All verses NIV
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As you pray, draw strength and faith as you remind yourself that God will do his part as you have done your part in raising your child the best you were able.
Proverbs 22:6
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
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Ask the Lord to bring his light into the life of your prodigal, What looks enticing in darkness looks shoddy and cheap when exposed to true light.
Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
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Call to east and the west, claim this promise, that God will gather those who have scattered! Pray that God leads them when they have purposefully shut their eyes so they cannot see his path.
Isaiah 43:4-8
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth- everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.
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Pray that God gives your prodigal a heart's desire to know him. That the Lord would woo them to himself and that they would long for his fellowship. That their return would not be a moral choice but one born out of a true spiritual longing.
Jeremiah 24:7
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.
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Pray that any temptations that would attempt to draw their attention away from God's call would ebb.
Jeremiah 32:38-39
They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them.
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Pray that not only their hearts may become soft but that your heart towards them would be remain soft. Ask the Lord to expose any hardness, unforgiveness or resentments in your own life toward your prodigal.
Ezekiel 11:19-20
I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
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Ask the shepherd to go forth after his lost flock.
Ezekiel 34:11-12
For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.
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Pray for a new heart and a new spirit and the Lord would capture the prodigal's emotions, giving them a longing to do walk in the truth.
Ezekiel 36:26-27
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
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Pray that idols in their lives would be exposed and they would turn their hearts, minds and spirit away from the modern idols of our age, Financial success at the sacrifice of integrity, peer acceptance, blind tolerance, sexual impurity; wrong role models (celebrity worship), material goods. Any item, person or activity that a prodigal would place as having more importance in their life than God, is an idol.
Ezekiel 37:23b-24
They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.' My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.
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Pray as an intercessor, identifying with the sufferings of the prodigals and invite them to return to the Lord.
Hosea 6:1-3
"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."
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Remind God of his promises, plead for his protection over the prodigals, fast and pray on their behalf, cleanse your own hearts from anything that would be a stumbling block for them as they observe your life.
Joel 2:12-13
Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. "Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
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Pray for restoration and that not only would the prodigals return but they would bring many more along with them as the enter back into the House of their Father. Pray against fear they might feel that they would be rejected if they returned.
Zechariah 10:6,8a
I will strengthen the house of Judah and save the house of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before.
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Find faith and comfort in knowing that God's heart is to see your prodigal return to the flock and that he would do anything to guide them back.
Matthew 18:12-13
What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.
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Pray that your own strength remain strong and unwavering, trusting God that his word is true and sure. Pray that you would not be tempted to create your own "Ishmael", as Sarah did when she decided to take matters into her own hands. Pray for patience and trust that God will accomplish his purposes as you remain in prayer and repentance.
Romans 4:20-21
Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
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Luke 15:11-32 (NIV) "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, "Father, give me my share of the estate."So he divided his property between them.
"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. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. "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!
I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men."
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. "The son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son."
"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. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."So they began to celebrate.
"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. Your brother has come," he replied, "and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound."
"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 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. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!"
"My son," the father said, "you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 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."
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