Another extreme in restitution is inadequate praying. In fact, I think the prayer work should be the starting point. It is not wise to embark on a serious thing such as restitution without praying adequately.

It is in the place of prayer God prepares us for the task. Restitution is not as easy as it is preached. Sometimes, God might be leading in that direction but we are not yielding properly. It is in the place of prayer God imbues us with the capacity to yield.

Further, it is also through prayer God prepares the heart of the other person. Man's heart can be stony. Man's heart can be unyielding, unloving and unforgiving. Zeal is not enough to approach restitution. It takes God preparing the other person's heart to make the process go smoothly.

The bible says, "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will" ( Prov 21:1)

There is no way a killer will confess to killing an only child of a family without some reactions. No matter how pious they are, there will be serious reactions from the parents of the victim. That is why I believe it is not all restitution that should be done. However, If the Holy Spirit is leading in that direction, prayer should prepare the way.

Another thing prayer does is to make us sensitive and discerning of the right timing. You can pray to a point where you'll know the time is right. If the right timing have not been discerned, no one should go ahead.

Prayer makes the whole restitution process to glorify God and yield lasting kingdom fruit. Any restitution that makes the offended more offended and vengeful has not given glory to God.