Help Me Fail by Anthony ThompsonSample

Day 5: The Prodigal Son's Return

Key Scripture: Luke 15:20 - "So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him."

The past few years, I’ve dug into reading the Bible cover to cover.

I never wanted to read it cover to cover, but I felt the nudge. One of my biggest takeaways was reading story after story of how God’s people, Kings, prophets, and all sorts of people “forgot about God.”

It’s like they went brain-dead, except it continues to happen over and over again.

As I read some of those stories, I was convicted.

I had to go before the Lord and repent. How stupid I was over the years.

I forgot about the Lord so many times. I rebelled against the Lord so many times. I thought I knew the right path so many times.

Foolish, foolish, along with failures and failures.

When I read the story of the prodigal son, I am so grateful.

Jesus shares this incredible story of forgiveness, and I can so relate. I hope you take the time to read the entire chapter of Luke 15 today.

There is a verse in Luke 15 that really stands out to me, and I hope it resonates with you.

Luke 15:17 says, “When he (the prodigal son) finally came to his senses, he said to himself, “At home, even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger.”

The prodigal son was in the middle of a major crisis and failure. He was broke, starving, and fighting for his life.

It was in this dire moment of failure that it says, “He came to his senses.”

In this regard, “Coming to his senses,” meant he was willing to change. He was willing to repent of his foolishness. He was willing to humble himself.

I want to pause here and send some questions your way.

Is there anything in this story of the prodigal son that is speaking to you?

What is the Lord talking to you about right now?

What do you need to change?

Maybe you need to repent of something or humble yourself. Maybe you need to stop running away from the Lord.

Maybe your feeling of failure isn’t a failure at all, but foolish decisions you have brought on yourself.

I want to give you this time and space to go before the Lord. Ask Him if there is anything in your life that needs to be removed.

Just like so many stories throughout the Bible, I beg of you to search your heart and desires. Maybe you have lost that first love for the Lord.

In the story of the prodigal son, the prodigal MADE a huge mistake and was feeling ALL OF THE FAILURE. However, he humbled himself and GREW through the failure. The prodigal returned to a glowing father.

What a comeback!

Maybe you feel fearful of returning home.

I want you to know the Lord is waiting for you. He is looking out the window, waiting and hoping for your return.

He wants to be with you. He wants to hold you. He wants you to come home.

You are not too far gone.

I am praying now that the Holy Spirit helps to bring you to “your senses.”

I am asking for your eyes to be enlightened to know the hope of your calling. I am praying for you now to have a supernatural encounter with Jesus Christ.

There is a future for you. Those feelings of failure are only guide posts. They are designed to fuel your growth.

I am rooting for you. I am praying with you.

Thought-Provoking Questions:

• How does the story of the prodigal son remind you of God's unconditional love and forgiveness, even in failure?
• What steps can you take to return to God or deepen your relationship with Him, recognizing that His grace awaits you?

Daily Affirmation: Today, I embrace God's unconditional love. My failures are met with grace, leading me back to my heavenly Father.

If any of this was impactful for you, please let me know. Feel free to email me or send a message on Instagram.

If you feel like God is leading you into higher levels of Spirituality, I’d love to challenge you to join my Spiritual Accountability Group, join my email growth list, or look into 1-1 coaching. You can find more about it at anthonythompson.org