Several years ago, I was talking to Father God. “I have a pretty good grasp on the character and ‘human’ attributes of Jesus; but I really do not understand who You are”. I had driven only about a mile or two, when very clearly Father God said “The Prodigal Son”. So for the next few weeks I researched that story.
Over the next two weeks, the Lord impressed me very strongly that a song was to come out of all this. There was only one problem with that idea. I was not in any way, shape or form a song writer. So I came up with a plan. I had friends who were well known in Southern California as musicians, singers and song writers.
I would write down some ideas for them and see what they could come up with. Little did I know that Father God had a different, and much better plan, for the birth and creation of this amazing song.
So, on a Saturday morning, I sat down with my guitar, a pencil, and the back of a used envelope (no sense using a clean sheet of paper on a “throw-away” project).
As I strummed the first chord, the words “When my sinful heart takes over” came into my heart. I quickly wrote down the 6 words. Immediately I then heard, “and I choose to leave Your Place”. I wrote it down. For the next 20 minutes or so, phrase after phrase was given to me by Father God. I remember that I was aware enough of what was happening to think, “Ah, this is the end of the second verse, etc. “
By the end of the 20+ minutes, Father God had dictated to me a complete 3 verse “story-song” with two separate choruses, and a final trailer. If you had come into the room at that moment, and asked me what had just happened, I do not believe I could have given you a good answer. It took me months before I could even begin to comprehend the magnitude of what had happened during that 20 minute timeframe. The song as it is written in its current form is precisely the same song which was given to me many years ago. Not a syllable, not a word, not a phrase has been changed.
About a week after this event, I said to the Lord, “This is a wonderful song. What is the title”? “I AM THE PRODIGAL” was His immediate response. It took me a few weeks to realize one amazing fact about this title. In every other song I am familiar with the title words are found somewhere in the lyrics of the song. The words “I AM THE PRODIGAL” are not found anywhere in this song. Yet as I thought about it, this title is absolutely perfect. It defines the very essence of the song.
This song, dictated from the very heart of the Living God, expresses the amazing depth of His love, compassion and forgiveness to a prodigal son or daughter who, having truly repented, now simply wants to be “Safe” and “Home” with Abba Father, Daddy God.
My desire now is to follow Father God’s will in getting this song out to the Christian community and beyond…..