God’s Mercy Through Prayer
So often family members ask what they can do to help their loved one while he is at Bethel learning the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Here is the testimony of Stacy Pruitt, wife of Paul Pruitt who is the Executive Director at Bethel:
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-7)
My husband Paul, a pastor on staff at Bethel, went through the program at Bethel three times. We met during his extended program the second time he came to Bethel. Therefore, we were dating during the third time he went through Bethel’s program and was married shortly after, so I wanted to share with you some of the things I did and still do for my husband. What is it that you can do to help your husband/son/father/brother, etc., do to really grasp hold of Jesus and not fall back into this bondage of addiction?
The first thing I did was to pray for him. I started praying some of the prayers that Apostle Paul prayed for the early churches as recorded in Scripture (Ephesians 1:15-23, Philippians 1:3-11, andEphesians 3:14-21) except where he would say “you” or “your” referring to the church, I put in Paul’s (my husband’s) name. The reason I did this is because the Bible says that God’s Word does not come back void. I knew this had to be God’s perfect will for Paul because it was God’s very Word. I knew Paul had the Holy Spirit living inside of him so therefore I knew that God could give him revelation in the knowledge of Him, that the eyes of his understanding could be enlightened, that He (God) could show him (my husband) what is the hope of His (God’s) calling and that God had begun a good work in Paul and would complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. These are just a few things that these prayers ask God for.
Next, I did not take it personally against my husband because I recognized it was a spiritual battle. Satan has come to kill, steal and destroy. I knew Paul still had his own responsibility, but Satan will do what it takes to keep him in bondage. The Bible says that we don’t war against flesh and blood but against principalities and darkness, so I feel it’s very important that you come against bondage. God has given us that authority.
Lastly, I asked others to pray for him. I didn’t ask just anyone, but the people I knew wouldn’t judge him but would earnestly pray for him with me. In Matthew 18:19-20, Jesus said; “Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” I know that the people that I asked to be praying for Paul were in agreement with me on Paul’s behalf.
God has done a great work in Paul’s life and in mine. We’ve been married since December 1999, and now have three wonderful children. We have gone through Bible college and are now part of the staff at Bethel Colony. I know that we could not and would not be where we’re at today had it not been for God’s grace. Have confidence in God that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace (we) have been saved) (Ephesians 2:4-5).
These are the Scriptures I prayed (and still pray) for my husband. Insert your loved one’s name in the blanks as you pray for him/her. Then continue in prayer for him/her as the Spirit leads thanking and praising God for what He is doing in them.
Therefore I also, after I heard of _______’s faith in the Lord Jesus and ______’s love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for ______, making mention of ______ in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to _______ the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of ______‘s understanding being enlightened; that _______ may know what is the hope of His (God’s) calling, what are the riches of the glory of His (Jesus) inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His (Jesus) power toward us who believe, according to the working of His (God’s) mighty power which He (God) worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of ______, always in every prayer of mine making request for ______ with all joy, for ________’s fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in ______ will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of ______, because I have ______ in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ______ is a partaker with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for _______ with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that _______’s love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that ________ may approve the things that are excellent, that _______ may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant _______, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in ______ heart through faith; that _______, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height– to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that ______ may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in ______, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen
