Simple Salvation Church of God
Prayer Request: Praying Prodigals Home
Subject:
Praying Prodigals Home (Apr 3, 2008)
Prayer Request:
Praying Prodigals Home
Caution! This article explains “Praying”, the need and demand for our prayers to God. It also defines what a “Prodigal” is, why prodigals exist, and our relationship to prodigals. Finally “Home” is defined and clarified as to what expectations home should be both the physical-emotional dwelling and the social group of believers and followers of Christ. If you do not believe in God and have not accepted Jesus as your personal savior then this article is not written to you but for you. You may not necessarily understand nor agree with this article. You need only to know that you are being prayed for!
“Praying Prodigals Home” is dedicated to the Holy and Reverend LORD. May His praises for ever endure! “He sent redemption to his people.” (Psalms 111:1, 9-10)
Praying is important because we love one another; it is commanded for us to “love one another.”
Should we pray for one another? 16“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17“These things I command you, that you love one another. (John 15:16-17 NKJV) As an expression of love, we should have enough concern and compassion to pray for others.
Is now the time to pray for others? Who belongs to God?
John 4:35 (KJV): “…I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” Ezekiel 18:4 (KJV): “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”
We see that all souls belong to God. So what is a prodigal? We could define a prodigal as a person making unreasonable ungodly decisions and prone to a lifestyle of wasteful extravagance. We could say that a prodigal is a lost soul. Just how important is a prodigal? Why might some persons become distant from their destiny?
Here are some factors to consider that make prodigals: taken from the book Praying Your Prodigals Home, by Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock.
“False expectations from parents, siblings, extended family
Parents failure to keep promises to children
Absent, cruel or disinterested fathers or mothers
The hypocrisy of parents, church, school, leaders and community
Feeling that spiritual needs are met at church
Anger or injustices they see in family, church, community or government
A sense of rejection
A major Trauma
Low self esteem or sense of inadequacy
Sibling rivalry
Peer Pressure
Lack of acceptance by peers
Poverty real or perceived
Inattentive workaholic parents
Childhood abuse (emotional, physical, sexual)
Addictions of all types (Pornography, Gambling, Drugs, Drinking, Sex, Gluttony, Greed for material goods etc.)”
Jesus made clear the importance of the lost with three parables as he spoke to others condemning Him for socializing with the “riffraff of society”: Luke 15:1-7 (KJV) Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. 3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5 And when he hath found [it], he layeth [it] on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together [his] friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7 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.”
Luke 15:8-10 Jesus told the people another story:
What will a woman do if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them? Won’t she light a lamp, sweep the floor, and look carefully until she finds it? 9 Then she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, “Let’s celebrate! I’ve found the coin I lost.”
10 Jesus said, “In the same way God’s angels are happy when even one person turns to him.”1
The Parable of the Lost Son
Lk 15:11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons.
Lk 15:12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
Lk 15:13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
Lk 15:14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
Lk 15:15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
Lk 15:16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
Lk 15:17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
Lk 15:18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
Lk 15:19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’
Lk 15:20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Lk 15:21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
Lk 15:22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Lk 15:23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.
Lk 15:24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Lk 15:25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
Lk 15:26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.
Lk 15:27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
Lk 15:28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.
Lk 15:29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
Lk 15:30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
Lk 15:31 “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
Lk 15:32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”
PARABLE REPEATED WITH ADDED EMPHASIS:
Luk 15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:
Luk 15:12 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.
Luk 15:13 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.
Luk 15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
Luk 15:15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
Luk 15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
Luk 15:17 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!
Luk 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Luk 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
Luk 15:20 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.
Luk 15:21 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.
Luk 15:22 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:
Luk 15:23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill [it]; and let us eat, and be merry:
Luk 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Luk 15:25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
Luk 15:26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
Luk 15:27 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.
Luk 15:28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
Luk 15:29 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:
Luk 15:30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
Luk 15:31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
Luk 15:32 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.
WHEN WE ARE DOWN AND OUT, THE FATHER IS READY TO ACCEPT US, WE NEED GOD!
Matthew 28:18And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20“teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.(The Holy Bible, New King James Version; Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1982. Here after referred to as NKJV)
1The Contemporary English [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1995 by the American Bible Society.
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