Prayer And Prodigals

Hey this is Mike Swick from if not for God podcast our show stories of hopelessness turned and I hope your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just 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 encouraging prayer, God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly biblical insight help you learn to mom and now have fun today. We are live on location with encouraging prayer cards were always live on location in an interesting way.

James you're down in Louisiana speaking at a prayers for particles kind of event right believers down here who have been praying for prodigal's for years and they have seen hundreds come home and I'm just so glad to be here often will will do this, travel to different churches in an you know, encourage families that have prodigal's to just stay faithful in prayer and we see beautiful things happen, as we do this and I just I look forward to what God is going to do the event starts tonight and then also well tomorrow as well.

But you know Robbie sometimes when someone you love is a prodigal you. You feel lonely, you know you don't know of anyone can really understand you can feel like I can I bring this to church and I talked about this in church and absolutely you can wait.

We want our churches to be that kind of place right, and that's I mean I can't even expressing, I'm sure that Satan would love us to buy that idea that were alone in this, but if the church is exactly where in one of the main things that that your church does. This is specifically pray for particles that mail in the people that read the book trying right right we have on James Banks.org eight job prodigal prayer wall and we have people write in from all over the world and we have a prayer team that covers those requests and we also will you know talk or pray for them in prayer meetings and this is absolutely vital work and the reason why it is so important is that if someone you love is a prodigal, then you know how to pray for someone else who has one pilgrim said that once you have one prodigal you level prodigal's and when you come together to pray the presence of the Lord is there is spirit is there, his strength is there and he is able to help us help each other in beautiful way. Now I think it's absolutely the case. I can remember all too well when we were at the prayer event at the RB. We were with Carter, pastor of the timer church and he asked you to help pray for one of his kids. You ask him to help you pray for your kids and I asked him to help pray for the common situation yeah and you know Robbie, one of the things so important as we think about this is is letting go shame and letting go of pride, because you know the same aspect is we feel like it's something that we've done with the truth. His kids make their own choices. I heard someone say once about prodigal son if your kids are doing well.

Then don't take the credit. But if there being a prodigal, don't beat yourself up and I think that is is so true because so often we live vicariously through our children and are doing well and we take the credit. We get the sense of pride about us. Maybe that isn't healthy. Healthy side with her kids, but sometimes there is that well. I must've done something right and really we just need to have humble hearts for God because as we do that, then we get to see what he alone can do and that's what really gets exciting how it is and I think about the book that you did with your son just came out about a year ago and hope lies ahead.

And it was all about that and it was all as I read it I couldn't help but think that this doesn't have anything to do a James that this had to do with things that he was working out in his life and not to mention it.

God's kid. Adam had his struggles. I mean think about it, the parable of the prodigal son when Jesus told it really is about the whole family of man. I mean if it's about God search and rescue mission to save us so you know he who is the father in the parable of the prodigal son Jesus is the father. Jesus is God's love runs to us and and welcomes us home and so you know is as we pray for each other when we have prodigal's if if we come together in that sense of nobody's accusing Burgess, love each other. Little of a prodigal's and last, and you might say will how can you bless a prodigal in the way that you do that is to pray for them to come to Jesus to know his love because there's no greater blessing this this church that sure in Louisiana and Alexandria from understand that they been doing this event for years and years. So as you been there before.

I'm very curious there and obviously the very cognizant of your book and what it is is your particular prayer or something where you feel they got great encouragement and wanted to do this will be taken.

Prayers for prodigal's my book and they have prayed through it for 10 different seasons now and so they'll do it, a couple of times a year and you know 90 days and what they've done is is just work through the book you know one day at a time so you never know what what God is going to use but it's it is doing and I'm just along for the ride and you know I'm collected the dog in the car, stick his head out the window. My we just flew through this episode James that I know our listeners would love if we could pray with them right now for their products. Let's do it lordly. We thank you that you have a heart for prodigal's Jesus that you are a friend of sinners, Lord, if someone who is listening is is just in that place right now. We pray for your encouragement for them and for your help for their prodigal love you and see you in a way they never have before, thank you that you are good welcome you with pray to hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina.

May God bless you and encourage you to pray. This is the Truth Network