Orthodox prayers for a prodigal child

Prayers for a grown son or daughter who has left the faith, placing them in the hands of God, Who loves them even more than you do.

Picture: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, The Return of the Prodigal Son, 1667–70

3 prayers

For children who have strayed

Prayer for wayward children

Plain English only: no traditional English wording is given for this prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,only-begotten Son of Your Father, Who is without beginning,You came into the world to seek the lost sheep,to turn sinners to repentance,to raise up the fallen,to give light to those who sit in darkness,to strengthen the fainthearted,and to guide everyone onto the way of salvation.

Look now on the prayerthat we, Your unworthy servants, bring Youfor our straying children.Through the temptations of this world,or through ignorance, or defiance and despondency,or through our own lack of love,they have gone off to a far countryand turned their backs on their parents,and above all they have leftthe house of their Father in heaven.

Yes, all-merciful Master,see our sorrow,and do not let our children perish.Turn them from the path of sin,and guide them onto the path of truth and godliness,so that they may leave the pleasures of this world behind,know the sweetness of Your love,and come to repentance.

And we will welcome their return with joy,and together with them we will glorify You,our Saviour Jesus Christ,with Your Father, Who is without beginning,and Your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit,now and always, and for ever and ever. Amen.

This prayer closes a service the Russian Orthodox Church approved in 2022 for parents whose children have strayed. It asks Christ, Who came to seek the lost sheep, not to let them perish.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from our own English from the Church Slavonic. How the wording is made.

Where it comes from, and the Church Slavonic

That they find the way back

Prayer for those who have strayed

O God, You show the light of truthto those who have gone astray,so that they can return to the path.Grant that all who are counted as Christiansmay reject whatever is hostile to that nameand follow whatever is worthy of it.Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Traditional wording, 1662

Almighty God, Who shewest to them that be in error the light of Thy truth,to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness:Grant unto all them that are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s religion,that they may eschew those things that are contrary to their profession,and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same;through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

This old Latin prayer remembers that God shows the light of truth to all who go astray. It asks that everyone who bears the name of Christian follow what is worthy of that name.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Latin of the Leonine Sacramentary, with the Book of Common Prayer beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: The Church of England, The Book of Common Prayer, 1662.

The Prayer Book follows the later Latin, which adds “Thy” before “truth” and “of righteousness” after “the way”.

Where it comes from, and the Latin

For a son or daughter

Prayer for my children

Plain English only: no traditional English wording is given for this prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,let Your mercy be on my children, (name).Keep them under Your shelter.Shield them from every evil desire.Drive away from them every enemy and foe.Open the ears and the eyes of their hearts.Give their hearts tenderness and humility.Lord, we are all Your creation:have pity on my children, (name),and turn them to repentance.

Save, O Lord, and have mercy on my children, (name).Enlighten their mindswith the light of the knowledge of Your Gospel.Guide them on the path of Your commandments,and teach them, O Saviour, to do Your will,for You are our God.

In this prayer from the Russian prayer book, a parent asks Christ to open the eyes of a child’s heart, turn them to repentance and light their mind with His Gospel.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Church Slavonic of the Russian prayer books. How the wording is made.

Where it comes from, and the Church Slavonic

Scripture for this

¹⁷Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food, but here I am, starving to death! ¹⁸I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ ²⁰So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

Luke 15:17-20 In Jesus’s parable the son comes to his senses far from home. His father sees him while he is still in the distance.

¹When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. ²But the more I called Israel, the farther they departed from Me. They sacrificed to the Baals and burned incense to carved images. ³It was I Who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms, but they never realized that it was I Who healed them. ⁴I led them with cords of kindness, with ropes of love; I lifted the yoke from their necks and bent down to feed them.

Hosea 11:1-4 God says He taught Israel to walk and led them with cords of kindness. Yet the more He called them, the further they went.

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!”

Isaiah 49:15 A mother might forget her nursing child, God says, but He will not forget you.

Arise, cry out in the night from the first watch of the night. Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children who are fainting from hunger on the corner of every street.

Lamentations 2:19 Even in Jerusalem’s worst days, the call was to pour out your heart to the Lord and lift your hands to Him for your children.

³This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴Who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 Praying for others is good and pleasing to God our Savior, Who wants everyone to be saved and to know the truth.

Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.

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