Prayer request...sort of

[Anon]

This week I've been burdened for a dear friend of mine...I met her a few years after college (along with her husband) and we almost immediately became such close friends. We served together in a church in TN and then we moved to SC...a year later they also moved to SC to be in our church. We had our children at pretty much the same times and such. Anyway then about 6 years ago God called us here, and then they went back to their home state in the midwest.

We were sooo close... game nights every week, babysat each others kids, shopping together, told each other everything. She has four kids like we do.

I knew this past year was a rough one in their lives...her husband molested her daughter due to a porn problem he had been having...and other major problems that had been brewing for years. Now they are divorced and she had been avoiding me (phone wise) and just finally talked to her for the first time since Christmas and she has pretty much all but given up on the Lord. She is in a southern baptist church now but has given up all her previous standards and is dating an unsaved guy with tattoos and a couple of kids. She works in a gas station in the worst area of town selling beer and cigarettes.

I cried so much when I heard all of this. I almost feel like she has died...she is not the same person she was before. She's even lost tons of weight, wears jeans again, cut and dyed her hair, and is just not the person, inside or out, that she was in the past.

Just please pray that God will show Himself real in her life...she's had it tough and although I don't want to excuse her choices, I do understand why she's making them. Its just hurtful to me and she's been on my heart so if you think about it, please whisper a prayer for her that somehow her kids will turn out right through all this.

Thanks.

[JerryNumbers]

Prayers, sounds like she has been down a very rough road, hopefully she will come to her self and make a turn around. How it hurts to see this happen to such a good friend.

[blossom]

She is a hurting soul. Did she get counselling? I'll be praying for her and her family.


Blossom :pray

[1Timothy115]

I am like Paul of 1Tim115. I'm also like the prodigal. There is a woman who has prayed for me for many years to return to my senses. She is a prayer warrior. God answered her prayers.

You are the someone for your friend, don't stop praying, and don't lose contact with her. Even if the conversation is painful when you talk with her. Don't stop praying and don't stop the contact.

Job 37:5 "...great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend."

I've just prayed that God will turn your friend back.
God is also working in your life through your love of this friend.
James 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

[John81]

:pray

[Anon]

Thank you ITim, that is encouraging...I know she does not really want to keep close contact with me because I'm her reminder of the past...plus now our lives are so very different. But I will never stop caring for her or loving her as we were so close in the past....I guess if nothing else I will send her cards and notes periodically to remind her that if things ever get bad (worse?) that I will be here as her friend no matter what.

[JerryNumbers]

I might add.

There is always hope, as long as someone is breathing, and when that person has someone who cares enough to pray for them, to me that adds even more hope to the situation.

And sometimes we have friends and even loved one that about the only thing we can do for them is pray for them, but to that is the best thing we can do for them.

[John81]

I might add.

There is always hope, as long as someone is breathing, and when that person has someone who cares enough to pray for them, to me that adds even more hope to the situation.

And sometimes we have friends and even loved one that about the only thing we can do for them is pray for them, but to that is the best thing we can do for them.

[HappyChristian]

I'm so sorry to hear this! Have prayed for everyone involved.

[orvals]

Hey Kit,

I really know how you feel. I have a friend whose wife left him for another man in the church (the man he led to the Lord) it has been seven years and he still resists my approaches to include him. He is polite but it is obvious that at this point he has no intention of reuniting with the local body of Christ. He was a great student of the word, a great soul winner and is a wonderful man but his hurt has been intense that consequently he has established his defenses in a wide arc around him. Only God can penetrate his defenses and heart. We were like brothers even though I was 20 years his senior and I have literally wept in prayer for his return many times. Yet I hold to the hope that we shall rejoice together at last.

My prayers are with you and your friend and I will say that the longing in your heart for a complete friendship again may take many years but be not weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.

:pray
orvals

[bzmomo7]

:pray

[PastorHarrison]

When Satan gets the Dad....he often gets the whole family..... when its a Christian family, if Satan can knock down the father the rest of the family is easy pickins usually. Seen it many times.... am sorry to hear this Ma'm and sorry for your friend - but most of all sorry for the horrible impact their testimony makes on the church and on our Lord.

How is the daughter? Are the children saved?

[Trish]

We probably all know someone like this. I do too and the Father was the first to stray in the eyes of others. I have a feeling though that they had issues in there marraige before we saw it openly. Our friends have since been divorced and one side is now remarried. They have ruined the christian testimony for their family and their teen age children are not living for God. Don't know what will happen with the younger ones, but it doesn't look good. I really don't know the answer, except that they are still living so that means that God has not given up on them yet. They both also give clear evidence of salvation. I believe we should pray them back to the Lord and even more diligently pray that the children do not fall into the same sin as their parents.

[Anon]

For as long as I have known them my friend (the wife) was always trying to do right and work hard...the husband always had to kind of be pulled along spiritually and even physically as far as his work ethic was concerned. He tended to be lazy and somewhat dishonest...although he always was amiable and seemed to have a willing heart, and was very laid back and friendly. He always seemed to be trying to do better. I had always thought my friend would have been an awesome pastors wife...hard working, faithful, strong standards and an honest heart, and very friendly.

She pulled their marriage along as long as possible. She got worn down as her husband continually backslid. Finally he did some unthinkable things and she tried getting pastoral counselling for them but it did not help. Then a final blow hit and she left and filed for divorce.

After all the years of being the unwilling "spiritual leader" of her home (she would have loved for him to be in that place) she got sick of it and decided to live life her way for a change. I don't blame her, fleshly speaking....on the other hand I know its going to ruin her kids.

I do believe her older two children are saved...her younger two are not quite ready. This will be hardest on their oldest who remembers when they had standards and lived a different lifestyle than they do now.

Trish I do know people like this, other people...I guess it hits harder when its someone you are incredibly close to. I've seen it happen to friends, but had not yet seen it happen to this drastic extent with someone I had at one time considered a very best friend. Its so sad. The exact same thing happened to a pastor we worked for in SC...however like I said, it did not hit me as sadly as this situation has.

[His by Grace]

Kitagirl, We can only respond to our spouse's yet aren't able to decide what the other spouse does. We can pray, and do everything we know The LORD tell's us in His Scripture. Years of rejection and hurt led her to file for a devorice. This was a bad decison but understandable, she saw it as an escape. Keep showing her unconditional love. She trust you so be ready for her to lash out at you eventually. Don't take it personnally, just keep loving her seeing her how Christ see's her and love's her. I will be praying! I'm sorry she wasn't able to reach out to you sooner but fear of rejection can be terrible immOBlising. Unfortunately, I've found the saying that the church is the first to shoot their own to be true many time's. I pray we begin to judge ourselves in the church so Christ doesn't have to, this would be much worse! Written in love because I sense how painful this has been and continue's to be for you! Will keep praying!! HbG