My Friend Needs Your Prayers

The following was written in 2008, but is as true now, and perhaps more so, than then. (Editor’s Note)

My Friend Needs Your Prayers

Please pray for my friend; she is going through difficulties and somewhat of an identity crisis. She is not acting like herself at all and she is old enough to know better.

She used to have high moral and spiritual standards; she used to go to church regularly. She was well-off financially but recently ran into some hard times. At the same time, a couple of years ago she began dating a man who said he could change all that. He said that he loved her and, if they married, he would take care of her financially.

Many have tried to counsel her against the relationship. She really doesn’t know a great deal about his past. What she does know of his friends and associations causes some great concern to those of us who are not emotionally attached.

For example, he says that he will go to church, but he doesn’t like her church at all; he says that her church takes the Bible too literally, that it doesn’t preach enough social change, and that it too narrowly defines morality. He sees no conflict between his Christianity and a woman’s right to an abortion; in his thinking those who believe in the immorality of homosexuality are intolerant bigots.

Many of her friends have tried to point out that he has gotten his money, not by investment, work, or entrepreneurialism, but from other individuals like her. We are afraid that he has his eye on her struggling financial assets and that he will milk any value left in them for himself and his friends. In fact, this seems to be one of his main motives for marriage.

Well, the worst has occurred and they married yesterday. We anticipate marriage difficulties as soon as the honeymoon is over. He is going to try to change her in ways she has not considered. As a pastor, I have seen this scenario played out repeatedly and there is seldom a happy ending.

Please pray for her. We want to be there to help pick up the pieces and redirect her life. By the way, her name is America.

Sincerely in Christ,

Marty Marriott

November 5, 2008