Hi CF, I have several prayer requests. This is a delicate situation and there's a lot of context to get through, so please bear with me.
About a month ago, I got a Facebook message from an acquaintance I met a discipleship training school years before. After some pleasantries, he asked for prayers because his family is in trouble. Long story short, I offered to help and gave him money.
Later on, I was messaged by another friend from the training school who gave an unfortunately late warning that the first guy was actually a scammer, and that he had approached him and several others (I was told there was at least 3 more) with various sob stories, and that we've all bought into his stories and sent him money. This guy had now disappeared from Facebook (that, or he had blocked all of us after getting what he wants), so it's impossible to report him, since he's removed all evidence of contact.
In light of this situation, I'd appreciate prayers for...
About a month ago, I got a Facebook message from an acquaintance I met a discipleship training school years before. After some pleasantries, he asked for prayers because his family is in trouble. Long story short, I offered to help and gave him money.
Later on, I was messaged by another friend from the training school who gave an unfortunately late warning that the first guy was actually a scammer, and that he had approached him and several others (I was told there was at least 3 more) with various sob stories, and that we've all bought into his stories and sent him money. This guy had now disappeared from Facebook (that, or he had blocked all of us after getting what he wants), so it's impossible to report him, since he's removed all evidence of contact.
In light of this situation, I'd appreciate prayers for...
- God's grace to be generous. After what happens, it can be discouraging to continue giving, since we might be overly skeptical to any cries of needs in the future. At the same time, pray that God help us to be more discerning with where we direct our generosity, so that we don't waste God's blessings on untrustworthy causes.
- God's providence for the truly needy. Although my "friend"'s troubled tales were lies, it did serve as a reminder that there are really people out there struggling to pay for their housing, or get medical care for a loved one, or keep a congregation afloat in the midst of COVID restrictions, etc. Pray that God will provide for the needs that we thought we were helping out.
- God's justice and mercy on this scammer. I don't know what drove this guy - a volunteer at church - to suddenly start conning people for money, but pray that God will put an end to his sinful habits and protect others from falling into his trap. If he's really caught up in trouble and is desperate for money, may God deliver him. If not, then I pray that he'd be awakened to God's holiness, so that he may repent.
