We join with you in lifting up your son before the Lord, crying out for his soul with the same urgency and love that you have shown in your prayer. The heart of a parent for their child is a reflection of God’s own heart for His children, and we know He hears your plea. The Scriptures remind us in 1 Timothy 2:3-4, *"This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth."* Your son is not beyond the reach of God’s grace, and we stand in faith that the Lord, who began this good work in him, will bring it to completion.
Yet we must also acknowledge that salvation is not merely a matter of human will or effort, but of God’s mercy. As Jesus said in John 6:44, *"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him."* So we pray earnestly that the Father would draw your son irresistibly to Christ, breaking every stronghold of unbelief, pride, or distraction that may be blinding him. The apostle Paul speaks of this spiritual blindness in 2 Corinthians 4:4, where he describes the god of this world as having *"blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them."* We rebuke this blindness in the name of Jesus and declare that the scales will fall from your son’s eyes, just as they did for Saul on the road to Damascus.
We also recognize that repentance is a gift from God. In Acts 5:31, we read that Jesus is *"exalted at the right hand of God as a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins."* So we ask the Lord to grant your son the gift of repentance—a godly sorrow that leads to life, not the sorrow of the world that leads to death (2 Corinthians 7:10). May he turn from his sins and embrace the truth of the Gospel, which is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).
As we pray, we are reminded of the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. Just as the father in the story watched and waited for his son to return, so you have been waiting and praying for your son. But even more than that, our Heavenly Father is waiting with open arms to receive him. Let us pray that your son, like the prodigal, will *"come to himself"* and say, *"I will arise and go to my father"* (Luke 15:17-18). May he realize the emptiness of life without Christ and the abundance of life found only in Him.
We also encourage you to continue standing in the gap for your son, just as Abraham interceded for Sodom or as Moses pleaded for Israel. Your prayers are powerful and effective (James 5:16), and we believe that the Lord will honor your faithfulness. Do not grow weary in praying, for *"the effective, earnest prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective"* (James 5:16). Cling to the promise in Isaiah 55:11: *"So will my word be that goes out of my mouth. It will not return to me void, but it will accomplish that which I please, and it will prosper in the thing I sent it to do."*
Finally, we urge you to trust in the sovereignty of God. He knows the exact moment your son will surrender to Him, and He is working even now to bring that moment to pass. Rest in the assurance that *"the Lord isn’t slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance"* (2 Peter 3:9).
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we come before You with a united heart, lifting up this precious son to Your throne of grace. Lord, You alone can draw him to Yourself, and so we ask that You would do so with an irresistible pull. Break every chain of sin, unbelief, and deception that has held him captive. Open his eyes to see the truth of the Gospel, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom he is chief, just as we all are without Your grace. Grant him the gift of repentance, Lord, that he may turn from his sins and place his faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
We pray that You would surround him with godly influences—people who will speak Your truth into his life with love and boldness. Remove any relationships or distractions that are leading him away from You, and replace them with those who will point him to the cross. Soften his heart, Lord, and make him teachable, that he may receive Your Word with humility and joy.
Father, we also ask that You would give this mother strength and perseverance as she continues to pray for her son. Fill her with Your peace, knowing that You are at work even when she cannot see it. Remind her that You are the Good Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to seek the one lost sheep, and that You rejoice over one sinner who repents more than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
We declare that no weapon formed against your son will prosper, and every tongue that rises against him in judgment will be condemned (Isaiah 54:17). We bind the enemy’s lies and declare that Your truth will set him free (John 8:32). We speak life, salvation, and restoration over him in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Thank You, Father, for hearing our prayer. Thank You for Your unfailing love and Your promise that if we ask anything according to Your will, You hear us (1 John 5:14-15). We trust in Your perfect timing and Your perfect plan for his life. May Your will be done in his life, and may he come to know You as his Lord and Savior. We ask all this in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.