Dear Godfather.
I have read all the comments and replies, and while I believe that some are very solid and genuinely helpful, others not so much. I will not get into how to explain to your godchild why is premarital sex wrong and sinful because, from what you described, I believe it will be a waste. I am going to concentrate on what you can do that will produce fruit.
I truly feel your situation, since I have similar ones with two godchildren. I have failed on that area, and even when trying to reach them, I don't get a reply. What is left for us to do? [b]PRAY![/b]
The problem that comes up is that most of us give up when we don't see the fruits in a timetable that is our own, instead of God's timing. Here is some information that will help.
On a familial connection/level, the parents and grandparents have the greatest power of intersession for the children before God, but the Godparents, by their spiritual baptismal relationship, are closely next in line. [b]Hence, your prayers have tremendous power if you do them with COMPLETE CONFIDENCE in God’s Mercy and NEVER give up; [i]THIS IS IMPERATIVE[/i]. Satan has a way of stirring insecurity like no one else can.[/b]
In the Latin Rite we have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. I am not sure, due to theological differences, how this translates into the Eastern Catholic faith. This is the most powerful form of prayer, since we make the effort and sacrifice to go and meet the Eucharistic Jesus and sit /kneel at His feet and petition, give thanks, etc. The second part is to pray and never look for results, but TRUST the Lord; the ONE Who knows and scrutinizes our hearts.
An additional act that you should do is to OFFER this godchild to the Virgin Mary for Her protection. I always ask Mother Mary to [b]COVER[/b] the ones I am praying for protection [b]WITH HER MANTLE[/b]. In addition, pray to the saints (ask them) whom you have an affinity to pray for her also.
Here is the bad part. Sexual sins are very pervasive. They are like a drug-addiction or greed in power of enslaving. You know that she is living a life of sin. [b]Plead with God to NOT HOLD her sins against her[/b]. The First Letter of St. John talks about it with different language. Although St. John does “not recommend praying for those who have committed a sin onto death” (mortal sin in the Latin Church), he does not forbade it either. From the context we understand that he believes it to be a waste, but not a guaranteed one. From personal experience, I know that it is not a waste. It works if done as I described above and also at the end of this reply.
I am going to tell you about an event that took place in my life where I was praying incessantly for an atheistic friend (James), but I will not get into many details about this most amazing event. After having prayed with fervor and trusting God for about two years—still keep James in my prayers—God granted him a second chance at life. And here is a summary of the whole event.
One late night I got this really bad feeling that something horrible was going to happen to him and he was going to Hell. Not knowing what else to do, I dropped down on my knees and begged the Lord, amidst tears, to have mercy on him. After a while of begging the Lord for mercy, that feeling vanished and was replaced with a complete peaceful one. A couple of days later I learned from him that miraculously, at the very last split second, he had been saved from getting killed by a train.
I could tell you about other people that have had similar experiences through prayer, whose testimony I heard or read, but it would only make this comment needlessly longer.
As a conclusion, in addition to the above recommendations about prayer, I add these:
1. Ask the Holy Spirit to grant you the wisdom to [b]speak the words that NEED to be spoken WHEN IT IS PROPER[/b].
2. Stay in touch with her, but DON’T pester her with too much religion, I don’t think she is in a state of wanting to listen and, just like pharaoh and Moses, it may only harden her heart even more, just like it did to pharaoh's heart. Keep things more on the invitation level/tone, unless the Holy Spirit tells you otherwise.
3. Live a life that is a true testimony to your faith.
4. [b]Never, ever give up.[/b] The conversion (fruits from your prayer) may come after you are no longer around (amidst the living). ONLY God knows. [b]Your job is to HUMBLY TRUST HIS MERCY ALWAYS.[/b] What I mean is that you [b]don’t pray with the PRESUMPTION that God will obey your petition, but with the attitude of prostrating yourself before the Lord and trust that He is the ALL Merciful Father.[/b] And He will not allow someone to be lost for all eternity if we turn to Him with a wholesome cause.
5. Remember to ask in the Name of Jesus, just has He stated in the Gospels that whatever we ask the Father in His Name the Father will grant.
May the Lord grant you abundant graces and blessings. And may they be to glorify Him through your life.[i][/i]
