A Prayer for When Someone You Love Walks away from Their Faith

　　By Chris Eyte

　　“Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.” - Song of Songs 2:15

　　I remember the very last session of the year-out discipleship course that I did with a group of wonderful men and women from a church network in the UK. Joe, the leader, (not his real name) stood in front of us all and gave a somber warning about the future, now that the year had ended. He said that statistically one person in such a group was certain to lose their faith at some point. We looked at each other nervously, and I silently prayed, asking Jesus to keep me close to him. But I also had a sense of grievance as I thought one of these incredible brothers and sisters could walk away from him one day. And I really hoped selfishly that it would not be me.

　　Then Joe referred to Song of Songs 2:15 and warned us to look out for the ‘little foxes’ of the enemy and to catch them before they affected our faith. He meant those channels of sin and disbelief, which can be the struggle of any man or woman. And if we didn’t ‘catch’ those foxes in time and deal with them, the result could be devastation in the vineyards of our faith. It was a gripping and very helpful allegory. “Be on your guard,” Joe pleaded. As it says in 1 Peter 5:8 - “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” He was concerned that, having spent a year building our faith in discipleship in the Lord, we were now prime targets for the enemy.

　　Unfortunately, as the years went by and we all lived separate lives, I did hear of someone on that course who turned their back on truth and I became aware of another whose theology became tangled. I don’t know entirely what happened to the others, but they were genuine, lovely people, and I do hope they are doing well with Jesus. I had my own ups and downs, and there was a brief period when I really slipped. But God’s love held me when I turned back to him.

　　We forget too easily that we are in spiritual battles. And when we go ‘over the top’ of the trenches and run across the battlefield of darkness, bringing the love of Jesus, there can be an opposite reaction. Missiles of doubt and mayhem cause us to duck down until the shelling is over. Then we can get up and move onward when the bombing stops - if we keep our eyes on Jesus. Or there’s the danger of regressing if we allow the foxes of the devil to wear us down.

　　It hurts when a brother or sister walks away from their faith, doesn’t it? What can you do when someone you love walks away from their faith? Simply be there for them if possible, and pray. That’s reactive, of course, if someone decidedly turns away. But we can also be proactive to make sure it doesn’t happen in the first place.

　　And that’s why this powerful illustration in the Songs of Songs works so well. If we are open, honest, and integral with each other, we stand a better chance of catching the little foxes before they cause chaos in our vineyards. In Judges 15, Samson grabs 300 foxes and fastens burning torches to their tails. He lets them loose in the fields of the Philistines, and it causes absolute carnage. “He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves.”

　　Imagine that carnage being the result of Christian lives led separately and out of fellowship with each other. A wood fire only works if the pieces of wood connect with each other. A single piece of wood soon burns out. There’s a reason why Jesus is building a wider church of individuals rather than individuals who think they are a church in themselves. We need each other to encourage, rebuke kindly, and fight for one another. We also need to look out for each other’s foxes, those little evil things that destroy (spiritually, not literally!), and help to catch them before it’s too late.

　　Let’s pray:

　　Father God,

　　Please help me to catch the little foxes of sin and doubt before they ruin my vineyard. Help me to support others too, in these spiritual battles. Thank you that I don’t need to live in fear, though, because your grace is sufficient for me. Your love holds me firm and steady is your word, for you protect me and my brothers and sisters. If this is a battle of light against darkness, I am on the winning side of the wider war. Your cross did it all, and you declared, “It is finished!” I walk by faith, not by sight. God is love, and I love you. Amen.