Pray for the prodigals to come home

The month of September is the month of miracles.

Last week the service and prayer was focused on financial blessings and job opportunities.

This week was focused on restoring relationships and praying for prodigals to come home and back to church.

I had every intent to pray for my future husband.

I had my prayer request practiced out.

I knew who I'd pray with on the prayer team.

I had a plan.

...

Until I heard the service and focus scripture.

The story of the Prodigal son in Luke 15

Psalm 133:1-3 dwell together in unity

AND

Malachi 4:6 which discussed bringing back restoration in relationships

THEN GOD PENETRATED MY HEART WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT 

when PC read Malachi 4:6...

“And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

Malachi 4:6 ESV

http://bible.com/59/mal.4.6.esv

I posted a few weeks ago of my heart wrenching ordeal with my son in regards to his absent father.

Chris left when I was 3 months pregnant.

he's never seen Bryson in person, only in pictures.

He's never made an attempt to call him or see him

We speak only in regards to child support and payment of medical bills since we split the financial responsibility.

the only thing bryson knows of his father are that he was a soldier, he is a hero, and he lives in South Carolina.

Bryson has been "Practicing" talking to his daddy.

He'll be playing with his trucks in his room or in the tub and will say "daddy, daddy come look I have my tools ready for you to play with me."

or

"Pew Pew Pew. I want to be a hero like my daddy!  A soldier!"

He believes in his heart he'll meet him and will get to actually talk to him someday.

Today, I think God wants me to start believing the same.

All this time I've been praying for God to prepare me for my future husband when instead I should have been praying for his dad to come into his life.

When Chris left, he said he wasn't ready to be a dad. It'd be a mistake if he were around because he was a shitty person.

these were his words.

I agreed because it's not fair for anyone to be forced into a role they don't want

I never thought anything of it because Chris had moved on.

He impregnated someone else

married her

had another child with her (2 beautiful girls)

and grew into an amazing father

If God is capable of raising the dead, I believe he's capable of opening that door for my son to have a father.

HIS father recognize his existence and try to be a dad to him like he is to his daughters.

Other great points from PC

Acts 3:18-21

The devil wants to divide us to remove the unity Within the church

You are more vulnerable when you Are apart from the church

because you're more susceptible to temptation and surrender to it

Isaiah 58:12

Repair the breeches and holes in our unity

Jesus said Blessed are the peacemakers

God gave us the ministry of reconciliation

We should use it to Restore people to God and Jesus

and Restore people to people

heal those wounds

apologize for our wrongs even if we feel we are right because relationships ARE more important

When you are helping divide, bashing other church goers, churches, and pastors...

whose side are you on?

Either you speak life or you speak death

Although there are churches on every corner, they are declining or plateauing

Over 90%of people in the country don't go to church

If you attend a church, you should be inviting others to church not cutting them down or bashing them for not going to one.

DON'T SKIN THE FISH BEFORE YOU CATCH IT

The problem we face today...

Church members feel better than the prodigals

They place themselves on the pedistal and feel like those who left ARE NOT WORTHY of redemption & grace

When the reality is that no one deserves it because WE ALL SIN, but God chose to love us anyway

Luke 15:11-32

"He doesn't deserve grace, he doesn't deserve mercy."

most churches are empty because they're more likely to celebrate and welcome the people who already attend rather than the visitors and folks coming back to church for the first time

Celebrate those homecomings

Celebrate when those walking in sin, darkness, despair, death, and who are lost come home!

You don't deserve anything just because you never left church

Give up your chair for someone else

God is about restoring relationships not dividing them

Romans 12:1 be at peace with everyone

Church members are always there to wreck a homecoming

You don't deserve grace or what's wrong with you

Don't act like you are better than anyone else

Is there no grace for folks who have sinned?

Putting yourself first will always destroy relationships and ruin unity

Putting yourself first makes you lonely, hurt, hungry

"I'm sorry you felt that way" is not an apology; it's an insult.

Use an I statement: I'm sorry I hurt you.

Remember: The relationship always trumps being right