¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
~Luke 15:17

The verse above implies that all the while, the prodigal son was not in his right senses. Otherwise, how in the world could a boy request that his daddy split his belongings while he was still hale and hearty? Fortunately, anyway, he eventually came to his senses; and that was when his journey back home began.

Starving in the pigsty, the prodigal son regained consciousness of who he was, and with that came the realization of everything he’d lost; not his father’s wealth that he had squandered, but his sonship — his position in the family. This realization inspired him to retrace his steps back home.

Until you awaken, your journey back home will never begin. Consciousness — a full awaking and realization of who you are, and whatever you may have lost in destiny — is a key step towards recovery.

More lessons from David, a master at recovery

No matter how it happens, satan is at the root of every destruction.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
~John 10:10

According to Jesus Christ, satan is the destroyer, and his acts of destruction fall into one or more of the following categories:

• Stealing.
• Killing.
• Destroying.

In David’s case, no one was killed. Nevertheless, he still lost everything: His city was burned, and his entire family and earthly possessions were taken.

“When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured- Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.”
~Samuel 30:3-5

The impact of their loss on their hearts was such that these otherwise fearless warriors broke down and wept like babies. Deeply aware of the fact that they had lost irreplaceable treasures, they probably feared the worst. Their pain was excruciating, but at least, they knew they had lost a lot. Also, they were fortunate to have realized their loss quite early — an extremely vital component of recovery.

A very important first step towards recovery, is an early awareness of loss

The nature of losses, especially those that are really significant from the standpoint of destiny, is that the losers are not usually aware of them.

The prodigal son didn’t know that he’d forfeited his place in the family.

Esau didn’t know he’d lost something of eternal value.

Samson didn’t know that the Spirit of the Lord had left him.

“… He awoke from his sleep and thought, ‘I’ll go out as before and shake myself free’. But he did not know that the LORD had left him.”
~Judges 16:20

Samson’s case is particularly illuminating, as it reveals the reality of different levels of consciousness. He awoke from his sleep, but he did not know…

Many people go through life with absolutely no idea of the precious treasures they’ve forfeited. Some realize it only when it’s so late, which is why for most people, old age is a period of regret and pain.

Like David, Esau eventually realized that he’d lost something. Unlike David, however, he did not realize it soon enough. It may never be too late to realize your loss, but it can become too late some time.

What have you lost?

I can’t assume that you know what you’ve lost. For this reason, I must ask you to turn to the Holy Spirit in prayer to reveal them to you.

Adam lost his standing with God, his life and his kingdom.

Esau lost his birthright to the Abrahamic covenant.

Reuben lost the same as Esau.

Moses lost his access to the promised land.

Saul lost his dynasty, his kingdom, and his life.

David lost his family and properties. He eventually lost his kingship to his son.

Rehoboam lost the 10 tribes.

Judas lost his place among the Twelve.

Peter lost his Apostolic Pre-eminence.

Some of these men recovered all. Others did not. For those who did, their recovery began with an acute awareness of what they had lost and the importance of the same. This awareness created pain, repentance, and the passion to pursue recovery.

They did, however, take further strategic and significant step which we shall examine as we go on. Meanwhile, however, spend some time with the Holy Spirit. Under His guidance, create a personal and secret document stating the three most valuable treasures you’ve lost, and which you must recover this season.