When You're Praying For A Prodigal.

"I had a dream, Courtney."

I grip the phone tightly, holding it closer to my ear because I don't want to miss this.  "What happened?"

I can hear her smile, feel her joy.  "I dreamed that I looked out the window and saw her walking up the driveway.  She was coming home."

The excitement and conviction in her voice is almost too much.  Tears fill my eyes because I understand, I get it, this deep need to believe for the prodigal.  "That's awesome.  That's just...wow.  Awesome."

"She's coming home, Courtney.  I don't know how.  I don't know when.  But my baby girl is coming home."

************************************************************

It's been a few years since I've had that conversation, but I remember it like it happened yesterday.  You don't forget that kind of hope.  It settles inside, peeking out from behind the negativity and realism.  It tells you that this is what Love does.    

Love bears all, believes all, hopes all, and endures all (1 Corinthians 13:7).  Love looks in the face of the enemy and says, "I know you want them, but you can't have them."  And Love means it.

In Luke 15, Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son - how he demanded his portion, left his father's house, and wasted his inheritance almost immediately.  It wasn't until he was starving, feeding pigs in a field, that he "came to himself" (Luke 15:17) and decided to go back home.  His father accepted him.  They threw a party.  The prodigal son had returned!

And I know there are many of you with sore knees and bruised hearts due to excessive prayer over the years.  And I know how disheartening it can be to wait and watch and wonder if your prodigal will ever come home.

At this moment, there are names that never leave my prayer wall.  There are names that I've been praying over for years.  And I have come to the realization that the owners of those names may never turn to God, may never return home.

But I can guarantee if they don't turn to God, if they don't choose to come back home, it won't be because I quit praying for them.

You cannot quit.  I know the disappointment.  I know the discouragement.  I know the hurt, the questions.  What good are my prayers if they're not working?  I'm with you.  I know.  But you cannot quit praying for your prodigal.  You cannot allow the enemy to wrestle this burden loose, because the burden urges the passion that fuels the fervent prayer.  And the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16).  

Keep praying.  Keep believing.  Don't quit.  Be that one person that looks the enemy in the face and says, "I know you want them, but honey, you can't have them."  And mean it. 

************************************************************

Day Twenty Seven.

You can find the rest of the series here.