Day 13: 21 days of prayer and fasting

DAY 13: The Father's Embrace

Scripture: "So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him." – Luke 15:20 (NLT)

The Raw Truth: The core of the gospel isn't a sermon; it's a sprint. The Father isn't waiting for you to clean yourself up, pay back your debts, or recite your apology speech. He's scanning the horizon. And the moment He sees a hint of your turning—even while you're "a long way off," smelling like pigs and failure—He runs. He runs! Culture, religion, and shame tell you to grovel. God runs to embrace. Your job isn't to arrive perfect; it's to turn around. His job is the robe, the ring, the feast. This fast, if it has shown you your distance, let it also show you the Father's waiting, running, overwhelming love.

Illustration: A soldier returns from a long, brutal deployment. His family waits at the airport. They don't wait for him to walk all the way through the terminal, find his luggage, and get his papers in order. The moment they see him, they run through the crowd, tears streaming, and crush him in an embrace. The journey is over. He is home.

Challenge: In a moment of quiet, imagine yourself as the prodigal, trudging home. Now, see God the Father sprinting toward you. Let Him reach you. Feel the embrace. Hear no words of reproach, only welcome. Stay in that mental/emotional space for several minutes. What does it feel like to be loved not because you fixed yourself, but because you are His?