Reclaiming Prodigal Purposes: 10 Decrees that Unlock Their Divine Destinies
The apostle Paul was a man of great purpose who understood destiny.
In 2 Timothy, he wrote to his son in the faith, Timothy, concerning the subject.
For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:9 NLT).
Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began (2 Timothy 1:9 NKJV).
The word purpose is the Greek word prothesis (Strong’s 4286). Pro is before. Prothesis means to set before, to set up, an exposition, and it also means to resolve or design.
You can easily recognize two English words derived from prothesis. First of all is the word thesis, which is a written particular subject or topic in school. Thesis can also refer to an essay or written composition concerning a specific viewpoint. In some situations, it could refer to a book.
Paul said to Timothy, and to you and I today: God wrote a thesis on you and recorded it in a book He has in Heaven. Before you ever entered the womb, God wrote His thesis on the details involving the design of your purpose, listing the intentions and paths He had in mind for you.
In eternity past, there came a time when God, the Creator of Heaven and earth, sat down and studied your life and what it would mean, why it would be, and then He composed a “written thesis” entitled Purpose. Amazingly, your life has spent time in God’s mind.
One such thesis would be titled “Tim’s Purpose,” in which He began to write a composition on my particular purpose. When He finished the book, He said, “Now, when the time is right, I will create him.”
Other theses would be titled Tom’s Purpose, or Dave’s Purpose, or Rachel’s Purpose. And one has your name on it. God sat down, wrote a thesis about you and recorded it in Heaven. He said, “When the time is right, I’ll create him or her.” Which means the time must be right, because you’re here!
The time is “right” for you to understand and fulfill your destiny. The time is “right” for you to begin to live out the thesis of God for your life. Your being alive now is proof of it. Just as God took a book called the Bible and quickened it, making it a rhema (living) word to us, so He can, and will, do with the book concerning you.
God wants to “quicken His thesis” about you to you. He wants His words of purpose made alive inside you. He wants it to become rhema. He wants His composition written about you to come alive so that His book about you isn’t just read—it’s lived. It’s a living thesis for you, residing inside you. Make no mistake about it. God, the Author, wrote your plan well. He left out no details. He thought through all of the chapters and, as Paul would write to the Hebrews, God is not only the Author, He’s also the Finisher.
He will help you finish the journey. He will assist you in finishing the “plans.” He will help you on all that is set forth. God says, “I wrote it down. I made it plain. I declared your purpose and I’ll even help you do it!”
Prothesis—before you were born God wrote your thesis. Then He made you with everything it would take to do it. With His Holy Spirit quickening and guiding, and with His help, you can do it.
I want us to see this word in connection with another word.
For [the] administration of the fulness of times; to head up all things in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth; in him, in whom we have also obtained an inheritance, being marked out beforehand according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his own will (Ephesians 1:10-11 Darby).
Purpose is the Greek word prothesis. Counsel is the Greek word boulē (Strong’s 1012) and it means the will, to decree, to aim, and it also refers to the decision-making process of government. The parliamentary government in modern Greece is called the boulē, not the Congress like in the United States.
Why do they use the word boulē? Because boulē means deliberation and reflection. The Greek government reflects and deliberates before the decrees are made. They reflect on the proj- ects needed as they meet in counsel together. They reflect and deliberate before the will is written down (before it’s recorded).
God says before We made you (God said in Genesis, let Us make man in Our image and likeness, referring to the Godhead of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), before We wrote your thesis, We reflected on your purpose. We deliberated and thought it through. We exchanged ideas concerning you and took counsel together concerning Our will for your life.
The ways intended for you were reflected upon by the parliament of Heaven. The parliamentary counsel of Heaven decreed and declared the intended purpose for each man and woman. As They wrote the thesis for each person, They had it recorded, and when it was the right time, we were born.
David says in Psalm 139, “My days were written down before there was one of them.” Acts 13:36 (NKJV) says, “For David, after he served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers….” The word will in that verse is boulē. The parliamentary counsel of Heaven had a purpose, a thesis, for David to accomplish and David served it. Acts 13:36 (AMPC) says, “For David, after he had served God’s will and purpose and counsel in his own generation, fell asleep [in death]….”
David discovered and fulfilled the purpose of God for his life. He had purpose in his generation and he accomplished it. You, too, have purpose. God wrote your story beforehand and is now working on paths that will enable you to fulfill it in your generation.
I said earlier there were two words readily seen in the Greek word for purpose (prothesis). One is, of course, thesis. The second word is prosthesis, which refers to artificial limbs. It used to be if someone’s leg had to be cut off, a wooden leg or a peg was put in its place. Why make an artificial limb? To restore a lost purpose. To restore lost movement and balance and to restore some kind of use or purpose that was missing, cut off.
What a word this is for us! What a hope this gives us. You may say, “My life has been cut off from any real meaning. There’s something missing. Years ago, I did this or that and I feel cut off because of it. I sinned. I did something I’m ashamed of. I did something I know was absolutely wrong. I miserably failed. I made decisions that were selfish. I made choices that were directly opposed to why I’m here.”
Quite possibly, a situation may have occurred that you had no control over and cut you off. Perhaps a tragedy took place, or you experienced a broken relationship, or suffered some form of abuse. Because of that, it seems as if you’ve been severed from any real purpose. You’ve been cut off from a life of significance and meaning and the balance in your life was thrown askew.
God may have a thesis that He reflected upon and wrote for you, but life or fate has written you a different one and you’re living cut off from God’s thesis. You can’t complete His thesis for you because what is needed to do so was amputated from you. What I want to emphasize is that your purpose—the reason you are here—doesn’t change. It never changes. God is not rewriting your story; He already wrote it!
Because He is God and is all-powerful and all-knowing, if you will turn to Him, trust Him, and let Him, then He, the Master Surgeon, can reconstruct lost purpose. Prosthesis: He can give you a new limb. He can give you what it takes to restore lost movement, lost balance, and lost purpose, even if it was amputated from you.
You say, “But, Apostle Tim, I would walk with a limp.” So did Jacob! That lying, stealing, conniving, cheating man who wrestled with God went on to fulfill his purpose and destiny. He wrestled with his destiny for 97 years, but he finally got it. Yes, he walked with a limp, but he walked and God’s thesis was reconstructed with, eventually, the Messiah coming through his descendants. When submitted to God, Jacob’s purpose was reconstructed.
You may say or be thinking, “Well, where my purpose is con- cerned, I just don’t have a leg to stand on.” God says, “I’ll make one for you because My purpose is not changeable.” God says, “Me and you—we can do it. I’ll help you. I’ll do miracles. I’ll help you fulfill My words.”
Hebrews 6:17-19 (KJV) says concerning this:
Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.
Immutability and immutable mean unchangeable. It’s the Greek word ametathetos derived from metatithemi (Strong’s 276/3346). The theme is unchangeable! The theme of my boulē is unchangeable. Metatithemi!
Let’s use a word we may understand better for immutable: the word mutations. No mutations! God says, “No mutations. My theme is set before you. It’s like concrete. No mutations.” God says, “Let that give you strong consolation. Let that be an anchor for your soul.” God says, “My theme, My thesis, My purpose is set before you. And if cut off, I will restore it.” He confirms it with an oath!
He says, “I, God, do solemnly swear that you can be who I have made you to be. I, God, do solemnly swear that you are an heir to My promises for your life. I swear I can reconstruct you. I swear My future for you is good. I swear there’s hope before you. I swear I have a plan for you. I swear I have given you a destiny. I swear My thesis was thought through about you. And I swear that before you were ever born, I saw to it that you would have all you would need, along with My help, to accomplish it.”
God says, “I promise all My promises to you are good ones. I’ll do what I said. Just walk together with Me. Walk in relationship with Me and you will discover and live out a life filled with purpose, significance, and meaning.”
Decrees
I decree God is restoring lost purpose and I am reclaiming His purpose, His thesis, for my life and the lives of my prodigals.
I call back my prodigal and decree their destiny will be fulfilled. Their purpose will not be cut off.
I decree my future and the future of my prodigal is good.
I decree God’s Word is an anchor for my soul. I shall not be moved.
I decree God’s Word is unshakable and will not return void. It will accomplish its purpose.
6. I decree my prodigal was created for God, His hand is on your life, we call forth the destiny and purpose God ordained for you.
I decree the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies are new every morning.
I decree that even when I can’t see it or feel it, God is working behind the scenes to bring my loved one home.
I decree God’s amazing love and presence is overwhelming my prodigal and there is no escaping Him and His plan for your life.
I decree awakening in my prodigal, eyes to be opened, and heart to be receptive.
