Jesus continues to address the Pharisees who have been critical of Him spending time with sinful people. He has already shared two parables with them that liken sinners to a sheep that wanders away and gets lost and to a coin that someone loses. In both parables, there is great rejoicing when the lost item is found. Now, Jesus continues with a third parable on the subject of a sinner being lost and then found.

In this parable, as recorded in Luke 15:11-32, a man (representing God) has two sons living with him. The younger son decides to leave home, so he asks for his half of his father’s inheritance and then departs. He proceeds to waste all the money that his father gave him until there is none left. Now broke, the son gets a job feeding pigs and is so destitute that he wishes he could even eat what the pigs are eating.

The younger son in this parable is typically referred to as the “prodigal son.” The word “prodigal” is defined as “someone who is wastefully extravagant, spending money and resources recklessly,” so clearly, this is an accurate description of this young man.

Having hit bottom, the prodigal son remembers how much better it was in his father’s house where even the servants were better off than he is now. He decides to return to his father and just ask to be his servant. However, when the father sees his son returning, he runs out and hugs him, welcomes his son home, and throws a huge party to celebrate. When questioned by his older son about this greeting for the selfish, wasteful son, the father replies:

“It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.” (Luke 15:32)

Based on the audience for this parable, and it being grouped with the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, it seems likely that Jesus is also using the prodigal son to represent people who have never given their lives to the Lord and are thus classified as sinners. 

However, since the prodigal son grew up in the father’s house and experienced what it was like to be part of that household, it appears that he would represent someone who has grown up in a godly home — perhaps part of a church family — and then has made the intentional decision to go a different way. So, after being exposed to godly teaching and witnessing blessings of God and having the gift of salvation offered on a silver platter, the prodigal chooses to waste it all by living a life separate from God.

We all know people who are currently in this situation, perhaps even in our own families. They grew up attending church but never got baptized and now no longer attend and are presumably living a life of sin. Is it too late for them now, or is there something we can do to try to draw these people into the family of God?

Well, let’s consider the example of Alma. His son, Alma, was definitely a prodigal. He took everything he learned growing up in Alma’s home and used it against the church, rather than applying it to himself. One day, everything changed when an angel appeared and spoke to Alma with a voice of thunder, causing him to be converted to a great servant of God. Wow, an angel of the Lord! Why would he appear to young Alma? Well, as the angel explained to him:

“Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.” (Mosiah 27:14)

Did you catch that? God sent an angel to young Alma in order to answer the prayers of faith offered by his father, Alma. This should be an example to us that praying with much faith is the primary approach to take to try to bring the prodigals back to the family of God.

So, lift up the names of your favorite prodigals in prayer. Pray that they have their own conversion experience, as Alma did. Or that what they were taught as a child finally sinks in one day, as happened to Enos (see Enos verse 3). Or even that they hit bottom as a result of living in sin, as happened to the prodigal son, causing them to realize that life is better when living it with the Lord.

Just as with the lost sheep and the lost coin, the Lord wants the prodigals back in His family. He’s ready to celebrate when they return. So, don’t give up on praying for the prodigals. God may well send an angel to convince them of His power such that your prayers can be answered, according to your faith.

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.

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