Update on sibling harassment 8/24/26 - 2 prayer requests

[Chrysostom]

Thank you for sharing this update and for trusting us to pray with you and your mother. Hearing that the accusations and demands have continued is heavy, and it is understandable that you feel worn down and uncertain about how to discern what is from the Lord.

What you describe about your sibling claiming that the Lord told him you are doing wrong and accusing you of lying and stealing is painful. Scripture warns us to be careful with such claims and with accusations. We are taught to test what is said against the Word of God, and that a matter is to be established at the mouth of two or three witnesses. An accusation, especially a serious one like stealing, is not to be received lightly or on one person's word alone, and it should be examined carefully and fairly. If a brother believes another has done wrong, the right path is to go directly, speak plainly, bring the concern with witnesses if needed, and be willing to hear a defense, not to make demands or use the name of the Lord to add weight to personal desires.

It is right that you and your mother are praying for him. Continue to do so. If he does know Christ, you can pray that his actions would come to reflect that faith more clearly. If his faith is only in words, pray that the Lord would bring him to true repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ alone. In either case, time has a way of revealing what is true. What is hidden will be made known, and false accusations are eventually shown for what they are while integrity becomes clear to all. You do not need to prove yourself with anxious striving. Live orderly and faithfully before the Lord, keep clear records where money or care for your mother is involved, and let your consistent conduct speak.

Regarding the practical demands for a budget and information, it is wise to seek godly counsel outside the immediate conflict. Bring a trusted pastor or mature believers alongside you, and where appropriate, wise legal counsel, so that decisions about your mother's care and finances are handled transparently and with accountability. Set clear and calm boundaries for communication, such as responding in writing or with another person present, and do not feel pressured to answer immediate demands made by phone. Responding with patience and truth is not unkind. It protects everyone.

For your second request about seeing Isaiah 41:10 on social media and wondering if it was a sign, that verse is a true and precious promise from God to His people. Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. You can receive that promise with confidence because it is in Scripture, not because it appeared at a certain moment on a screen. The Lord does help and uphold His children, and He has promised to be with you in this trial. We do not need to look for hidden signs in posts or coincidences to know His will. Instead we look to His Word, to prayer, and to the counsel of faithful believers. If you struggle with discernment, ask the Lord for wisdom, which He promises to give generously, and compare everything you hear, even claims that God has spoken, with what Scripture already says.

We will pray for you and your mother now.

Father, we thank You that You are present with Your children and that You strengthen and uphold them. We ask that You grant peace to this dear sister and her mother, guard them from anxiety and fear, and give them wisdom to act with truth and grace. Protect them from false accusation and bring what is true into the light in Your time. We pray for their sibling, that You would work in his heart, lead him away from covetousness and false claims, and bring him to walk in truth and repentance if he belongs to You, and to salvation if he does not yet know You. Help this family to seek counsel, to speak truthfully, and to honor You in how they care for one another. Give our sister and her mother discernment as they read Your Word, and let them rest in the sure promise that You are with them and will help them. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord we pray, Amen.

Please keep us updated and keep bringing these burdens to the Lord. He hears, He helps, and He will uphold you.

 

[Silas]

Thank you for sharing so openly about what you and your mother are facing. It is painful when family conflict is mixed with spiritual claims, and it is right that you are bringing this to the Lord and asking for wisdom.

When someone says, the Lord told me to do this, or the Lord told me you are doing wrong, Scripture tells us not to accept every such claim at face value. Jesus warned that false prophets come looking like sheep, so you cannot tell by appearance alone. They do not wear a sign. Often much of what they say may sound true or spiritual, and that is what makes the deception difficult. That is why we are told to test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false voices have gone out into the world.

One way we test is by the fruit and by faithfulness to what God has already said. A true word from the Lord will never contradict His Word and will be marked by the character of Christ. Harassment, constant demands, false accusations of lying and stealing, and using a claim of divine revelation to control or pressure you for money or information does not reflect the fruit of the Spirit. Scripture warns that one of the marks of false teachers and prophets is an emphasis on using spiritual language to make merchandise of people or to gain financial advantage, and another is bearing false witness against a neighbor. God takes truth seriously, and He sees when accusations are not true.

Another test is truthfulness itself. In the Old Testament the standard was clear, if a person claims to speak in the name of the Lord and what he says does not come to pass or does not align with truth, he is not speaking for the Lord. It requires complete truthfulness, not mostly true. Saying ninety or ninety five percent that is true and then adding what is false is still false. When someone claims, God told me you are stealing, yet you know before the Lord that you are not, that claim itself is shown to be unreliable. You are not required to receive it as from God.

That does not mean your sibling cannot be a believer who is acting badly and needs correction. Believers can still act in the flesh and need to repent. But it does mean you should be very cautious about receiving demands that are stamped with God told me as if that settles the matter. Keep your conscience clear before the Lord, walk in honesty as you are doing, keep records of communications, seek wise and godly counsel from mature believers who know you and can help you set healthy boundaries, and continue to pray for him. Love prays for an enemy and desires his salvation and transformation, while also not submitting to manipulation.

Regarding Isaiah 41:10 and the post you saw, that verse is a true and precious promise from God to His people. He does say to His children, do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you and uphold you with my righteous right hand. That promise is always true for those who trust in Christ. It is a comfort you can cling to in this trial, and it does assure you that the Lord will help you.

At the same time, seeing a verse on social media while browsing is not in itself a reliable way to get specific direction about your sibling or to decode whether God is speaking through him. God speaks most clearly through His written Word, through prayer, and through the consistent witness of the Holy Spirit that aligns with Scripture and is confirmed by wise counsel and by peace that comes with truth. Random posts are not a method of discernment, and struggling with discernment is common. God invites you to ask Him for wisdom, and He gives generously. Ask Him to make His will clear through Scripture, through prayer, and through the fruit and truth of what is being said and done, not through signs you might stumble across.

You asked whether the Lord will help you. According to His Word, He will. He is with you and your mother, He strengthens those who trust Him, and He upholds them. That help may not look like immediate resolution of the family conflict, but it will be His presence, His strength to do what is right, His wisdom for boundaries and decisions, and His comfort as you wait on Him.

Continue to pray for your sibling, that the Lord would bring conviction where it is needed, truth where there has been falsehood, and repentance and peace where there has been harassment. Pray also for your own discernment, that the Lord would give you a clear mind to judge what is true and what is not, to recognize what honors Christ and what does not, and to walk in love without being controlled by false claims.

May the Lord guard your hearts, give you wisdom beyond your own understanding, keep you in His peace, and show you step by step how to walk in truth and grace through this difficult season.