Heavenly Father, please create within prodigal souls a thirst for the “times of refreshing” they can experience in Your presence when they genuinely repent and return to You (Acts 3:19). John’s gospel records the events of the Samaritan woman at the well.  Knowing her errand, Jesus asks her for a drink. Thus begins a conversation in which he offers here a fountain that never fails.  She wants that water. The story ends with her believing and out of her belief and the testimony of Jesus many villagers believed as well. Let us pray for Spiritual Thirst to draw the prodigals to Him that they too might find a spring overflowing to eternal life.

Father, please help prodigal individuals see that following You is not about keeping rules but walking submissively in a grace-filled love relationship that leads to righteousness (Romans 6:14, 16). Rules, rules, rules. That’s what some people think walking with Christ is about.  Sometimes, if we are honest, we’ll confess that we have helped that image along.  But the rules are not the means of grace, they are the guidance towards fulfillment. Changing their minds is going to be a work of grace from God. If we demand rules without faith, we’ll never see transformation or salvation.  Let us cry out for grace filled love to teach them to follow after Christ. “… But if you’re a Christian, Jesus tells you what to do. He says, ‘If you love me keep my commandments’ So faith in Christ produces Love for Christ. Love for Christ produces a desire to be like Christ. Christ fulfilled the Law. And so being like Christ fulfills the Law.” — Sinclair Ferguson