In the past five years, I had sent various prayer requests to Joseph Prince Ministries for my 27-year-old son, who was deep in an addiction to crystal meth. He’d found it difficult to accept his father’s death and had gone into a downward spiral, with the drug taking control of his life and causing him to do some terrible things.

In 2004, a friend and I decided to take a vacation in America. We booked a cruise down the American coastline and just before we boarded the ship, I went to withdraw some money, only to realize my son had taken all the money.

I was devastated and at that moment, picked up the Bible and read Isaiah 60. As I was about to board the ship, the verse in Isaiah 60:5—“the abundance of the sea shall be turned toward me”—spoke to me. I felt that the situation was dark but I was assured that God was in control. He was telling me to arise and let Him shine through me.

The next six years were not easy as I watched my son sink deeper into darkness. I had little contact with him as he would say the cruelest things to me, which made me feel afraid of what he might do. But all this time, I kept Isaiah 60 in my mind. So you can imagine how excited I was when I heard that the 2014 theme for your church in Singapore is The Year Of Greater Glory, based on Isaiah 60. I felt God was telling me to expect something exciting this year.

Even though in monetary terms, my son cost me what would have been equal to a relatively healthy inheritance, my heart and arms ached to hold him in a tight embrace every day. I wanted to tell him that I still loved him, in spite of all that had happened. As the prodigal son’s father scanned the horizon every day to see his son coming home, in my mind, I did the same with my son.

Three years ago, I noticed that there were signs that my son was no longer reliant on the drug. Our family stood beside him as best as we could, as he painfully made the journey back to a normal life. His siblings also did not turn their backs on him—his elder brother tried to give him work, which he only did irregularly. When his elder brother was asked why he kept persevering with his brother, he would quietly say, “He is my brother.” Today, this “prodigal” brother works in a responsible position in his elder brother’s business.

A couple of weeks ago, my son who was lost presented me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. When I asked him what they were for, he said, “I just wanted to tell you how much I love you,” and gave me the biggest hug. I was able to joyfully tell him how much I love him. At that very moment, I knew my son was really home.

Thank you so much for your love and prayers, and Pastor Prince, for your commitment and dedication to boldly teach the beautiful message of God’s pure grace to the world. Indeed, we are greatly blessed, highly favored, and deeply loved.