God is still answering prayers for the prodigals! -think it not strange when trouble comes to their lives.
Are you still praying for your wayward prodigals? Are you feeling like it’s never going to end? Are you beginning to wonder if God is ever going to turn it around?
..if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
Jesus said this in:
Matthew 18:12
Those are the words of the Lord, for your prodigal. Those words let you know a few things. They assure us that God is aware of our prodigals. They show us that He also has a plan- one that would cause Him to leave the whole group – just to go after that one. God has laid out this plan for the prodigal a long time ago.
Watching this pursuit, of the prodigal, can be breathtaking and exhausting, and even frightening at moments. It’s tough! And it can feel as if it will never end.
Thinking back, I can remember several prodigals I’ve prayed for and one in particular comes to mind. This one actually yelled at me once, while being hotly pursued by the hounds of heaven; ”I wish whoever is praying for me would stop cuz- yeah- I’m under conviction and I don’t like it either!” This statement may sound horrifying however, it was only a sign to me to PRAY MORE.. and put them on every prayer chain that I could find! God was obviously working here!
It can be hard, looking at the scenes they cause, the words they say, the drama they create, to hold on to hope but can I tell you that some of that drama is a result of your prayers? Many a lost sinner got by for years with no trouble, even unaware they were sinning against a holy God. But strangely your wayward prodigal can’t seem to have anything but trouble!?
Sometimes, we look at the trouble from the wrong perspective. The trouble is often the symptom of the spiritual warfare that’s happening, as a result of your prayers!
This can help you, dear one.
We ought WANT the trouble for them, even if it hurts to watch for a season. We ought want them to be caught in everything they try to do against God and His beautiful purposes for their life. We ought to be okay with them learning that sin, should be exceedingly sinful.
We ought not want to pray the trouble away, but rather, we should want the sin away by their hearts being turned back to Him, and if it takes some trouble for that to happen, so be it. When we see trouble and consequences come to them, we should rejoice in knowing that God Himself is telling them NO.
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Jesus said in:
Luke 15:7
I love this verse! It’s further proof of how dear your prodigal is to the heart of God. They’re waiting to celebrate your prodigal- they will have joy in heaven with you- once your prodigal repents. Your prodigal is important to the courts of heaven! And in the moment your prodigal repents, they are the star of the show- more so than the ninety and nine. It doesn’t matter how far your prodigal went, how long they’ve been gone, or even how many issues they’ve caused- they are still registered in the eternal Word of God in this passage and still on His watch.
Remember
1 Peter 4:12 says; Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to unto you:
If we as believers, are told we will face “fiery” trials to test us, how much more should we expect God to correct the way of a prodigal that’s obviously very precious to Him!
Remember Hebrews 12:6 tells us that whom the Lord loves, He chastens, He corrects, He disciplines.
I want to encourage you today, not to despise the chastening and correction, and even the trouble that comes to our prodigals. Keep trusting God in the battle. War is never pretty and neither is spiritual warfare, but trust God in the trouble. Trust that He is using the trouble to correct the prodigal that is so dear to you and to Him.
