After Prodigal Prayer Day: Moving on from Fear
FEAR NOT 4—WORLDWIDE PRODIGAL PRAYER DAY
We did it! We prayed for all those names on our list of treasured prodigals. What a privilege!
Were you able to join us, for a little or a lot of the Worldwide Prodigal Prayer Day? Did you join with others to pray, or pray by yourself?
And what a battle it was--always! I am always exhausted at the end of the day. We—and those we pray for—have an enemy who doesn’t like that we are on our knees on their behalf. He will do all he can to keep us fearful.
But “thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)
So what do we do now? What follows a Prodigal Prayer Day?
WE WAIT--
--to see what God is doing. Sometimes we will see immediate answers; other times we await the unfolding of change. He is often kind to give us little glimpses of His response to our prayers. Some of us will rejoice in amazing transformation. Mostly we will wait.
This is a verse that sustained me through many years of waiting:
Isaiah 60:22: I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly.”
WE TRUST--
--God heard and is answering our prayer. We have great assurance from God’s Word that He desires for our prodigals to return to Him—and to us. So we take comfort from these verses: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:14-15)
We can be sure that God desires to welcome the prodigals home.
And a verse that sustained me to keep trusting: John 5:17: Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”
WE THANK—
The Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
God is working even when we don't see it. We are admonished to give thanks in all things, even when we don’t yet see what we hope for.
We commit to a prodigal prayer day, but then we must remember that we look through that dark glass—God is always working even if we can’t discern what He is doing. Giving thanks is often what opens the door for next steps.
WE GIVE LOVE AND GRACE--
--as the hands and heart of our Savior to our loved prodigals. Our Father says He will woo them back with His lovingkindness. (Romans 2:4)
We are His primary means of extending that love and grace that will (eventually) draw them back to God and to us. Perhaps the changes God works in us will transform our responses—our words and action—toward them. And change the hearts and attitudes to receive our love.
Let me say that again. Often the breakthrough with our prodigals will come because God has worked in us, enabling us to be channels of His love and grace.
WE HOPE—
--because we have a strong anchor to hold our Hope—Jesus Himself. We remember that God’s promises are all YES in Christ, so we have confidence to keep on hoping.
Romans 15:13: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And this confidence and hope are possible as we allow God’s love to keep on banishing and displacing fear.
AND WE KEEP PRAYING—
--with hope, with perseverance, with assurance.
A day set aside to pray for prodigals is wonderful, engaging us and our God for release of His grace and power. But we still need to keep praying.
Be sure to check out these links of prayers and ways to pray. I believe they will be helpful as you “keep on asking, seeking and knocking.” https://judydouglass.com/prayersforyourwildernessjourney
Please let us know as you see God’s hand at work in the life of your prodigal after our prodigal prayer day. You can go to our Prayer for Prodigals.com or our Prayer for Prodigals Facebook page to share answers, positive signs, hopeful changes with us. We will rejoice and give thanks with you.
Or you can share new prayer requests and we will pray with you.
Our yearly day of prayer is June 2. But our community prays all year. Join us. Contact us at Prayerforprodigals.com or check out HopeforHurtingParents.com
And here’s a link to all the Fear Not Music.
What about you? How will you continue to pray?
God bless you.