Devotional

Identity crisis is real, especially after we’ve made significant mistakes. The prodigal son returned home convinced he was no longer worthy to be called a son—he was ready to settle for being just a servant. But his father had a different perspective entirely. The moment he saw his son, he didn’t see failure or unworthiness; he saw his beloved child who belonged in the family. The ring the father placed on his son’s finger wasn’t just jewelry—it was a declaration of restored identity. It said, ‘You are still my son. You still belong here. You still carry my name.’ Many of us live with a servant mentality when God has called us to sonship and daughtership. We feel like we have to earn our place, prove our worth, or work our way back into good standing. But that’s not how family works. A child doesn’t earn their place in the family—they belong because of who they are, not what they’ve done. Your identity as God’s child isn’t based on your past mistakes or future performance. It’s based on His unchanging love and the fact that you’re created in His image. When shame whispers that you’re not worthy, remember the ring. Remember that God looks at you and declares, ‘You are still my child. You still belong in my house.’

Bible Verse

‘Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household’ – Ephesians 2:19

Reflection Question

In what ways do you struggle with feeling worthy to be called God’s child, and how does understanding your identity as His son or daughter change how you approach Him?

Quote

Is there a part of you that feels unworthy to be called a son or daughter of God? Like, have you done something that makes you feel like you’ve done something so bad that your identity, that your sonship, your daughtership, cannot be restored?

Prayer

Lord, help me to see myself through Your eyes, not through the lens of my failures or shame. Remind me daily that my identity as Your child is secure, not because of what I’ve done, but because of who You are and Your love for me. Help me to live confidently in this identity. Amen.

Devotional

The ring the father gave his returning son wasn’t just a symbol of love—it was a signet ring that carried real authority. With this ring, the son could conduct business in his father’s name, make decisions, and access the family’s resources. This wasn’t just restoration; this was empowerment. As God’s children, we don’t just receive forgiveness—we receive authority. We have the right to pray in Jesus’ name, to access

God’s promises, and to make a difference in the world around us. Yet many believers live powerless lives, praying weak prayers and expecting little from God. We act like servants when we’ve been given the authority of sons and daughters. The ring represents our kingdom authority—the power to bind and loose, to pray with confidence, and to advance God’s purposes on earth. But here’s the key: this authority must be used for the Father’s business, not our own selfish ambitions. When we understand that we carry real spiritual authority, it changes everything. We pray differently, we approach challenges differently, and we live with greater purpose and confidence. The question isn’t whether you have authority—if you’re God’s child, you do. The question is: are you using it? Are you living like someone who carries the family ring, or are you settling for a powerless existence when God has given you kingdom authority?

Bible Verse

‘I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ – Matthew 16:19

Reflection Question

How might your prayers and daily decisions change if you truly believed you carry kingdom authority as God’s child?

Quote

You may feel unworthy, but God still gives you a ring. You may not feel like you have any authority, but God’s like, man, will you just put the ring on that I gave you?

Prayer

Father, help me to understand and embrace the authority You’ve given me as Your child. Show me how to use this authority for Your kingdom purposes, not my own agenda. Give me boldness to pray with confidence and live with the power You’ve placed within me. Amen.

Devotional

Authority without purpose leads to chaos. The prodigal son received his father’s ring, but with it came the responsibility to conduct the father’s business, not his own. This is where many believers get stuck—we want God’s power and provision, but we want to use it for our own plans and purposes. 

True kingdom authority is always directed toward advancing God’s purposes, not our personal agendas. Being about the Father’s business means our priorities align with His heart. It means we care about what He cares about—the lost, the broken, the hurting. It means we use our resources, talents, and influence to build His kingdom, not just our own comfort or success. When we take care of His house, He takes care of our needs. This isn’t a transaction; it’s a relationship principle. When our hearts are aligned with His purposes,

He provides what we need to fulfill those purposes. The challenge for every believer is this: Are you using your God-given authority for kingdom purposes or personal gain? Are you praying for His will to be done or just for your own comfort? Are you investing in eternal things or just temporary pleasures? 

Living about the Father’s business doesn’t mean neglecting your family or responsibilities—it means approaching everything through the lens of His kingdom purposes. It means asking, ‘How can I honor God and advance His kingdom in this situation?’

Bible Verse

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ – John 3:16

Reflection Question

What would it look like practically for you to be more intentionally ‘about the Father’s business’ in your current season of life?

Quote

If you take care of his house, he’ll take care of your castle. Are you about your father’s business?

Prayer

Lord, align my heart with Your purposes. Help me to use the authority and resources You’ve given me to advance Your kingdom, not just my own comfort. Show me how to be about Your business in every area of my life, trusting that You’ll provide what I need as I seek first Your kingdom. Amen.

Devotional

The greatest tragedy isn’t when someone rejects God’s offer of salvation—it’s when someone accepts it but continues to live like they’re powerless. You carry kingdom authority. You belong to God’s family. You have access to His resources and His power. The question is: Do you act like it? 

Many believers live defeated lives despite carrying the family ring. They pray weak prayers, expect little from God, and settle for mediocrity when they’ve been called to make a kingdom impact. 

Shame is a liar that tries to convince you that your past disqualifies you from your future. But when you’re adopted into God’s family, your past becomes like Teflon—it just slides off. You have the right to be called a son or daughter of God, not because you earned it, but because He chose you. This means you don’t have to live in the shadows of your mistakes. You don’t have to settle for less than God’s best. You don’t have to pray timid prayers or live a powerless life. You belong in the house. You carry authority. You have a purpose and a calling that’s bigger than your past failures. 

Today, stop living like you’re powerless. Put on the ring God has given you. Walk in the authority He’s placed in your life. Live like someone who truly belongs to the King of kings. Your past doesn’t define you—your position as God’s child does. Act like it.

Bible Verse

‘But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.’ – Luke 15:22

Reflection Question

What would change in your daily life if you truly lived like someone who belongs to God’s family and carries His authority?

Quote 

I think that God wants you to stop living like you’re powerless because you really carry kingdom authority.

Prayer

Father, help me to stop living like I’m powerless when You’ve given me kingdom authority. Remove the shame and lies that keep me from walking confidently as Your child. Help me to live each day knowing I belong to You and carry Your name with honor and purpose. Amen.

Devotional

One of the most beautiful moments in the prodigal son story happens when the father sees his son returning. The son is dirty, smelly, and broken from his time feeding pigs – the lowest job imaginable for a Jewish person. He’s rehearsed a speech about becoming a servant, convinced he’s forfeited his right to be called a son.

But before he can even finish his prepared apology, his father runs to him and embraces him. Think about that image: the father hugged him while he still smelled like pig slop. He didn’t wait for his son to shower, change clothes, or prove he was sorry. He embraced him exactly as he was.

This is how God receives us when we come home. We often think we need to clean up our act first, get our lives together, and prove we’re worthy of His love. But that’s backwards thinking. God doesn’t see our filth when we return – He just sees our homecoming.

Maybe you’re hesitating to come to God because you feel too messy, too broken, too ashamed. You think you need to fix yourself first. But God is saying, “Come as you are. I’ll do the cleaning. I just want you home.”

The beautiful truth is that our mess doesn’t disqualify us from God’s love – it qualifies us for His grace. He specializes in taking broken, smelly, desperate people and making them whole again. You don’t need to be perfect to come home. You just need to come.

Bible Verse

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” – Luke 15:22

Reflection Question

What “smell” or shame are you carrying that makes you feel unworthy of God’s embrace, and how might God see you differently than you see yourself?

Quote

He hugged him while he still smelled bad.

Prayer

Lord, thank You that You don’t wait for me to clean up before You embrace me. Help me to come to You just as I am, trusting that Your love is bigger than my mess. Remove the shame that keeps me from running into Your arms. Amen.

Devotional

After embracing his returning son, the father immediately calls for his best robe to be brought and placed on his son’s shoulders. This wasn’t just any piece of clothing – it was the father’s own robe, a symbol of honor, dignity, and belonging in the family.

The son had come home expecting to be treated as a servant, but the father restored him as a son. The robe covered his shame, restored his honor, and declared to everyone that he belonged in this family. It was a visible sign of complete acceptance and love.

This is exactly what God does for us when we come home to Him. Before we can receive any other gift from God, we must first be covered by His grace. The robe represents God’s righteousness that covers our shame and restores our dignity as His children.

When Jesus died on the cross, He knew everything you’ve done and everything you’ll do, and He still chose to love you enough to put His robe of righteousness on you. You don’t earn this covering – it’s a gift of pure grace. The moment you come home to God, He doesn’t see your failures or your past. He sees you clothed in Christ’s righteousness.

Many of us struggle with feeling unworthy, constantly remembering our mistakes and failures. But God wants you to understand: you’re not right on your own, but you’re His child. And as His child, you’re covered by His grace, restored to dignity, and welcomed into His family with full rights and privileges.

Bible Verse

“I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” – Isaiah 61:10

Reflection Question

How does knowing that God has clothed you with His righteousness change the way you see yourself and your worth?

Quote

The robe covers your shame and restores your dignity.

Prayer

Father, thank You for covering me with Your robe of righteousness. Help me to stop seeing myself through the lens of my failures and start seeing myself as You see me – loved, accepted, and belonging in Your family. Amen

Devotional

When the father placed his robe on his returning son, he wasn’t just covering the boy’s shame – he was giving him a completely new identity. The son had left as a rebellious child who wanted to live

independently. He was returning as a broken, desperate person ready to be a servant. But the father had something entirely different in mind.

The father didn’t want his son to keep the identity he left with, nor did he want him to settle for the servant identity he was willing to accept. He wanted to give him a new identity altogether – that of a beloved, restored son with full family privileges.

This is what happens when we give our lives to Jesus. We don’t just get forgiveness for our past – we get a completely new identity. The person we used to be is dead, and we become new creations in Christ. We’re not just forgiven servants; we’re beloved children with full access to our Father’s house.

Many people struggle with this concept because they’re still carrying the weight of who they used to be. But God says, “That person is gone. You are now My child, clothed in My righteousness, with a new name and a new future.”

Stop thinking that your shame disqualifies you from this new identity. Your past doesn’t define your future when you’re covered by God’s grace. You’re not the person you used to be – you’re who God says you are now.

Bible Verse

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” – Galatians 3:27

Reflection Question

What old identity or label from your past do you need to let go of in order to fully embrace who God says you are now?

Quote

He didn’t want him to have the identity he left with. He wanted to have a new identity.

Prayer

God, help me to let go of the old identities that no longer define me. Thank You for making me a new creation in Christ. Help me to walk in the confidence of who You say I am, not who I used to be. Amen.

Devotional

The parable doesn’t end with just the robe. The father calls for a celebration – music, dancing, and the finest food. He’s not just welcoming his son back; he’s throwing a party because what was lost has been found, what was dead is alive again.

This reveals something beautiful about God’s heart: He doesn’t just tolerate our return – He celebrates it. Heaven rejoices when one person comes home to God. There’s music, there’s joy, there’s a party in your honor when you decide to follow Jesus.

Yet sometimes, like the older brother in the story, we can become bitter about this celebration. We think people should have to earn their way back, prove themselves, or at least suffer a little for their mistakes. But God’s grace doesn’t work that way. His love is extravagant, His forgiveness is complete, and His joy over our return is uncontainable.

If you’ve been away from God, know that He’s not just waiting for you – He’s planning your welcome home party. If you’ve been walking with God for a while, remember to celebrate when others come home instead of judging their journey.

The Father is waiting, watching, and ready to celebrate. While you’re wondering if you’re ready, if you’re cleaned up enough, if you’re qualified – He’s just waiting for you to come home. Don’t let another day pass thinking you need to get right before you come to God. Come to God so He can make you right.

Bible Verse

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21

Reflection Question

How can you join in God’s celebration of people coming home to Him, and what might be holding you back from fully embracing His joy over your own journey?

Quote

While you deal with all of these things in your head, am I ready? Am I cleaned up enough? Am I disqualified? While you’re weighing all that stuff out, the Father’s waiting. He looks every day for you to come home.

Prayer

Father, thank You that You don’t just welcome me home – You celebrate my return. Help me to have Your heart for others who are finding their way back to You. Fill me with Your joy and help me to celebrate Your grace in my life and in others. Amen.