Prayers for Prodigals

Praying for Prodigals

With Intercession from Jesus &the Holy Spirit

I talk to a lot of parents who tell me they don’t know exactly how to pray for their child.  It is common, for example, for parents of prodigals to have conflicting feelings about their child suffering the consequences of their actions.  Take heart in these scriptures below – and know that you are not praying on your own.  If you are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, the bible tells us that you have the privilege of asking Jesus and God’s Holy Spirit to intercede with you and for you.

Let’s examine these key verses which tell us about this amazing intercessory prayer ministry of Jesus and the Holy Spirit:

Romans 8:34:  “Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.” 

Hebrews 7:25: “Therefore, he [Jesus] is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.” 

Romans 8:26-27:  “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.  And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.”

1 Timothy 2:5:   “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…”

When Jesus ascended to heaven after dying on the cross for our sins, He didn’t stop making intercession for believers and His bride, the Church.  The scriptures above clearly say that He continues to intercede on our behalf.  If you are praying for a prodigal, invite Jesus and the Holy Spirit to show you how to pray, and also to intercede with you on your child’s behalf.

Praying for Wayward Children:

Adopting God's Will and Perspective

When Jesus taught his own close band of disciples to pray, He told them to “ask the Father directly…using my name,” (John 16:23-24).  So, while we are to pray directly to God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit desire to help us learn to pray effective prayers.  These are some examples of things that you might ask Jesus and the Holy Spirit:

• To abide with you while you pray to the Father.
• To give you insight and discernment of what to pray for.
• To better understand God’s will in the circumstance.
• To remember scripture verses in order to pray the promises of God. 
• Wisdom and insight to see your situation with God’s perspective and understand His will. 
• Whether to invite someone else to pray with you, and if so, who.

It is a profound privilege for the believer to be able to go into the presence of God and pray in the name of His Son who dwells in us but is also at God’s right hand!

Blessings,

Lily