Prayer is the greatest and most essential weapon we have to fight the spiritual battle for and with our prodigal child. Laine Lawson Craft shares four ways to initiate prayer together so we can join forces in the Spirit and pray for our prodigal children to return home.
On a recent episode of Your Hope-Filled Perspective podcast, Laine and I discussed how to win back a prodigal child, teen, or young adult and a battle plan for fighting for our prodigals. If you are the parent of a prodigal, you won’t want to miss that episode!
4 Ways to Pray for our Prodigal Children
By Laine Lawson Craft
As we discussed in the podcast, we were challenged with this question, “If we are not praying for our children, then who is?” Many of us didn’t even know we were supposed to pray for our children until they began to go wayward.
Prayer is the greatest weapon we have to fight the battle for and with our prodigal child and win the war over the enemy seeking to destroy them.
As I shared in the podcast, I began a pattern of covering my three children with the blood-soaked paintbrush with the powerful and healing blood of Jesus Christ “painted on their backs” through prayer. I prayed this prayer for years, and I am confident our prayers help guide our children to the way they should go within God’s perfect path.
Here are four ways we can better pray for our wayward child:
- First, we can find a quiet place in our home and a time to pray daily. This intentionality will help us tune out the world’s noise and minimize the chaos around us. Also, it allows us to be successful as we intentionally remove ourselves into our prayer place and at a specific time of day every day. When we deliberately seek time to pray with God, we are assured that we are executing our greatest weapon to win back our wayward child.God is our strength and our refuge. Psalm 46:9-11 (NIV) “He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields[a] with fire. He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
- Second, one way we can pray more effectively is with worship music. We can pick an artist or Christian music variation to play during our quiet time. Praise and worship music during prayer can help us move more profoundly in the Spirit and help us create prayers out of the emotions created with music. The words or the cadence in the music often help initiate conversations with God leading us into intimate prayer time.1 Corinthians 14:15 (ESV) “What am I to do? I will pray with my Spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my Spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.”
- Third, one of the most effective ways to pray is by praying the word of God. For example, Psalm is a great book to read as a prayer. Many of the psalms will open our hearts as the author, David, would also open his heart to God. Reading God’s word has another benefit: it helps us know more about God. The more we read and pray, the more we understand who God is and how He loves us deeply.The word of God shares God’s promises to us. When we read these promises, we can hold on to them and pray that we know God will always fulfill His promises to us. Also, the word of God will always help us change our focus on Him and not ourselves. This will enable us to strengthen and lean on God more as we rely on His words for our lives and our children.Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and Spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
- Fourth, visualize sitting at the feet of our Lord and handing over every care, worry, burden, and fear to Him. We can even list these things beforehand to cover every need and lay them down at God’s feet. When we go through this prayerful process, it’s as if we are taking the weights off our chests that keep us heavy-hearted and in despair as we go down the list of needs and hand them over. As we go through this process, we walk out in faith that God will take care of our concerns, turn things around for our wayward child, and comfort us.Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Prayer is the most essential weapon in the battle over the spiritual war over our teens and young adults. If we aren’t praying over our kids, no one else will likely be either. With these new ways to initiate prayer together, we can join forces in the Spirit and pray for our prodigal children to return home.
What have you found effective in praying for your prodigal? We’d love to hear in the comments below!
About Laine Lawson Craft
Laine Lawson Craft (www.lainelawsoncraft.com) is an award-winning author, popular media host, and in-demand speaker. The founder and publisher of WHOAwomen magazine (2010-2018), she regularly hosts online challenges and masterclasses as well as Facebook Live events that reach thousands. Her Warfare Parenting podcast encourages parents of adult children. Laine and her husband, Steve, have three children and live in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
Connect with Laine: Linktree / Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube
Book Giveaway
In conjunction with this post and the podcast interview, Laine is giving away a free copy of her book, The Parent’s Battle Plan: Warfare Strategies to Win Back Your Prodigal.
Leave a comment below sharing with us one thing you learned about praying for your prodigal children and you will be entered into the contest for your chance to win a copy of her book.
You could also share this blog post on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter then comment here to tell us where you shared it and you’ll also be entered into the drawing.
The winner will be selected at random and announced next Monday, March 26, 2023. Continental United States only.
I have been praying for my son who has been upset with me for a decision I made to move to a lot near my older son in another city. He feels slighted and will not speak to me and said in a letter that he would not visit or speak to me and asked me not to contact him. I have sent birthday cards and Christmas greetings but no sign in nearly 2 years of this treatment. I feel rejected, abandoned and seek to find a way for reconciliation. Finally, I’ve given this matter to the Lord and I pray daily for him. I like the specific way you’ve given to find a daily place with worship music and the Word to pray in a specific way for the Lord to touch my son’s heart. I also have 2 grandchildren who I cannot see as well. I send them cards and try to keep them aware of my love for them. God’s ways are mighty and unlimited, and I know that I can count on His way to unravel this “prodigal” to soften in his anger towards God and me.
Wise advice. Shared on Facebook and Pinterest! Visiting from IMM#22
I love the idea of putting worship music on when praying for our prodigals or praying about anything.
I love your 4 ways of praying for a prodigal. We have prayed for our children all their lives and when our son left for the Marines at 18, I asked the Lord how to pray for him because I had a heavy heart thinking I had signed my son’s life away and being concerned something might happen to him. I learned very soon after asking the Lord how to pray, that my prayers as a parent are so very powerful and Father told me to pray my children into His presence, releasing them to Him so He can do the work in their lives needed. My daughter went through some tough years, a divorce and with 3 boys. We loved her, helped where Father directed and trusted her in God’s hands. We have watched both be protected and they are still being drawn to God’s throne and He is working in their lives. Praying the way He taught us has given us great peace through the years. We have a wonderful relationship with them and they are excelling in their life and work. Thank you both so much for this much needed message. I will share this on Facebook.
Never thought i would be facing prodigal son situation, but i sure am
i sure am facing a parodical son situation