The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. Psalm 33:10

Walls are meant to keep enemies out, but they can also keep prisoners in.

Ask those who lived under the shadow of the Great Wall, behind the barbed wire of North Korea, or in the long shadow of the Berlin Wall. A barrier can feel like protection, or a sentence.

God, in His severe mercy, sometimes builds walls in the life of a wayward son or daughter. That comforts us when the prodigal we love is racing toward destruction. But it is agony to watch them pound their fists against an invisible barrier. Nothing quite works. Doors that seem to swing open for others stay shut for them. Job applications vanish into silence. Savings meant to fund their dreams are swallowed by unexpected expenses. The pattern is too consistent to be coincidence: they are being lovingly hemmed in.

This is often where we step in and say, “Turn to God. He can turn your life around.” That is true. But if we are not careful, we can present God as a cosmic genie whose main role is to sponsor their plans. Telling them simply to “pray and ask for what you want” overlooks the deeper issue: they want everything but God. If He granted every request in that state, the very gifts would harden into idols, glittering just enough to keep them from facing their real spiritual poverty.

When we recognize that God Himself is thwarting a path, we are invited into a different kind of love. Here are three ways we can respond:

1. Pray first, then speak with holy tenderness.
2. With humility, help them see that the resistance they keep meeting may not be bad luck, but the loving hand of God blocking a destructive road.
3. Our instinct is to problem solve, to open doors, to smooth the path so they can finally “succeed.” But if God is the One doing the thwarting, our interventions can become interference. Love sometimes means stepping back and letting His wall stand.

Our deepest prayer is not that they “catch a break,” but that they bow the knee. We ask God to bring them to the place where they want Him more than they want their plans—even if the road to that place is rugged.

Lord, I will be Your prophet and their intercessor. Amen