To us it is a no-brainer. It just makes sense that:

• Life abundant is better than a life of sin.
• Walking with God is better by far than life without Him.
• Living in the light is superior to living in darkness.

It just makes sense. God is absolutely more than what prodigals would be leaving behind.

It makes no sense that:

• They would choose to be stolen, killed, or destroyed instead of living the abundant life God has provided for them (John 10:10).
• They would choose death over life (Deuteronomy 30:19).
• They would serve a god who cannot answer prayer instead of Jehovah who always answers the prayers prayed by His righteous children (1 John 5:14).
• They would serve infinitely inferior Satan, simply a created being, instead of infinitely superior, sovereign God.
• They prefer to spend time with people who will always, every time, choose their next fix or another sin over them, instead of God, who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).
• They would choose curses over blessings (Deuteronomy 30:19).

It seems they would instead choose:

• The God of love who loves them with perfect love instead of Satan, who hates them with perfect hatred because they are made in the image of God and are loved by God.
• The God who always keeps His promises instead of the father of lies.

Their blindness to the ultimately superior choice of God is why we ask God to open their eyes, and my favorite verse to pray over this is from the Paul’s recount to King Agrippa of his conversion on the road to Damascus. He said the Lord sent him “‘to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in’” the Lord (Acts 26:18 NKJV).

Sometimes when I pray this verse for prodigals, I ask the Lord Himself “to open their eyes.” Other times I ask God to send the person they will hear “to open their eyes” when their hearts have been prepared to receive that person. I believe both are in His will.

I know “the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts (1 Chronicles 28:9).

And, remember what Papa (J. R.) Henderson would say: “When the Bible says ‘all,’ that means there ain’t no more!”