God Cares!

Key Bible Text

Read Luke 15: 11-32

God Cares About … Prodigals (Part 1) (published LifeLine 6/11/07)

More than one in five Christian kids admit they use or have used drugs/alcohol.
- According to the Barna Research Group - Hit by a Ton of Bricks

Perspective…

While the word Prodigal cannot be found in the Bible, the dictionary defines prodigal as “rashly or wastefully.” Additionally, one cannot define prodigal without referring to the parable of the lost son. H. Norman Wright, a psychologist and prolific Christian author has defined prodigal in the following manner:

"The word is used to describe someone who is extremely wasteful. In the biblical story of the prodigal son, the son wastes his inheritance and so much more. Prodigal children waste the values their parents have worked to instill in them. They waste their potential, their abilities, their health, their future. In some cases, they waste their lives.” (Loving A Prodigal, H. Norman Wright)

Prodigals are not limited to one’s children or drug use; Christian and non-Christian alike, whether child or adult, spouse, relative, or friend—anyone who walks away from God is lost and in need of prayer!

Pray:
Pray a hedge around the prodigals in your life (Hosea 2: 6-7)

Serve:
Stand in the gap for the prodigals in your life (Ezekiel 22:30)

Give: Support and hope to the families of a prodigal. Be their Aaron and Hur (Exodus 17:12)

Challenge:
Find meaningful ways to minister to the family of a prodigal. Be a listening ear, offer prayer support, and actively enter their journey as they wait for their loved one to return home. If you are the family of a prodigal, choose a friend to share your heartache with; select a prayer partner to stand in the gap with you.