PRAYING THE SCRIPTURES OVER PRODIGALS

​

1 Kings 9:12-13


After the fire came a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

​

“Heavenly Father, let my prodigal hear Your voice saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” And let him/her follow.  Silence the distractions.  Remove the noise.  Strip away the chatter and excuses and lies that he/she is using to drown out Your voice.  Bring stillness, and meet him/her there with Your words of life—active and sharp.  Let Your message pierce his/her soul and take root in his/her heart.  Let the realization of Your truth startle him/her awake—truly awake.  Lord, help him/her to be still and know You are God.  
Let Your words nourish my soul and fuel faith in my heart.  Guard me from the roar of worry and accusation for my own sins and failures.  Speak to me, Lord; Your servant is listening.”

Romans 8:1-2


There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

​

“Lord, please show my prodigal that You do not condemn him/her for his/her wrongdoing, and show him/her the way back to You.  Show him/her today that You are ready with open arms for him/her return to You.  Thank You for the work You are doing to help my prodigal understand Your forgiveness and mercy.  Please help him/her to see his/her need for You, to forgive himself/herself for his/her own regrets, and to give them all to You.  Pursue him/her the way You have pursued me.”

Psalm 34:18


The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.


“Lord, please be more real than ever in this pain and hardship.  Please bring light, hope, and healing to our hearts and lives.  Please set my prodigal free from addiction and sin. Please break the pull of temptation and remove the influences that drag him/her down.  Please shine through the dishonesty and cover-up.  Please open his/her eyes to the truth and reveal him/her as Your new creation, whole and free.  Remind us daily that our loss does not have to be the defining moment of our story.  Help him/her—help us—to choose to trust and persevere toward healing.  Use the sorrows of this life to help him/her turn away from sin and seek You.  Bring Your work to completion in my prodigal’s life and sustain us in the process.”

 

Proverbs 20:30 


Sometimes, it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways.

​

“Help him/her, Lord!  Open the eyes of his/her heart.  Let him/her see himself/herself. Let him/her see his/her need for You.  He’s/She’s so blinded by the people around him/her.  

Jesus, I’m sorry it’s so hard for me to trust him/her to Your care.  Take him/her.  Save him/her for Yourself and for Your glory!  Whatever it takes!
Please send other people into his/her life who know You, who love You, people he/she will listen to, people he/she can see You alive within.  May he/she hunger and thirst for You.  May he/she have the courage to say yes to You.  Help him/her, Jesus.  Go to him/her.  Draw him/her close.  Surround him/her.  Protect him/her.  Reveal Yourself in undeniable ways!  

And help me to trust You with his/her life.  Give me the courage to let go and let You have Your way with him/her.  Help me remember that I can’t be You for him/her.  And whatever tomorrow brings, I want to thank You.  And so be it … Father, have Your way in my prodigal’s life today.”

John 8:12
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.



 

“Lord God, You know my prodigal’s need for direction.  You know his/her doubts or confusion or deception.  And You know his/her thoughts.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from You.  Please shine Your light into his/her life to chase away the darkness. Lead him/her to introspection and honesty—brutal honesty that sees his/her circumstances as You do.  Holy Spirit, please prompt this conversation and allow him/her to sense Your patient, persistent call.  The assessment may be bleak, but let him/her know that You offer loving forgiveness. Bring Your followers to him/her, someone trustworthy he/she can be honest with, someone who has freely received the grace of Jesus and freely gives it.  Let him/her sense Your call to whatever Your will is for his/her life, for his/her work, education, training, relationships, service to You, and all things that will affect his/her future.  Please open his/her eyes, ears, heart, and mind.  Lord, let him/her hear You today and respond with honesty.”




 

Colossians 1:13-14


For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

​

“Heavenly Father, bring a message of reassurance to my prodigal today—a spark of hope—that he/she can just come home.  Let Your call be loud and clear.  Please break through his/her shame and guilt.  Bring peace into his/her chaos.  Fill him/her with strength to make the call, to take a step away from the negative influences, and to turn toward You.  You know my love for him/her. You know I would give my life for his/hers. Thank You that You did give Your life for his/hers.  

Raise him/her up again into Your life. Bring a prodigal resurrection and a new beginning. Your power knows no limits.  Give my prodigal the strength to reach for Your hand and unleash Your redemption in his/her life.  Please renew my hope that one day we will celebrate.  Please bring my prodigal home to us and to You.”




Psalm 71:20-21


Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth, you will again bring me up. You will increase my honour and comfort me once more.

​

“Lord, I pray that my prodigal will come running back to You.  Please return him/her to Your mercy and forgiveness.  May he/she know Your forgiveness, grace, peace, and salvation today.  Thank You for the answers You have set in motion to turn his/her heart to You—even those answers I can’t see.  Thank You for the people You are placing in his/her life that will, in Your time, influence him/her toward You.  Let him/her taste and know Your redemption, restoration, and new life.  

How I long for the day we will celebrate his/her return to You.  Fill me with strength when my hope falters.  Give me Your wisdom in my interactions with him/her.  Let it be Your love that flows through my speech and actions.  Let it be Your grace that fills our home.  Let it be Your kindness that brings him/her back.  Father, my prodigal is Yours.  Do Your will.”

Psalm 34:8


Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good GOD is.  Blessed are you who run to him.

 

“God, open his/her eyes and let him/her see that though he/she has walked out on You, You will never leave him/her, and he/she is not alone.  God, open his/her eyes so he/she can see that You are able to work for good, even out of the darkest and most painful circumstances.  God, open his/her eyes and let him/her see that You have plans and a purpose for his/her life—plans for good.  God, open his/her eyes and let him/her see that You created him/her uniquely, specially, a one-of-a-kind masterpiece filled with Your beauty.  God, open his/her eyes that he/she may see that his/her life being lived to impress others and glorify himself/herself is leading to emptiness.  God, open his/her eyes and let him/her see that the material wealth and possessions of this world will never satisfy.  

God, open our eyes and let us see the pride that has blinded us, the sin that has hardened us, and the lies that have deceived us. God, open our eyes and let us see that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate our prodigals from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”