The parable of the prodigal son is in Luke 15:11-32. A younger son wastes his inheritance "with riotous living" (Luke 15:13), comes to himself and heads home, and his father welcomes him with a feast: "this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found" (Luke 15:24).
Jesus told three stories in a row in Luke 15, a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son, to religious leaders who complained, "This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them" (Luke 15:2). The third may be the best-loved short story ever told. People look it up when they have wandered from God themselves, when they are praying for a son or daughter who has walked away, when a prodigal is coming home for the holidays, or when they recognise themselves in the resentful older brother. These twelve King James verses walk through the story and end with Scriptures many parents pray for a prodigal. For turning back to God, see repentance; for being forgiven, see forgiveness.
A far country
1. Luke 15:12
"And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living."
Asking for an inheritance while the father was still alive was shocking in that culture; many commentators say it was close to wishing him dead. Yet the father divided unto them his living. God's love gives real freedom, even the freedom to walk away.
2. Luke 15:13
"And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living."
The far country is distance from the father more than miles on a map. Riotous means reckless and wasteful, which is also what prodigal means; the word itself never appears in the text, and the title was added later. Notice how quickly it happened: not many days after.
3. Luke 15:16
"And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him."
For Jesus' Jewish listeners, a young man feeding pigs for a foreigner was as low as anyone could fall. And no man gave unto him: the friends of the far country disappear when the money runs out. Sometimes hitting bottom is where a person finally starts to listen.
4. Luke 15:17
"And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!"
He came to himself: the turning point. Repentance begins with honesty about where we are. In the next verse he decides, "I will arise and go to my father" (Luke 15:18), and that is the whole of repentance in one sentence. See repentance.
Coming home to the Father
5. Luke 15:21
"And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son."
Before this, while the son was "yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran" (Luke 15:20). The son starts his rehearsed speech, but the father never lets him reach the line about being made one of thy hired servants (Luke 15:19). Grace interrupts our bargaining. See God's love.
6. Luke 15:22
"But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:"
The best robe meant honour, the ring meant family authority, and shoes marked a son rather than a barefoot servant. The father restores him as a son, not a hired hand. That is what restoration looks like in the Bible: more than being let back in. See restoration.
7. Luke 15:24
"For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry."
Dead and alive again, lost and found. The fatted calf is served, the music starts (Luke 15:25), and they began to be merry. The father's joy is the center of the story, and it is a picture of how God feels about every person who comes home. See salvation.
8. Luke 15:7
"I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."
This line closes the lost sheep story just before, and the lost coin ends the same way (Luke 15:10). Taken together, the three stories in Luke 15 say one thing three times: heaven throws a party when one person turns back to God.
The elder brother, and praying for a prodigal
9. Luke 15:28
"And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him."
The elder brother refuses to go in, and the father comes out to him too, just as he ran out to the younger son. The story never says whether the older brother went in. That open ending was aimed at the listening Pharisees, and at anyone who has served faithfully and quietly resented grace.
10. Luke 15:31-32
"And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."
The elder brother had said "this thy son" (Luke 15:30); the father answers "this thy brother". Everything I have is yours, he says, and you are always with me. The invitation to joy is for both sons.
11. Isaiah 49:25
"But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children."
God spoke this to His people in captivity, promising to rescue them. Many parents pray the words I will save thy children over a son or daughter who has walked away. It is a promise to Israel rather than a guarantee about any one child, but it shows God's heart: He contends for the lost. See praying for others.
12. Jeremiah 31:16
"Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy."
These words answer Rachel weeping for her children (Jeremiah 31:15), a verse Matthew connects to Bethlehem (Matthew 2:18). In its setting it promised that the exiles would return. Parents of prodigals often hold on to thy work shall be rewarded and they shall come again; it is an honest picture of tears met by hope.
A short prayer
Father, thank You that You watch the road and run to meet those who come home. Where I have wandered into a far country, bring me to myself and bring me back to You. I lift up the one I love who is far from You today: keep them safe, bring them to their senses, and give me a heart that is ready to welcome them with joy, not with a speech. Guard me from the elder brother's resentment, and let me rejoice over every sinner who repents. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Pray for your prodigal day by day with the 30-Day Prayer Journal · Study Luke 15 slowly with the SOAP Bible Study Journal · Download our free SOAP study page
Frequently asked questions
Where is the story of the prodigal son in the Bible?
It is in Luke 15:11-32, and only in Luke's Gospel. The word prodigal is not in the text; it comes from a Latin word meaning wasteful, and the heading was added by later readers. Some call it the parable of the lost son or the parable of the loving father, since the father is the main character.
What is the meaning of the parable of the prodigal son?
The younger son pictures people who run from God and come home; the elder brother pictures religious people who resent God's welcome; the father pictures God, who loves both and goes out to both. Jesus told it to answer the complaint that He welcomed sinners (Luke 15:2). Preachers stress different sides, some the call to repent and come home, others the father's lavish grace; the story holds both together. See mercy.
How do I pray for a prodigal son or daughter?
Pray specifically and keep praying (see praying for others). Keep the door open and the porch light on. The story does not show the father following his son into the far country or paying for it; it shows him watching the road, ready to run. Love can include boundaries, especially where addiction or danger is involved, and wise counsel from a pastor or counselor helps. Write your prayers down so you can see God's answers over time.
Who does the elder brother represent?
In Jesus' setting, the scribes and Pharisees who murmured about Him eating with sinners. He is loyal but joyless: "Lo, these many years do I serve thee" (Luke 15:29). Many Christians who grew up in church see themselves in him. The father does not reject him; he pleads with him to come in and celebrate.
If someone you love is caught in addiction or in danger, love can include firm boundaries and professional help. In the US, the SAMHSA National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) is free, confidential and open 24/7. In a mental health crisis call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about repentance · Bible verses about forgiveness · Bible verses about restoration · Bible verses about mercy · Bible verses about God's love · Bible verses about praying for others · Bible verses about parenting · Bible verses about grace
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