Prodigal Teens and Their Salvation - Praying for Your Lost, Rebellious, Wayward Teenager

All parents can be tormented by a prodigal child.
One of the greatest fears a Christian parent may have is worrying about a child who made a decision for the Lord long ago, but has since lost her way. In our family, our oldest daughter took a terrifying path filled with deviant behavior, suicide attempts and drugs.

I knew God needed to deal with my prodigal child, but I struggled with how to pray for her and how to reclaim hope in our desperate situation. My precious daughter had accepted Jesus at an early age, at least I thought she had.
But, many years later when there was no trace of the child I had loved and cared for, I was riddled with fear as to whether or not she could have lost her salvation. I searched the scriptures looking for an answer to the question, "What if my child was saved as a young child but is walking far from God now"? First, if your prodigal truly came to Jesus earlier in their life, they are still saved.

The Holy Spirit still resides within your child although they are being robbed of everything God has already provided by their own undoing.
Since the prodigal has turned his or her back on God, they are walking out of step with His leading and consequently have likely lost their ability to hear His voice at all in their lives. But, if they genuinely placed their trust and belief in the Lord Jesus at some earlier time, they still belong to Him.
And the Lord will do whatever it takes to gain back their attention.

"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.

I and the Father are one." (John 10:28) God's grace covers all of our sins - past, present and future.
As a result of walking out of step with the Lord, these wandering children experience sharp inner turmoil as the Holy Spirit within them clashes with all the evil they subject their lives to. We can expect them to suffer emotionally, spiritually, and often even physically.

"For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives".
Hebrews 12:6 This is good news.

As believers, we know that God chastens His children because He loves us and He is purposefully drawing the lost back unto Himself. When our children wander from His protection, hardship and pain will inevitably follow.
The pain and suffering our loved one brings upon themselves may be exactly what God uses to draw them near.
It is often only in painful circumstances we cry out to the Lord for His help and His mercy! If your child has accepted Christ, pray for the Holy Spirit within them to convict them of their sins leading them to cry out to Jesus for restoration.

Never give up hope; both in the Lord Jesus as well as hope that your child will be redeemed.