Please pray for my prodigal son
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amy.donohue-babiakPrayers: 1Requests: 1
January 29, 2017 at 5:09 pmHi, family. I’ve only been a DABer for a few weeks, but I’d really appreciate your prayers for my son, who’s 17 (and currently missing, along with my car). I don’t know where he is, but I just sent this letter to his friends on Facebook, and asked them to forward it to him, if they can. Thanks, Amy
Dear Ben:
I know you, honey. I remember a little boy with a big, gentle heart — interested in everything, full of hugs and kisses, the first to stand up for someone who was being teased or left out, cut to the core when one of your friends was mean to an animal, or to you. I know your talent and creativity – in your art, in your music, in getting your complicated thoughts and emotions onto a written page. I know the struggles you’ve had (and still have), and the disappointments as well as the victories. I remember the medical challenges you faced when you were tiny, and how amazed I was by your strength and perseverance, even then – my little fighter — and I saw in you (and still see in you) the potential to change things in this world, for good. And my heart breaks because I miss you — the real you. The one who’s loving, who resonates with things that are good and beautiful, who’s strong for the weak, who makes other people feel safe.
I’m worried about where you are and what you’re doing. In the middle of the night, I wonder who you’re with, whether you’re safe or afraid, why you won’t answer my texts. I honestly believe that I love you, and will always love you, more than anyone else on this planet possibly could. But I have to tell you some things, angel. Starting with this: You don’t belong to me, and you never have. You belong to your Father in heaven, and since January 13, 2008, you’ve been indelibly carved on the palm of his hand. He doesn’t lose anyone who belongs to him – not one single person, no matter how disobedient we are or how far we try to run from him, in this life – and he will never, ever let go of you, whether you can see and feel his presence, or not. He loves you enormously, he has plans for you, he keeps his promises, and he finishes what he starts.
You can’t see that right now, because you really do have an enemy in this world, who only wants to steal from, kill and destroy you. He’s been deceiving people for centuries, and he’s incredibly good at it. He has seriously screwed with your mind, and your ability to see what’s real. He’s after you because he’s afraid of what you have the potential to be, Ben. He can see that clearly – even though you can’t — and it terrifies him. So he steals your hope, steals your joy, separates you from the people who love you most, and makes you believe lies – including the lie that you’ve gone so far, and made so many mistakes, that there’s no way home. There’s always a way home, Ben, and there always will be.
You have a philosophical streak, Ben, so think about this sometime: Your worldview (what you believe about the world and your place in it) colors your perception of things, and the way you perceive things drives your emotional reaction to them. But just because you believe strongly in your worldview, doesn’t make it true. You might be wrong – and the fact that your current worldview is so bleak and dark and hopeless, and has only bought you pain and heartache, should make you suspicious that somebody’s lying to you. Because in your heart of hearts, you know that’s not the whole story, Ben; it just isn’t true to your experience. Because if you’re honest, you also have to admit that you’ve experienced love in your life — in many forms – and that you’ve seen kindness and goodness and beauty and grace and sacrifice and so many other things. If your worldview is wrong, your perceptions will be off; and if your perceptions are off, then your emotional response to what’s happening around you will be wrong, too. Don’t let your emotions drive you, Ben. They’ll lead you over a cliff. Question what you believe, and what you think you see. And pray for help – even if you don’t think anyone’s listening.
I know you may never see this letter, honey. But I pray that somehow you will know one very important thing: My arms are wide open and I’m waiting for you to come home — anytime you’re ready, and no matter what you’ve done. We’ll face it together. I love you because you’re my son, not because of anything you did or didn’t do, or will or won’t do in the future, so that can never change. God’s arms are open, too. He can’t wait for you to come home, either, and he’ll dance and celebrate along with us when you do. You know, he paid an enormous price to know you, and every hour you’re away is long and painful to him, too. So hurry up and come home! We’re all waiting – me, Dad, your heavenly Father (who loves you even more than we do), and so many others. That day can’t come soon enough.
I will never give up on you, Ben, and I will never stop loving you, or watching for you. Because that’s what love does. Because – as I’m always saying to you — you’ll always be my baby, no matter what. And because there’s a good God in heaven, who also loves me, and he’s given me this promise: I will see you again someday, coming over the horizon and heading for home.
Love you always, Mom
pentb005.320Prayers: 35Requests: 4
January 29, 2017 at 5:42 pmDear Amy, I am praying for you and your son. Dear Lord, Please help Amy, who is a mother and is pleading for her son to return, please help her to have faith and strength and to trust in your infinite power, help her son to know his mother loves him and to know that YOU love him and YOU will never stop loving him. Please LORD help him to receive Amy’s letter and please bring him home to his mother’s welcoming arms, help him to know that he has already been rescued and forgiven if he trusts in you and if he believes that JESUS died for his sins. Please sustain him and keep him safe and healthy and please keep him out of harms way and help him know YOUR WORD and to have faith in you and please keep him from sinning and help him to return home. Thank you that his mother resorted to prayer and trusting in YOU and YOUR IMMENSE MERCY, GRACE AND POWER. IN JESUS’ NAME, AMEN.
Dear Amy, I have found some Bible verses (they are below the text) about how God sustains those who trust HIM and PRAYS to HIM, carry on praying and trusting GOD. The Corinthians passage talks about how love “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” GOD IS LOVE, GOD IS IN CONTROL, carry on praying and trusting and GOD will protect your family. Remember God uses suffering for good, Remember the prodigal son in the Bible returned home: “31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” Keep having faith, praying and trusting God, I hope these passages help and I hope your letter gets to your son. 🙂Psalm 3:2-6: 2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” 3 But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. 4 I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain. 5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. 6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.jtylerk9Prayers: 1512Requests: 7
January 29, 2017 at 9:42 pmI am praying for you Amy and your son Ben. Praying that Ben opens his heart and is filled with the Holy Spirit. That he takes great comfort into leaning into God instead of away from Him. That he understands that his mom loves him dearly and is hurting with pain.
amy.donohue-babiakPrayers: 1Requests: 1
January 31, 2017 at 2:28 pmHi, again. I just wanted to let everybody know that Ben is back home, at least for now. He didn’t come home voluntarily; I found out where he was and went to retrieve him, and he isn’t happy about it. So it wasn’t the “homecoming” that’s coming — yet. But God’s work takes time sometimes, and I’m certainly learning to be patient and faithful, through this. In the meantime, many, many thanks for all your prayers! It means a lot, to have your support through this. — Amy
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