American evangelist Franklin Graham truly loves the parable of the Prodigal Son from the Bible because it hits very close to home.
"Have you ever heard the parable of the Prodigal Son from the Bible? This young man blew his inheritance on a fast, party lifestyle and then found himself penniless, without a shred of self-respect. He decided his only hope was to return home to his father, and he did so with a repentant heart. To his surprise, his loving father welcomed him back home with open arms and celebration (Luke 15:11-32)," Graham writes on his Facebook page.
While it might surprise everyone who knows Graham, the son of legendary Christian preacher Billy Graham admitted that he himself was a prodigal son. It was only when he turned 22 years old that he repented his sins and changed for the better.
"I, too, was a prodigal son," he shares. "Lonely, unfulfilled, searching in all the wrong places. But when I was 22 years old, I got down on my knees and asked God to forgive me. He did — He welcomed me with open arms, He saved me, and He turned my life around."
When he shared his own story in front of a crowd of 37,000 individuals in Fortaleza, Brazil, Graham was humbled when hundreds of individuals stood up to say they were inspired to make the same decision he made several years ago.
"On Saturday evening thousands more came out to hear the Gospel preached. At God's invitation, hundreds came forward to make the same decision I did some 40 years ago. If you haven't 'come home' to your Heavenly Father, I urge you to do that now. He wants you to know that He loves you and He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for your sins. Trust Him today," he says.
