Of Parents and Prodigals

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That's 800-937-9673. Thank you for caring. Hello, this is Matt Slick from the Matt Slick Live Podcast, where I defend the Christian faith and lay out our foundations of the truth of God's word. Your chosen Truth Network Podcast is starting in just a few seconds. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing the Truth Podcast Network.

This is the Truth Network. or James writing about prayer, you may not know that a big part of what he does is to help parents or prodigals pray for their kids. If you go to his website, jamesbanks.org, that's.org, you'll notice that a very popular part of it is the prodigal prayer wall where thousands of requests have been lifted up by those who love prodigals. And so, James also has a prayer team that prays for each request, and they pray for them at the prayer meetings at Peace Church. James, you said that this week you discovered someone else in the Bible who had a prodigal children, and it really surprised you, so let's talk about that.

That's right, Robbie. I've read the book of 1 Samuel so many times, but this time, something really jumped out at me. Maybe it's because we've had so many requests from the parents of prodigals lately, and it's really been on my heart, but 1 Samuel 8 starts with these heartbreaking words. As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. Joel and Abhijab, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba, but they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.

Now just think about that for a moment. Again, they were not like their father. This is Samuel, a very special servant of the Lord. He was given an answer to prayer to his mother Hannah, and then dedicated to God for service in the tabernacle. He's the one whom God spoke to when he was so young, and remember what that was about?

Oh yeah, it's an amazing story. He thinks Eli the priest is calling him right in the night, and he goes to him, and Eli realizes it's the Lord speaking to Samuel, and tells him to say, speak Lord, for your servant is listening. Yeah, and what a great prayer, I mean, for any time. But then God does speak to Samuel, and again, he's just a boy, but God gives him this tough message to Eli about Eli's own prodigal sons, and his own ministry, and Samuel has to tell him that God is going to judge them for their unfaithfulness, and then, of course, that happens, and it's heartbreaking. So I see what you mean about how hard this has to be for Samuel, because he grew up around Eli's sons, and knew the mistakes Eli made, and looking at Samuel, he was a man who really tried to walk with God. So you know he did his best to make sure that his own sons did as well, but that verse you read, they were not like his father. I mean, man, that stuff, it had to be tough on Samuel, because he had a sensitive heart towards God. Yeah, exactly, and not only that, 1 Samuel tells us that his son's actions were one of the reasons Israel wanted a king, and God regarded that as rejecting his guidance, and his sons, you know, had a big role in that. But the reason I thought it would be helpful to look at this today, is because so many times, as I've worked with families with prodigals, I've noticed that it's some of the most devoted, godly people who have a son or daughter who has chosen to go the other way.

Yeah, I've seen the same thing. I think it really helps to talk about that, because that's not how parents often see it, but you know, after all, Adam walked with God pretty closely, and his son Cain, you know, it just, it's been tough all along. Yeah, yeah, that's another example, and parents with prodigals often carry a sense of shame or guilt, and they feel like, if only I'd done something differently, and what I've discovered is that so many families suffer in silence. I mean, there are more than, you know, Prayers for Prodigals is my best-selling book, and you know, we've been amazed how God has taken that all over the world, but sometimes these parents feel judged by others. Sometimes they may even feel that God is judging them, you know, for something in their past. So why do you think it is that so many dedicated believers have prodigals in their lives? Well, you know, God alone knows all the reasons, but a few things come to mind. First, just because they're dedicated, they care, they want their children to discover what they have in Jesus, so they pray with sensitive hearts, and they feel the distance in their loved one's lives, and you know, they're concerned for them and carry them every day in prayer. And of course, the truth is faith is never inherited.

We have to come into it on our own, or it means nothing. Our children have to decide for themselves, and no matter how hard we may try, we cannot make them believe, but also it's our adversary, the devil's attack on people who are faithfully serving God. I've seen this again and again. He targets their families to discourage those who are really trying to make a difference for the kingdom. Now I've seen that too, and can you think of some other biblical examples?

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you mentioned Adam, but in the Old Testament, just think of David. The Bible describes David as a man after God's own heart, and he messed up badly with the incident with Bathsheba and Uriah, but God forgave him and restored him, and David was absolutely devoted to God. But then look at what happens with his own son Absalom. Right, I mean, he rebelled and caused a revolt in the whole nation.

I mean, it was horrible. Yeah, and I just think of David's words after Absalom dies, Absalom, my son, my son. Or think about another really good king, Josiah. Josiah had led this huge reform in Israel, leading the whole nation back to God, but his sons who would follow were just absolutely wicked. One is captured by the king of Egypt, and he's replaced by his brother Jehoiakim, who's later taken captive by the king of Babylon, and the second king says about both of them that they quote-unquote did evil in the Lord's sight.

Yeah, I see what you mean. David, Josiah, Samuel, these are all devoted servants of God, and he used them to accomplish incredible things. And that's why I wanted to talk about them today to encourage parents who are faithfully serving God, and if someone they love is a prodigal, just know you're in good company, you know, in God's word, and he knows exactly what you are going through. And because of this, Robbie, I thought it would be good if we just took a little extra time today to pray for these families and pray with them right now. Please pray along as you're listening for the hope that only God can give, because as I've seen in my own life with my own son, God is faithful, and he is able to bring good out of circumstances that we never expected he could turn around. Oh, that sounds great.

Let's do it. Father, we do lift up these families, and we praise you. We thank you that you truly are able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. So we pray your encouragement for these parents that they would be strong, that they would be filled with your love, that they would love their prodigals with the love that only you can give, Lord, that you would protect them and deliver them from the evil one and bless them and bless their children to know you. And Lord, I too, I pray that these young men and women would come to their senses like the prodigal son himself and see that their father is waiting with open arms ready to run and put a robe on them. And Lord, you know better than we do the things and the people that they need in their lives in order to bring them closer to you. And we long for that with these parents.

We're in total agreement with those grandparents and maybe even great-grandparents as we join with them in love. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen. Remember, dear one, you are not alone. Our God knows and He cares, so let's keep praying together for what only He can do. Amen. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray. This is the Truth Network.