Prayers for Your Adult Children: A Thirty-Day Devotional

By Lisa Hodgins

Our families need prayer now more than ever. The Pew Research groups reports 52% of young adults still live with their parents. Almost daily we are hearing reports on the news about the rise in drug use. Are you worried about the life choices your adult children are making? Are you helping or enabling your children? Do you question if God's at w

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Mar 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887384047

Lisa Hodgins

Lisa y su esposo, Jim, son muy parecidos al Brady Bunch, mezclando dos familias con seis hijos. Sin ser ajena a la tragedia y los desafíos, Lisa aprendió a sacar su fuerza de Dios y confiar en las promesas de su Palabra. Lisa es miembro orgullosa del Space Coast Writers Guild y del equipo de redacción de devocionales diarios de Calvary Chapel Melbourne. Además, Lisa y su esposo están involucrados en varios ministerios en su iglesia. Lisa reside en Florida y disfruta pasar tiempo con su familia y sus ocho nietos, viajar, hornear y ser voluntaria en su iglesia y en la comunidad.

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DEDICATION

Special thanks to my amazing husband, who has been so supportive of my many ventures and who can make me smile every day. Special thanks to all our children and grandchildren, who always bring me such love and joy. I feel like now that you’re grown, I’m finally learning how to be a better mom/grandmother. Sorry, I’m late. Have more babies! I think I’m getting better with each generation.

Lastly, special thanks to gifted editor and friend Cynthia M. Hall, who has been such a blessing in helping me reach my newest dream.

INTRODUCTION

The illusion is that when you have a child, you will love them and raise them, and after high school, they’ll go on to college, provide for themselves, and get married. You can then enjoy your life surrounded by a beautiful extended family that includes in-laws and grandchildren without any worries.

The reality is that we live in a fallen, sinful world. There may be many happy, memorable times parents of adult children experience watching them live out their lives. However, too many parents experience difficult, painful moments as they witness their children make bad choices, often accompanied by devastating consequences.

We aren’t perfect; we’re not immune to making bad choices. We struggle with our own courses of action and the consequence of those actions every day. Our children will do the same because it’s human nature. We see society slip further away from God and His values with each generation. From early childhood, our children are bombarded with worldly messages and Satan’s schemes that draw them away from God.

Is there hope? Yes!

Can their lives be changed? Yes!

But not by you; that’s God’s job!

Change can come about, and God can use you if you’re willing.

You may ask yourself, How does God use us to reach our adult children lost in the ways of the world or who have strayed from their godly upbringing? The answer is that He uses us primarily through prayer and via our godly example of loving and living within God’s love. While that sounds very simplified, it’s a life-long practice with eternal rewards.

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:31, NIV). Never underestimate the power of God and His ability to reach the lost.

You may also question your abilities. What if you made mistakes in raising your children? Perhaps you feel unworthy because of those moments when you weren’t a godly example. It doesn’t matter, God knows this, and He still has a plan for our children.

God wants to provide our children with more blessings than we could ever imagine or wish for them. Our God can restore broken hearts, fractured relationships, and even broken dreams. Our God can heal our hurts as well as theirs. He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true’ (Revelation 21:5, NIV). Our God can make all things new.

You’ll find a Meditation Moments section after each daily devotional. Don’t simply read the lesson and then walk away. Ask God to show you what He wants you to learn each day. The Meditation Moments section is where you’ll record what specifically touched your heart within the corresponding devotional. Write down what lesson you learned and how you can begin to apply its message to your daily life.

Let’s start the journey of prayer for our grown children. It’s time to hold onto God’s promises from His Word and observe His marvelous work in action as He loves our children. Watch as He draws our children closer to Him and brings restoration to our broken relationships.

You can bequeath your children a legacy of money or material things, but none is as valuable as leaving them a spiritual legacy. Yes, there is hope; God holds it in His hand, and He holds His hand out to you.

CHOICES

Thinking back to young adulthood, I’m sure we can all think of instances in which we made poor choices. That’s precisely what it was—our choice. God gave us free will, but it’s difficult to stand by and watch our children, regardless of age, make destructive choices. These choices affect not only them but all those around them: spouses, children, friends, parents, and coworkers.

We can try talking, yelling, crying, guilting, or bargaining, but it usually doesn’t work.

Why? Because change has to come from the heart, from within. We can’t change our children’s hearts for them; only God can instill a spiritual change.

The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! (Deuteronomy 30:6, NLT).

So, what can you do? Start by praying and learning the many promises God has given us in His Word. If you’re not sure how to pray, the example below should help you get started. God loves our children and wants to restore them. He sees exactly what is going on in their lives and loves them anyway. I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace (Isaiah 54:13, NLT).

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