Several years ago, while talking to a friend about something in my life, God dropped this sentence into my mouth: “I am walking in victory while praying through circumstances.” I immediately knew the importance, the victory, the promise, of this statement. It describes my life and yours.

Prodigals by definition are not in a good place in their lives, and with their prodigal lives come so many complications, bad decisions, heartaches, heartbreaks, needs, strongholds, disappointments, etc. They squander life, health, time, relationships, and/or resources.

When we know of those things, we pray. We pray through the circumstances.

When God lays a burden on our heart, we pray. We pray until the burden is lifted and we know victory is coming.

When we are tired of the fight, we pray. We pray until we are strengthened for the fight.

When we suddenly feel anxious, we pray. We pray until we have peace.

While our love for our prodigals fuels our faithfulness to fight for their salvation, it can also be a point of internal struggle, because this love from God comes with protection instincts, fix-it instincts, especially if our prodigal is our child or grandchild. We need those instincts to raise a child, but we can’t fix this. We can’t fix the problems they face, change their hearts, or save them, and these protection/fix-it instincts can get in the way of the work God is wanting to do, needing to do, in their prodigal lives to bring them back to relationship with Himself. So, we have to find our place of rest, our place of doing our part in prayer and obedience, and letting their salvation rest in His hands, rather than trying to help Him move them to salvation. We find our place of walking in victory while praying through circumstances.

When God promises, it is done, so we continue to pray through circumstances while walking in victory (2 Corinthians 1:20).

God is working, so we continue to pray through circumstances while walking in victory (Philippians 2:13).

God is answering your prayers, so we continue to pray through circumstances while walking in victory (1 John 5:14-15; Psalm 34:17).

When circumstances are hard, remember that circumstances do not change the promise, and continue to pray through circumstances while walking in victory.

We are walking in the victory won on the cross, the victory promised in God’s true Word, and the victory that He has promised us personally.

We are walking in victory while praying through circumstances!