I have the above graphic hanging on my wall near my prayer corner. It illustrates the passage in Matthew 18:12-14, the parable of the lost sheep. For those unfamiliar, Jesus tells of a shepherd who leaves behind 99 sheep to search for one solitary lost sheep. Upon finding it, He rejoices more over the one found than the 99 that were never lost. The passage illustrates the depth of God’s love and compassion but also His relentless pursuit of the lost.
As a follower of Christ, there has been nothing more heart-wrenching for me than when our family member walked away from the faith they once claimed as their own. Without entering into the theological and controversial conversations of, “Were they ever truly saved?”, or “Once saved you cannot lose your salvation,” what is clear to me is that, in my family, the lost sheep is not walking with Jesus and their eternal security is known only to the Lord. And my role is to pray. To pray fervently. To pray with authority. To pray continuously. To pray expectantly.
Cory Asbury, in his recording of Reckless Love, sings,
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
This is sincerely my cry to the Lord. That the Father would chase them down and fight til they are found. And it is a fight. Actually, it is a battle. An ongoing battle. That was promised in Ephesians 5 and 1 Peter 5:8. The enemy prowls around, deceiving, seducing, distorting, distracting, stealing, and destroying and we are called to be prepared. To stand firm. To put on the full armor of God.
Cory Asbury goes on to sing:
There’s no shadow You won’t light up, mountain You won’t climb up, coming after me.
There’s no wall you won’t kick down, lie You won’t tear down, coming after Me.
I imagine the Father doing just that. Illuminating the shadows of sin and deception. That He would reveal the truth. That He would soften their heart, heal their wounds, and bring them to the posture of surrender and repentance.
I am confident that the enemy has been disarmed at the cross, (Col. 2:15) overruled at the tomb, (Eph. 1:20-22) mastered, as Christ reigns King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Phil 2:9-11). The enemy has been rendered powerless (Heb. 2:14) and his work will ultimately be destroyed. (1 John 3:8).
And I stand on His promises. Promises that He hears my prayers. Promises found in Scripture:
2 Peter 3:9, “not wishing that any should perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Micah 7:7, “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord; I wait for God, my Savior, my God will hear me.
Ps. 34:15, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and HIs ears are attentive to their cry.”
1 John 5:14-15, “This is the confidence we have in Him that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we asked of Him.”
And John 10:28, “No one shall pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”
As I pray for my family, I imagine the Good Shepherd leaving the 99, and with a love I can only imagine, chasing them down, fighting til they’re found, illuminating the darkness, kicking down walls of stubbornness and pride, breaking down chains of oppression.
Father,
I ask that all assignments, strategies, and schemes of the enemy focused on my family (and perhaps on the loved ones of my readers), be blocked, canceled, and nullified. Father, that the enemy will not “shout in triumph” over our loved ones. (Ps. 41:11) That You would protect them from the evil one (2 Thess 3:3) That by the authority of the Word of God and the power of the name of Jesus, that they would be set free, delivered, healed and that undo yokes and burdens be broken. May lying spirits be driven away. May demonic strongholds be defeated. And may they be drawn back in the mighty name of Jesus, for it is said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father, who sent me, draws them. (John 6:44) Amen and Amen.
Acknowledgement to Etsy artist Micah Martin at Bible Sketches.
