Our faith is a connection with the hope of God found only in Christ. That connection remains secure over time, even when our disappointments and failures make us think it has been severed.  This is especially true for the prodigal sons and daughters in our lives who have walked away from their faith.

What makes this connection so secure is the Father-Child relationship we have with God, ”O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter.We all are formed by your hand” (Isaiah 64:8).

In the story of the Prodigal Son, the son’s willingness to return to his father took place as he wallowed in the depths of his rebellion. It caused him to think differently about his return.  He was returning even as his life was wrapped in his rebellion and bad decisions.

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ (Luke 15:17-19).

The Prodigal Son thought his sin made him unworthy to receive his father’s love and restoration. He forgot it was the Master Potter, God, who made him a worthy creation. 

The father waited in the fields for the day of his son’s return. “And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him” (vs. 20). The life of the Prodigal Son would be rebuilt based on the foundation of his father’s embracing love.  

How we pray for our prodigals, both natural and spiritual prodigals, is important. We need to pray for them to come to their senses. We can’t force that decision. It will be a personal decision – a decision between them and God. Putting people in God’s hands is the safest place for a prodigal spirit.

The Lord – the Master Potter – can recast a broken life and make it more appreciative of His love the second time around. This will make our prodigal sons and daughters even more appreciative of the love they had before they walked away.  

A return to their senses will be the first step in their willingness to begin their journey home. Coming to their senses should be the primary motivation of our prayers for our prodigal sons and daughters.