When we pray for prodigals who are deceived to the point of saying they no longer believe in the existence of God, their coming revelation of God can happen suddenly, or they can rediscover Him gradually. When we ask God to help our prodigals no longer believe a lie about Him and believe nothing but the truth, we long for the entire process to happen in an instant, but many times rediscovery of God can be a journey of moving from faith to faith (Romans 1:16-17).

When we see raindrops in their lives, evidence of God’s hand at work to reveal Himself and save them, we can pray that the “righteousness of God” will continue to be “revealed from faith to faith” to them through the “gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16-17). We ask the Holy Spirit to work so they “can say that Jesus is Lord” (1 Corinthians 12:3), so they will believe the gospel of Christ and grow in faith.

The process can look like this or some form of this, moving

• From saying they don’t believe in God or Satan at all.
• To believing God exists somewhere in some form.
• To believing He is God but is indifferent towards them.
• To knowing He not only exists but is the Savior who loves them and is aware of them.
• To knowing Jesus is the Son of God, believing in His deity.
• To loving, fearing, and serving Him!

In the middle of the journey, as they move from faith to faith through the move of the Holy Spirit, they believe more and more about God, finding out that He is also God almighty and Healer and Deliverer and Light, and so much more—believing the truth.

I know we all want their eyes to open at once and for them to immediately surrender to Him completely, but many times God, in His sovereignty and wisdom, takes them step by step to full restoration of faith and then beyond to learning more and more about Him.

Where is your deceived prodigal on this continuum? If you see movement toward belief, praise our glorious Lord! If you have yet to see any evidence of faith, continue to ask God in faith believing to help them no longer believe a lie about Him but know the truth.

Until they are saved, we will continue to pray for them and watch for a “suddenly,” as my friend Sue calls it, and we know that even after their complete surrender to the Lord, we will still be their prayer warriors. We won’t stop praying for them. The outcome is too important!