Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Bringing the prodigal home... and keeping him there
I do spend a lot of my shepherding time with believers who have blown up their lives. Sometimes I get to work with those who have been away from the Lord for years. Everyone rejoices when the prodigal repents/comes home. We really do a good job most of the time in extending forgiveness and dealing with guilt and shame.
But when a prodigal comes home, that is only the beginning of their renewed spiritual journey. It is not the end. The goal is not just to bring them home, but to keep them home.
So here are a few tools I use in equipping prodigals to stay in the light and live as Jesus has called them to live.
Prayer and confession. Read thru James 5. There is a real connection between trouble, prayer, forgiveness, confession, and healing. Help them process appropriate confession. Pray with them, for them, and over them. Use the model prayer: pray for forgiveness and also for deliverance from the evil one.
Walk with them. Remember Paul's admonition in Galatians that those of us who are spiritual should restore the fallen gently. They are watching us to see how to resume their Christian life. Walk beside them, be a living example, be sure they get their feet firmly moving on the Jesus road.
Use Scripture. The Bible is good for rebuking and correcting. You do not have to do that with them. Let God speak into their life. And Scripture will even train them in how to live righteous. I know this is right because, well... I read it in the Bible. Jesus used Scripture in the wilderness to battle Satan. Our returning prodigals can use it the same way.
Remind them to use the Holy Spirit. There is a reason David begged God not to remove his Holy Spirit after David's disaster with Bathsheba. Remind them that the Holy Spirit will put to death the misdeeds of their body (Romans 8).
Pray lots, walk beside, speak truth into their life, Holy Spirit.
Lots of prodigals did not just come back. We stayed. Let's help others do the same.
But when a prodigal comes home, that is only the beginning of their renewed spiritual journey. It is not the end. The goal is not just to bring them home, but to keep them home.
So here are a few tools I use in equipping prodigals to stay in the light and live as Jesus has called them to live.
Prayer and confession. Read thru James 5. There is a real connection between trouble, prayer, forgiveness, confession, and healing. Help them process appropriate confession. Pray with them, for them, and over them. Use the model prayer: pray for forgiveness and also for deliverance from the evil one.
Walk with them. Remember Paul's admonition in Galatians that those of us who are spiritual should restore the fallen gently. They are watching us to see how to resume their Christian life. Walk beside them, be a living example, be sure they get their feet firmly moving on the Jesus road.
Use Scripture. The Bible is good for rebuking and correcting. You do not have to do that with them. Let God speak into their life. And Scripture will even train them in how to live righteous. I know this is right because, well... I read it in the Bible. Jesus used Scripture in the wilderness to battle Satan. Our returning prodigals can use it the same way.
Remind them to use the Holy Spirit. There is a reason David begged God not to remove his Holy Spirit after David's disaster with Bathsheba. Remind them that the Holy Spirit will put to death the misdeeds of their body (Romans 8).
Pray lots, walk beside, speak truth into their life, Holy Spirit.
Lots of prodigals did not just come back. We stayed. Let's help others do the same.
