Praying for Prodigals: From Heartache to Hope
As a parent, seeing your child turn from God or make poor decisions can be heart-wrenching. You are not alone in this struggle—many mothers and parents have walked this painful road and understand just how deep these feelings can go. Still, prayer has power. Lifting your prodigal son or daughter up to God invites Heaven’s Armies into the situation, and nothing is impossible for Him.
Pray for your prodigal with faith: for their heart, against spiritual warfare, for their relationships, and for your strength.
Motherhood requires courage and determination. Go to the One who changes hearts and promises to work things out for those who love Him.
Praying for prodigals with unwavering faith
The Bible tells us to pray in faith, not to doubt or be anxious, but to pray about everything. Yet, when your kids seem headed in the wrong direction and making poor choices, worry can feel unavoidable—even though it’s difficult to surrender those concerns.
Especially when you know you have taught them about God and raised them to love and follow Him. So how do we pray with “unwavering faith”
The enemy uses every tactic to fuel doubt and fear. Our God is a God of miracles; He turns situations around, no matter how hopeless they seem.
This is the perfect time to use the Armor of God to fight this battle for our children. To pray with unwavering faith, we need our helmet first. By reading the Bible and filling our minds with the truth of God’s word, we can protect our minds from all the racing thoughts of everything that can go wrong.
We need to use our Shield of Faith to quench the fiery arrows of the enemy. All those thoughts racing around in your mind, yeah, those are the arrows that feel more like javelins being thrown at your heart.
The more you study all the miracles God has performed and thank Him for all the blessings in your life, the more your faith will grow. This is how we use our shield.
Put on your Belt of Truth, Momma. The truth of God’s word is that He loves your child even more than you do. He wants them to be saved and live for Him. Nothing is too hard for God, and His arm is not too short to save!
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27
He knows exactly what is going on in your heart and mind and in the heart and mind of your child. He knows all the details of their situation that you don’t. He hears your cries for help, for the protection of your child, and your desperate need for Him to intervene. He catches every single one of your tears. You are not alone in this battle for your child.
Trust in God’s promises
The Bible is filled with promises from God, and you can cling to these when praying for your child. Jeremiah 29:11 assures us that God has plans to prosper us and give us hope. Believe that He has a beautiful plan for your son or daughter’s life, even if it doesn’t look like it right now.
"So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you ot abandon you. " Deuteronomy 31:6
"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you." Deuteronomy 31:8
"This is my command: be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
These verses show God consistently encouraging Joshua to be strong and courageous. God is telling you the same thing. Be strong, courageous, and do not be afraid or discouraged. He will be with you.
God gave me the life verse from Deuteronomy 31:6 when I was in college, and I can promise you, with all certainty and conviction, that it is true.
No matter what situation you are walking through right now, in your marriage, with your children, or with your own thoughts and feelings – God will never ever leave you, He will never abandon you, and He is always with you.
I know, I hear you saying, “All that sounds great, but my problem is complicated, how am I supposed to be strong and courageous?” Keep reading.
Believe in God’s power to work in any situation.
Our God is all-powerful. He is the creator of the universe, and nothing is too hard for Him. Scripture tells us that when we pray, we are to believe. So I encourage you to believe that He can soften the hardest heart, break the strongest addiction, and restore even the most broken relationships. He can do immeasurably more than we could ever imagine.
"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us," Ephesians 3:20
You see, when you stop to think about all God has done in the past, it makes it easier to believe in His power to work in your present and your future.
Have you read the Old Testament? I mean, really read it. Like, take one story at a time, read it, and study it.
I am embarrassed to admit this, but I always kind of rushed through the Old Testament. I figured Jesus showed up in the New Testament, so I spent most of my time there.
You are missing out if you haven’t taken the time to read the Old Testament, too. God performed so many miracles for His people that it is quite mind-blowing.
I love how He gave Abraham and Sarah a baby when they were too old. Then, he provided a ram as a replacement at the last minute when he told Abraham to go sacrifice his very son. And even though Sarah and Abraham became impatient and followed their own plan to have a baby through Hagar, God still came through. He even revealed Himself to Hagar, and she gave Him the name, “the God who sees me.”
He saw Hannah and knew her situation. He heard her desperate prayers for a child. He saw her tears. God answered her prayer and gave her a son. But don’t miss the part where Hannah promises to give that son back to God for His use and glory.
God gives us our children. He has a plan for them, just like He does for us. And just like Abraham and Sarah, who made a mess of things because they were impatient, God still had a plan.
Even when our children make a mess of things in their lives, God still has a plan for them. Their mistakes are not a surprise to God. Our job is to raise them to know God, teach them about His love, and the importance of salvation and living for God.
After that, your job is to trust God can and will work in their hearts and lives in His timing, and give them to Him. Remember, though, God gives us all free will, so they may still choose to run from Him. But that doesn’t mean the story is over.
The good news is that, in God’s little arsenal of armor, He has given us more important pieces we can use. The Bible tells us that God hears the prayers of the righteous. If you are anything like me, you sometimes think God may not hear your prayer because you know the mistakes you’ve made.
But when we humble ourselves, repent, and ask Him to forgive us, He is faithful to forgive us for our sins. So now, when God looks at us, all He sees is the righteousness of our Savior, Jesus.
This breastplate protects our hearts because it helps us to trust God and His plan. Even when things look bad, and we don’t see a way. God does. He knows your child’s entire life story. He knows their thoughts, their feelings, their exact location at all times, who they are with, what they are doing, and, even more importantly, He knows how to reach them.
So now, you need to use your sword. I love this imagery. Your sword is the word of God. Take some time and write down every verse you can find to pray over your child. Memorize them. Use them as prayers.
The Bible says the power of life and death is in the tongue. Speak life over your child. Speak the truth of God’s word over your child. They don’t have to be with you. God is with them, and when you are speaking the truth of God’s word over them, the devil must flee.
Which brings us to another piece of armor. Prayer.
Praying for the prodigal’s heart
When you pray for your prodigal, focus on their heart. True change happens when the Holy Spirit works within.
I want to tell you a truth that will give you so much peace if you can accept it. You are not responsible for changing your child. You are not responsible for the decisions they have made in the past, the decisions they are making now, or the decisions they will make in the future. Many mothers carry a heavy weight of guilt, thinking, “If only I had done this differently,” or replaying choices from years ago. Please release yourself from this burden. God is the perfect parent, yet His children still make choices to turn away. Let go of guilt and trust that God’s love and grace are bigger than any mistake you may feel you made. You can walk in freedom, knowing He is working in your child’s heart beyond what you can see.
At this point, you are responsible for praying. Don’t take this lightly; prayer is a mighty weapon for believers, especially mothers. The Bible highlights mothers who pray.
God did not include these stories just for entertainment. God gave us these mothers and grandmothers as an example of what you are to do. Pray for your child. Even if you don’t know where they are, you can still pray for them. God sees them.
The power of the Holy Spirit cannot be matched. It is the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead. When Jesus went to Heaven, the Holy Spirit came to live in the hearts of the first believers and changed the world!
The Holy Spirit’s power can change any heart. In the book of Ezra, God’s power stirred hearts, showing His ability to move even the most unlikely individuals.
Actually, 2 Chronicles 36 ends with God stirring Cyrus’s heart. I wrote in the note section beside this verse, “God stirs the hearts of kings. He can stir the hearts of those we are praying for as well.” My prayer is “Father, please stir the hearts of my family now, and for all time, so they always follow your will and your way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Our prayers don’t have to be long either. Nehemiah 2:4-5 “The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied . . .” This was a short whispered prayer in a desperate moment by Nehemiah. Again, God stirred the heart of a king. Nehemiah says in verse 8, “And the king granted these requests because the gracious hand of God was on me.”
Sweet sister, nothing is too hard for our God. He worked all throughout the Bible in people’s lives. Even those who did not believe in Him helped His people.
- He provided:
- food
- water
- clothing
- shelter
- healed the sick
- gave sight to the blind
- caused the lame to walk
- the blind to see
- cast out demons
- raised people from the dead
- set prisoners free
- caused barren women to be able to have children
- The power of the Holy Spirit caused Mary, a virgin, to become pregnant.
The Bible says Jesus did even more miracles that are not mentioned. If He can do all of that, He can turn the heart and mind of your child back to God, and He can give you strength and courage to keep praying.
"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26
Pray for conviction, not condemnation.
Ask God to allow your child to feel His conviction, not the enemy’s condemnation. Conviction leads to repentance and a desire for change, while condemnation causes shame and pushes people further away from God. Pray that the Holy Spirit would gently reveal areas of sin and draw your child closer to the Father’s love.
This is a good time to put on your Shoes of Peace. I’m not saying to enable your child to continue their bad decisions. I am saying don’t push them away with a judgmental attitude. Speak the truth in love and let them know that it is because you love them that you must tell them the truth. At the same time, set healthy boundaries that honor both your love for your child and your commitment to what is right. Boundaries might include not supporting behaviors that harm them or others, while still keeping the door open for honest conversation. Remember, you can show mercy and grace without allowing destructive choices in your home or relationship. By being clear about your expectations and following through lovingly, you protect both your child and your own heart.
I have to remind myself that if I don’t forgive others, God won’t forgive me. I never want anything to stand in the way of God forgiving me. You don’t either.
The enemy will try to condemn us. Pray for God to protect your child’s heart and mind from the enemy’s lies. Ask the Holy Spirit to open their ears to the sound of His still small voice calling them to the heart of the Father.
Pray for a spiritual awakening.
More than just a change in how they act, pray for a spiritual awakening in your child’s life. Ask God to open their eyes to the truth of the gospel and the reality of His love. Pray that your child will experience a personal encounter with Jesus that will forever change their life. Pray for revival to happen in their hearts.
Just as Saul became Paul, God can change any life to one that follows Him. Pray for revival. Pray for revival in the heart of your child, in your life, and in the life of your family.
Praying for prodigals against spiritual warfare
We know a spiritual battle is raging for the souls of our children.
I know in this time of praying and waiting, it can seem like our children are the enemy. Their actions and the words they use can cut us to our hearts. This is just a distraction the enemy uses to keep us from being the prayer warriors we need to be.
Ephesians 6:10-18 not only gives us the list of armor we are to use, but first tells us who we are fighting.
"For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." v.12
Bind the enemy’s influence.
In prayer, you can bind the enemy’s influence over your child’s life. Declare that no weapon formed against them will prosper and that the enemy has no foothold. Speak truth over the lies your child may believe, and break any generational curses or patterns of sin.
Pray for God’s protection.
Ask God to surround your child with His protective hedge. Pray that He would guard their mind, hearts, and steps, shielding them from temptation and the schemes of the evil one. Declare that no harm will come to them and that they are safe under the shadow of the Almighty.
Praying for prodigal’s relationships
The people your child surrounds themselves with have a profound impact on their life, for better or worse. That’s why it’s so important to pray over their relationships.
"Do not be deceived: 'Bad company ruins good morals.” 1 Corinthians 15:33
Pray for godly friendships.
Ask God to bring godly friends into your child’s life – people who will encourage them in their faith and challenge them to live for Christ. Pray these friendships will be a source of accountability, wisdom, and support during this season.
"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17
Pray for your son to have Godly male friends and your daughter to have Godly female friends. The last thing they need right now is for lines to be crossed, especially if one of them is married.
I believe God gives us spiritual parents when we need them. If your child did not have a good father growing up, they may have a distorted view of God. Ask God to send them a “spiritual father” who will teach them about Him and encourage them in their walk with Christ, while speaking truth in love.
Maybe they do not have a good relationship with you. Then ask God to send them a “spiritual mom” who will help guide them to Christ and promote love and forgiveness in your relationship.
Pray for a supportive community.
Beyond just individual friendships, pray that your child will find a supportive community of believers. A strong church family can provide a sense of belonging, opportunities for discipleship, and a safe space to wrestle with questions and doubts. Pray that they will be drawn to a group of people who will love them unconditionally and encourage them in their walk with God.
Pray for your own strength.
As you pray for your prodigal son or daughter, don’t forget to pray for your own strength. This battle can be emotionally and spiritually draining, but God promises to equip you. He has given you His armor to fight against the real enemy.
In the midst of praying for your child, remember to care for your own heart and body as well. Taking care of yourself is not selfish—it is necessary for you to persevere. Consider simple self-care practices, such as taking time to rest, spending quiet moments with the Lord, journaling your prayers, going for a walk in nature, or connecting with supportive friends who will encourage you in your faith. Even small acts of self-kindness, like enjoying a warm cup of tea or listening to worship music, can bring renewal to your spirit. As you pour out your heart in prayer, be sure to let God pour back into you so you can continue to stand strong for your family.
Pray for patience and perseverance.
Waiting for our child to return to the Lord can be agonizing. Pray for patience to trust in God’s perfect timing and perseverance to keep praying and believing, even when you don’t see immediate results. Ask God to renew your strength and help you run and not grow weary.
Pray for wisdom and discernment.
Praying for our children during this time requires great wisdom and discernment. Pray that God will give you a spirit of wisdom to know how to respond in every situation. Ask Him to sharpen your discernment, so you can distinguish truth from lies and recognize the enemy’s tactics.
Praying for a prodigal child can be a long and hard road, but don’t give up – our God is faithful. He hears every prayer, and He is at work, even when we can’t see it. Keep persevering, keep believing, and keep lifting your child up to the One who loves them more than you ever could. Victory is coming!
"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." 1 John 5:14
A prayer for prodigals
Father God, we come to you now, thanking and praising you for the blessing of our children. Lord, we ask you to help us remember that when our hearts are broken by their words and actions. Father, your word says you want everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4). More than anything, we want our children to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus, to accept Him as their personal savior, and to surrender their lives completely to Him. We want our children to love the Lord their God with all their hearts, all their souls, all their minds, and all their strength, and to love their neighbors as themselves, which includes their families (Mark 12:30-31). Lord, we lift these children who seem to have lost their way and been blinded by the enemy up to you. We know you love them even more than we do, and we thank you for that. We pray the Holy Spirit will guard their minds from every lie of the enemy. When their memories and thinking are distorted, we ask you to clarify them and show them the truth. Guard their eyes from seeing things they should not be looking at. We know the enemy will use anything he can, including pornography, to lead our children down a dark path that leads to destruction. Jesus says our eyes can cause us to sin (Matthew 5:29: 18:9). Guard their ears to hear and understand your Word and the Holy Spirit speaking to them. Shut out the lies of the enemy Father! Lord, we ask you to guard their mouths so no corrupt speech will come out (Eph. 4:29; 5:4), but instead, let their words be kind and encouraging (Colossians 4:6). Your Word says "death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21). Father, we speak life over our children today. We speak the truth of your word and your love, peace, power, grace, and forgiveness. Please guard their hearts. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Everything we do comes from our hearts; it is the essence of who we are. As David prayed to you, we pray for our children, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10. We ask you to make their paths straight and guard their steps. You have so much to say about our walk. We pray our children will choose the narrow path (Matthew 7:13), let Your Word be "a lamp to their feet" (Psalm 119:105), and lead them back to You. Dear Lord, we know that nothing is too hard for you. We believe no one is too far for your hand to reach (Isaiah 59:1). We believe that you hear our prayer for our children today. (1 Peter 3:12) Thank you, Lord, for being a gracious and loving Father. Thank you for loving our children even more than we do. Thank you for blessing our lives with them, even when it is hard to see or feel. Thank you for the work you are doing in their lives, even when we don't see it. We trust you, we love you, we praise you, and thank you, and it is in Jesus' name we pray, AMEN.
FAQs
What if my prayers aren’t answered?
It can be disheartening when our prayers seem to go unanswered, but remember – God’s timing is perfect. He may be working behind the scenes in ways we can’t see. Keep praying and trusting that He will answer in His way and in His time.
How long should I pray?
There’s no set time limit on prayer. Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Whether it’s a quick cry to God throughout your day or an extended time of intercession, keep lifting your child up to the Lord consistently.
Can I pray for specific situations?
Absolutely! God cares about every detail of our lives. Be specific in your prayers – pray for protection from temptation, for godly influences, and for repentance from specific sins. The more specific you are, the more you’ll see God’s hand at work.
Remember, you do not have to walk this journey alone. Connecting with other mothers or faith-based support groups can provide powerful encouragement, shared wisdom, and a sense of community. Praying together with others who understand your struggles can strengthen your faith and bring comfort in difficult times.
