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Parable

Parable Of The Prodigal Son Prayer

A short, Scripture-shaped parable prayer for an ordinary moment of Christian faith.

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The prayer

A prayer to pray now

Father, the moment in Luke 15:20 that breaks me is not the speech he rehearsed in the pigsty. It is that You saw him while he was still far away. He was practicing his lines. You were already running. He was bracing for a cold welcome. You had already ordered a coat. By every measure, he did not deserve a robe and a ring. And yet that is what was waiting. I have to be careful here. There is a part of me that wants the drama of coming home without the hard work of turning back to You. There is another part of me that has been the older brother for years, working on the porch and quietly resenting it. Both of those versions of me need this story. Both need to come inside and sit at the same table. Make Your welcome real to me. Help me receive it without shrinking it down to what I think I deserve. Amen.

How to pray it

  1. Read it slowly. Move through this prayer one line at a time, out loud if you can, letting each phrase land before the next.
  2. Make it personal. Pause where a line meets your day and name the person, fear, or hope it touches before God.
  3. Carry it with you. Keep one sentence with you — on your phone or in your pocket — and return to it when the day gets loud.

Verses to pray

Pray these slowly, one line at a time. Scripture quoted from a public-domain translation.

  1. “He arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran, fell on his neck, and kissed him.
    Luke 15:20

Questions about this prayer

When should I pray parable of the prodigal son prayer?

Pray it whenever the words fit your moment — at the start of the day, in a hard stretch, or when you simply want to turn toward God.

Which Bible verses anchor this prayer?

This prayer is anchored in Luke 15:20. The "Verses to pray" section above quotes them in full.

Can I save or share this prayer?

Yes. Use the Copy prayer button to copy the words, or open the Chosen Portion app to keep a daily prayer, devotional, and Scripture with you.