I often think of when Jesus told Peter to look out, because Satan had asked to sift him like wheat. (Luke 22:31-32) "But," Jesus said, "I have prayed for you..."
I have become accustom to the sifting process over the last several years. There is just so much there to sift! There are good days where I overcome readily through the power of Christ alone, and there certainly are bad ones where I bemoan and feel the world around me is crashing down with little hope. Either way, I know I am being sifted and what I can and can not do about it.
But what do we do when our loved ones are being sifted?
It's so painful when someone close to us is enduring a powerful sifting- especially when it's a spouse. To me, that's harder than suffering through my own sifting. We can not make choices for those we love which truly affect their character. Only they can do that before God. So what do we do? Once again, let's follow Christ's example: We pray for them...over, and over, and over again. Knowing that we can't change anyones heart leads us to the only place we can do any good- On our knees before God.
Another thing to remember is that Jesus didn't harp on Peter telling him what he should have done or be doing. He just told him to look out and that the issue was a spiritual not merely physical one. Jesus let Peter know, "I'm praying for you."
And that's what we should do too.
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