The Power of Praying God's Word for a Prodigal

You know... I feel bad that I'm STILL not done with the second post of Biblical vs. False Femininity but I do want you to know that I am working on it - just in bits and pieces. A little here and a little there. At the same time I need to be honest and tell you that the reason for this is that my husband and I are where many Christian parents have found themselves - in the midst of dealing with a prodigal child.


Our son is still in our home; but barely. We actually had to ask him to leave for several days and only took him back after laying down some extreme boundaries. These are things we are expecting him to abide by if he wants to stay until he leaves for college. But it's been tense and difficult. Lately all I've got some days to comfort me is my relationship with my steadfast Heavenly Father, and that wonderful avenue to seeking Him - prayer.

And just like I did for my husband two summers ago, I find myself praying anew through God's Word - heartfelt prayers for brokenness and repentance in my son. But I find that I'm stronger now. I'm more able to handle this because my trust is not in myself - not even in my prayers. My faith has been established because God has proven Himself faithful to our family  - He brought us through the awful trial of my husband's adultery - and now, in this, I am confident He won't let us down either.

Not for one day have I "let up" praying for my family since that gut-wrenchingly hard summer of 2009; and so my prayers for my son are not less frequent - just more intense. More focused on him. I'm finding the blessing of searching God's Word for:

1) New insights - Things that I, as a parent, need to consider and be wise about 

2) Power - The power of His own Word prayed over the needs in our son's life 

Friend, there's a little verse in Psalm 37 that's worth sharing. Verse 8 says, "...Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing." My question for you is this - Are you experiencing the heartbreak today of a prodigal loved one? It could be a spouse, child, parent, or sibling. Or perhaps a neighbor or dear friend. What are you doing with that? If you are praying and trusting God with that person as Paul did with the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 3:4) that's great! Keep it up! God Himself will be your reward. 

"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

But if you're not... if instead you're fretting, may I encourage you to dig into His Word and start praying! Remember, fretting is worrying, being troubled, and not trusting God. It's getting your eyes off Him, and on to your situation. It's motivated by fear. All these things will lead you away from God and toward what the Bible calls "evildoing" in Psalm 37:8. Instead, I plead with you to use that "energy" for something positive and discover the power of praying the Word and applying it in new and relevant ways. In case you missed my article about my own prayer journey through infidelity which includes Scriptures and tips for how to pray through the Word, please refer back to the post, Scripture Prayer for Marriages in Trouble or Recovery.

In the last week I've been challenged by the book Praying Your Prodigal Home: Unleashing God's Power to Set Your Loved Ones Free by Richard Burr. I would highly recommend it to anyone dealing with a child who has gone astray. Right now, to capture more of a feel for it, I'd like to share part of a wonderful review of the book written by Dr. Gayle Woods:

"Richard Burr emphasizes the importance of praying the Word of God. He states, 'The underlying combination of God’s Word with the ministry of prayer releases the divine power of God to produce unfathomable results.' (p. 33) Throughout the book he gives examples of how he and his wife prayed the Word of God as they interceded for their son. As he says, '. . . prayer without the Word leads to mysticism and false religion, and the Word without prayer leads to legalism and dead orthodoxy.' (p. 36) In urging the parent to intercede for their children, Burr underscores the point that prayer must go beyond a supplemental activity and become a foundational, fundamental ministry. (p. 48)"

Did you catch that first quote? It's amazing! And what's more - it's entirely true! Look at what it says again: "The underlying combination of God's Word with the ministry of prayer releases the divine power of God to produce unfathomable results." (Emphasis added) Oh, I hope this encourages you! Imagine what an absolute privilege the Lord has simultaneously granted us in having the Word and access to the throne of grace! His throne - which we are commended in Hebrews 4:16 to approach with confidence! Not with feelings of reproach or fear, but with total confidence in His love and acceptance of us. (Ephesians 1:5) Additionally, we can have confidence that He loves our son, daughter, husband, wife, etc. more than we do - and that their salvation is His desire, too. (2 Peter 3:9) Therefore, in light of these truths, my prayer for you my suffering friend, and for me, is that God will grant us, "...All joy and peace in believing, so that (we) will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Roman 15:13) 


If any of you reading this feel like you need to talk, you are welcome to contact me by email. I also love to receive comments here on the blog. May God be the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3) to each and every one this week!