Prodigals (and those who love them)

Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living. Luke 15:11-13 NLT

Miracles are God’s department. – Ruth Bell Graham

If you have no prodigals of your own, you may be tempted to skip over this devo … please let me encourage you to read on … because I bet you know someone who does.  

The sterile, nuts and bolts dictionary definition of prodigal is, “to use money, resources (including relationships) and even time itself, recklessly.” This may describe our children (teen or adult), spouses, parents, siblings, grandchildren or even ourselves.

To live recklessly.

Having a couple prodigals of my own (and having been one!), I felt drawn to read and reread the entire chapter of Luke 15, pulling wisdom, comfort and encouragement from my Father God through His Word. Glancing at the page in front of me, I noticed (for the 1^st time) that chapter 15 of Luke contains these headings:

The parable of the Lost Sheep.

The parable of the Lost Coin.  

The parable of the Lost Son.

Lost Son … the emotion of that sentence caught in my throat. There’s no dictionary that can adequately capture the meaning of that phrase.

Lost Son … though just typed letters on a page, if you have a *lost son (or daughter), those words are pregnant with emotion. If you are a lost son, I hope the words provide a reminder that you belong to a family. And they feel your absence deeply.

The Son of God shares this parable as an illustration for us to see, and even feel, how valuable we are to our Father God and how He responds to the lost. I believe He also shares this story for all “lost sons” (and daughters) and for all the aching moms and/or dads longing for their return. He so lovingly provides a blueprint for walking out the unique heartache that, often, He alone understands. After all, all His children were at one time, lost.

Though there is much to draw from this chapter, I want to use it for a singular purpose. To offer authentic encouragement.  Our Father God sees our prodigal and is at work in their life in ways and means that we do not see. While we are not promised a particular outcome, we can trust that He is moving in their lives because we asked Him to.

While lines of communication should remain open, we must let them go … into His care. And trust. He’ll let us know if there’s something we are supposed to do.

One last point, as you pray and ache for your lost one, be the answer to another’s prayer. Seek out ways to serve, provide hope and actively pray for other hurting folks and their prodigals. That addict on the street or that looking-put-together but really a hot-mess adult child of someone else – they need your touch. Your service. Your interaction. Don’t be so distracted by your own challenges, that you are blind to those He places in your path.

If you are a lost one, forget what’s happened in your past. Cry out to God and then make that phone call or send that text. If those doors are closed, reach out to a praying friend. But know this, the Lord God will welcome you back … in a heartbeat. He loves you so.

Until they draw their last breath, we must not stop praying. Calling to mind that nothing is too difficult for Him.

“Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.”

William Barclay

Father, we lay our prodigals in Your hands… and trust that You will work in their lives in ways and means that we cannot. You are God. You are good. You are able. And You are faithful. In the meantime, use us in the lives of others, enable us to be Your answer to another’s prayer.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

Suggested resources/thoughts:

Pray Psalm 139, as you personalize it with your “lost ones” name. So powerful.

The Prodigal Prayer Guide: “Nothing is more devastating than watching a loved one walk away from the Lord. Yet in the middle of this grief, God offers a beautiful invitation to trust Him and to draw nearer to Him than ever before.”

Prodigals and Those Who Love Them: Words of Encouragement for Those Who Wait by Ruth Bell Graham

For Prayer: 1-888-NEED-HIM 

https://www.NeedHim.org

 https://tsc.nyc/prayer/  (If you use the Times Square Church app, you can text prayer requests as well).

*Some reading this have lost a son (or daughter) to death. I am so sorry for your pain and loss … I, myself have two children in heaven. There are no words adequate to express your pain.  Only the God of all comfort is able to enter in to such unimaginable grief and then enable us to put one foot in front of the other as we continue (really) living … all for his glory. Let’s not waste our pain.