“For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found, and they began to be merry.” (Luke 15:24)
Whilst his sons matured in his household the prodigal’s father taught them the word and intention of God toward life, deed and business, how to lead men; handle setbacks, personal goals and relationships. His very lifestyle of faith in God demonstrated his dependency on God and His vast favour through prayer into life and business, his deep gratitude to God was transparent for all to see. The prodigal’s father loved God and His presence in his life and with all of his heart prayed and pleaded with God that his sons would develop and enjoy a similar relationship. Thus he presumed his sons would robotically become adherents of his faith but, as time clearly demonstrated, he was sadly mistaken, as he had not allowed for the freewill of his sons to choose or decline a relationship with God.
It wasn’t until he watched the silhouette of his youngest son disappear over the horizon and heard the nasty quip from his elder son about his worthless; non-descript brother that the father realized his sons had no relationship with God at all. Perplexed, he questioned himself mercilessly … how could it be? “God I honestly believed they’d catch your spirit from me but it seems their hearts are full of rebellion and resentment towards you and me both. God I have trained my sons’ intellect in your wisdom and taught them to be tough-minded leaders and harness the drives of their flesh and blood bodies but it’s only you who can bring life to their spirit and faith if they are willing. Please forgive me for my impertinent presumption.
His thoughts wandered back to when his own heart was awakened to the spirit of God, his time of training and reaction to it let alone his father’s authoritative expectations. He had to admit, his youthful response to God and the demands of his household to conform to numerous rules had to be driven into his heart by physical punishment. He simply hadn’t dared to audibly voice his protest against it all until it overflowed in the simple action of leaving home and family with its bunch of rules called … “God said!”
What a kill-joy I thought at the time … any and everything worthwhile doing you weren’t allowed to and the family’s fear of repercussions on the business for the slightest divergence, literally sucked all the air out of the room. You know, the typical emotional guilt trip they lay on you? … “It’s your lousy attitude that’s ruining the business this month.” I just couldn’t handle it any more … no that’s not right, I didn’t want to handle it any more, so I left. My family loved me nevertheless and continued to pray for me; in hindsight I’m so thankful for their vigil of prayer as it built the atmosphere around me for receptivity for God’s spirit to move in my life
Personally I’d only ever known the austere nature of God, the letter of the law … “Thou shalt not …, “ never the goodness King David talked about. Until that day when the spirit of God and the word of God agreed in my heart and I saw it, I mean, I saw literally God’s intention in his word, it was for my own good … God actually loved me! God wasn’t trying to put me down at all or deprive me of anything good. He was actually trying to rescue me from my own heart’s intent for self destruction. I was able to see my sin against God and truly sought forgiveness for my rebellion and set myself to put my whole heart into the spirit of His word, it is life to all those who find it. Peace and joy flooded my being and I’ve thankfully enjoyed His presence in my life ever since.
Encouraged by his short reflection on his own spiritual awakening, he set himself to continue to pray with renewed vigour and faith for both of his prodigal sons’ awakening to the spirit of God’s love and forgiveness. A tear came to his eye as once again he thought of his own father’s vigil of prayer for him. “No good thing will God withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11b)
Let’s pray. Father grant me the renewing of my spirit daily, open my spiritual eyes that I may comprehend the magnitude of your love for me and for the assurance of my future in your powerful hands. Let me be charged with faith in the effectiveness of believing prayer as you deliver me from the bondage of dead letter believing. Please take all my worries and cares as I give them to you now and I ask you to undertake them for a satisfactory conclusion in Jesus’ name. Amen
God bless you and keep you in his unfailing love,
Pastor Paul
