Prayer library
A Prayer for a Prodigal (a wandering loved one)
If someone you love has walked away from God, this prayer is for the long wait, trusting the Father who is always watching the road for them.
Father, I lift up the one I love who has wandered far from You.
You see them even now, and You love them more than I do.
Guard them, and draw them home by whatever it takes.
Give me patience to keep praying and hope to keep watching the road.
Bring them home. Amen.
“And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”
Luke 15:20
You don’t have to pray alone
On The Living Bread you can ask the family of God to pray for you and watch prayers be answered, or pray for someone else who needs it today. It is free, and you are welcome exactly as you are.
This prayer at a glance
| Prayer for | A Prodigal |
|---|---|
| Lines to pray | 5 |
| Anchored in | Luke 15:20 |
| Time to pray it | about a minute, slowly |
| Related prayers | 3 |
Read it in context
Read it beside its neighbours. These are the passages readers most often set next to this one.
- Psalms 103:10-13
- Psalms 86:5
- Psalms 86:15
- Ephesians 2:13
- Isaiah 49:15
- Genesis 46:29
- Deuteronomy 30:2-4
- Genesis 33:4
- Job 33:27-28
- Ephesians 2:17
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY.
Questions people ask
What Scripture is a prayer for a prodigal (a wandering loved one) built on?
It rests on Luke 15:20. The prayer above is written in plain words around that passage, and the verse is quoted from the stored text, not from memory.
What if I have no words to pray for a prodigal (a wandering loved one)?
Start with the first line of the prayer above and stop there if that is all you can say. God hears the first honest sentence. You can also ask the family of God on The Living Bread to pray with you and for you.
Can I pray this for someone else?
Yes. Change the first person to their name and pray the same lines for them. Praying for others is part of loving one another, and you can ask the family of God to join you.
Pray this
Father, you are already present in A Prodigal, before any of us arrive. We bring you prodigal, those who dont know christ, loneliness. Let your Body in that place love one another and be one. In the name of Jesus, amen.
Live this
Three small things you can do this week.
- Pray the lines above once today, out loud if you can, and read Luke 15:20 in your own Bible.
- Tell one trusted person that you are praying about prodigal, and ask them to pray with you.
- Write down one thing you notice this week, so that you can thank God by name when it comes.
Where this fits in the walk with Christ
Christ meets people in a place, and then walks on with them. Here are doors that walk on.
