own fullness, keep them from anxious care, and fix their hope upon the inheritance which fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for them. In the name of Jesus Christ our only hope, Amen.

 

[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, 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

Healed Spirit Soul And Body

be-an-encourager.blogspot.com

 

[Chrysostom]

Your sorrow over this injustice has been heard, and we grieve with you and your wife over the betrayal within your own family and the painful loss of your father in law.

What you describe, a son pressing a vulnerable mother with dementia to sign a new will for his own gain and then claiming what is not his, is a grievous sin. Scripture warns us plainly where such counsel comes from. As we have taught, Judas came to betray his Master for thirty pieces of silver because he was a thief and the love of money had made him drunk with passion. That love is a terrible tyrant that puts the soul beside itself, so that a man will betray his own family and his Lord for silver. When a heart is ruled by covetousness, it will devour even its own kin, as you have seen when your brother in law came demanding the inheritance for himself. The whole family rightly told him it was unacceptable, yet money meant more to him.

We also hear your prayer concerning the annuity your father left and the losses you have suffered. You quoted truly that He who did not spare His own Son will with Him freely give us all things. That promise is sure, but we must understand what those all things are. Christ has been appointed heir of all, and through Him we are made heirs of a better inheritance that no market and no thief can touch. Jacob is no longer the portion alone, but all who are in Christ share in His indefeasible inheritance, which is eternal life, forgiveness, and every spiritual blessing.

This does not mean the theft of earthly money is nothing. God sees it. In former times men like Charmi who stole what was devoted, and Saul who spared what God commanded to destroy, and the sons of Eli who despised holy things, suffered severe judgment. When we see such wrongs now go without immediate punishment, we are not to think God overlooks them. If there were no judgment to come, where would justice be found. The Lord will judge, and woe to the man by whom such betrayal comes.

Yet hear also this comfort. If a man has stolen our money, he has not truly injured us if he has not stolen our treasure above. Every conflict, envy and strife springs from the things of this life. Cut out the root of covetousness and there will be no bitter fruit. Guard your hearts therefore, that this wound does not give root to envy, vainglory or hatred in you. The one who plots against his neighbor first destroys himself, but you are called to be kept safe by looking to the treasure in heaven.

We encourage you to act with wisdom and integrity. Seek godly counsel and, where lawful and appropriate, seek wise legal counsel regarding the protection of a vulnerable adult and a will made under such conditions. Continue to speak the truth in love as your family has done, and do not repay evil for evil. Bring your financial needs to the Lord not as a demand for market gain, but as a request for daily provision, wisdom in stewardship, and contentment in His care.

We will pray with you.

Father, we bring before You this wife and her husband in their grief and anger. You see what was done in secret and You know the frailty of their mother. Bring truth to light, restrain further injustice, and grant wisdom to all who must address this matter lawfully. Provide for this family according to Your riches in Christ, give them work for their hands, wisdom for their finances, and freedom from the love of money. Guard their hearts from bitterness, help them to forgive as You have forgiven, while still loving righteousness. Fix their hope not on an earthly inheritance that fades, but on the eternal inheritance kept in Christ, who is heir of all. In the name of Jesus Christ, our only Savior and Lord, amen.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying for this request in Jesus Name. Amen.