How to Pray for the Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11–32 KJV 1900

11 And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. 28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. 29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: 30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. 31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. 32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

The Bible is a textbook on prayer.

It teaches us the need to pray, the nature of prayer, and the rewards of prayer.

But we have forgotten that the words of the Bible can become the very prayer that we need to pray!

The important thing to remember as we pray through this story is that when we pray the WORD of God, we are praying the WILL of God.

So how do we pray for the prodigals?

Make a list on the back side of the paper of 2-3 prodigals you what to pray for.

Remind the Father of the covenant the prodigal once had with Him.

Ask the Lord to go rescue him as a shepherd rescues a stray lamb.

Past relationship is a powerful thing!

Leviticus 26:40–42 KJV 1900

40 If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; 41 And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: 42 Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.

Israel would be in this position many times...

Yet God would remember his covenant with them and come to their aid at their repentance.

What backslider are you going to write on your paper and begin to pray for this week?

Pray for supernatural love. - This is about you!

Pray for love that will be open and warm to the prodigal even while they are still in sin.

Love doesn’t mean condoning their actions.

Pray from a position of love, not of judgment and anger.

Pray for grace to let go of the prodigal. - This is about you!

The prodigal's father let the son go, and didn't lay a religious guilt trip on him.

Pray for grace to keep our mouths closed and our hearts open with love and compassion.

Pray for endurance to intercede for our prodigals. - This is about you!

It can take months or even years to see the fruit of intercession for prodigals.

Pray for famine.

Pray that whatever or whoever the prodigal is placing their trust in outside of Jesus would dry up.

Pray for disillusionment towards the very things that draw them and hold them captive.

Pray that what once brought them pleasure would become dry and barren to them.

Pray for holy hunger and holy homesickness.

Pray that they would begin to remember what it was like to be in fellowship with God and His church, and start to long for it even in the midst of their sin.

Pray they would come to themselves.

Pray that they would realize something is wrong.

Pray for eyes to open to the truth of thier situation, and pray against the delusion the enemy has trapped them in.

Pray for a spirit of repentance.

"I will arise and go to my Father."

Repentance brings life, freedom, breakthrough and deliverance.

Pray that the prodigal will be able to receive God’s forgiveness.

Some prodigals may have lived very immoral lives and they can't imagine the Father ever wanting them back.

They feel they have crossed some sort of line that the Lord would not be able to bless them again.

Pray for the Lord to pour out his riches when the prodigal returns.

Pray that the Lord would lavish His love and blessings on the prodigal.

Pray for the elder brother.

Pray that the church will be prepared to receive prodigals back.

Pray that when they come home, judgmental attitudes toward them will be gone.

Pray against jealousy and envy as God pours His blessings on the prodigal.

Pray that the church will have the grace to accept those who are not quite so “experienced” in our ways.

Pray that prodigals who have literally lived in the pigpen of sin would be loved back into total wholeness – despite the “awkwardness” of their return to the Father’s house after living in sin.