As a parent of a prodigal child, I can assure you that I have done everything possible to bring my child back to the ways of Christ. I have fasted many, many times in hopes that” some things are broken by prayer and fasting alone.” Last December, I was fasting 1-2x per week, believing that my fasting was helping bring my child closer to Christ and breaking the “strongholds” in his life. Fasting alone did not seem to be working, so I then added a book about praying scriptures over your prodigal children. I prayed through the entire book in the 90 days it suggested, believing that was the answer-praying scripture daily. I was already praying morning and night for my child, but when my prayers were seemingly going unheard, I started to add fasting, and speaking scriptures, and then I restored to begging and pleading with the Lord. Through the years of my child going his own way, I have had countless intercessors pray for him, believing perhaps God would hear their prayers-for I was certain I was doing something wrong because my prayers were appearing to go unanswered.
When my child first started going his own way over 15 years ago, I prayed daily but never restored to begging God for him to turn back from the things of the world. You see, if you have never had a child “wandering” in the world year after year involved in all sorts of heart-wrenching activities such as any addictions, homosexuality or different levels of mental/emotional instability-please don’t judge, when I say after a decade of praying, I started to beg God. I was tired and mentally and emotionally exhausted. I needed God to come through quickly, I mean didn’t He know valuable time was being wasted? I spent my 50th birthday without my child, and that led me to do whatever I needed to get God’s attention weekly, praying scriptures, and devoting a lot of my prayer time to what I call “spiritual warfare intercession,” or taking back what the enemy stole prayers. I went into overdrive with my prayers, fasting, and scripture reading. I became so focused on my child’s deliverance that my prayer needs were virtually non-existent. I mean, I did not have time to focus on other prayer needs, my child was in trouble and he needed me to help rescue him!
After a few months of believing somehow if I did this or that right in praying for my child, then that would get God’s attention and He would finally answer my prayers. I just needed to know the formula for God to hear my prayers, because I needed Him to act quickly. I tried everything I knew to do! I even took advice from well-meaning people, believing maybe they had the answer, but still, my child was not delivered. Oh, what is the momma to do? I want him to be all better, but the Lord says, “Let him go.” You got to be kidding Lord? Let go? The Lord showed me that letting go does not mean that you don’t love them or that you are giving up on them, it means that you are taking the backseat and the Lord is now driving His ways and His timetable! Ouch! Can’t say that thrills me to take the backseat to my child’s life, but I am not God and He knows better than I do. I have to let go of how I THINK the outcome SHOULD turn out. I have been given so many prophecies concerning my child, and in my mind, they should be unfolding right about now. I am impatient and I want to see the promises come to pass in my lifetime.
I am learning to walk by faith and not by sight. If I look too long at the circumstances around my child’s life, I get depressed, anxious, and fearful. I never wanted things to turn out like this, I would have hoped that by now breakthroughs and deliverance would have occurred. God gives me what I call “little nuggets” of hope that he is still working. The answer to God answering our prayers is not doing more in hopes that will move God, but trusting and resting that He hears even the tiniest of our prayers. God is moved not by our doing, going to more Bible studies, having more people pray for our situation, or fasting more, but by our faith. It takes great faith to let go of your loved one and let God take the reins. It takes great faith not to live in torment, fear, anxiety, or depression concerning your loved one. It takes great faith to have joy despite the deepest trouble in your life. It takes faith to say, “Not my will be done, but you will be done, Lord.” It takes faith to believe God knows our heartache and will use it for good. It takes faith to rest and not strive to make God move on our behalf. In rest comes peace, and with peace comes joy.
When your dreams and expectations have been dashed for your loved one, take hold that you are not alone and God does repair shattered dreams. I don’t know what the outcome will be in my child’s life, but I know God wants for him way more than I do, and I have done all that I can do. Now it’s time to rest…trust…and let go and let God.
📣 Resources to help you on your journey:
➡️ Register for my FREE self-paced online course for support for Christian parents who have children who are addicts. Over the 6 sessions, you will learn about grief and loss, boundaries, codependency, self-care, and stress and anxiety.
➡️ If you need assistance now, consider booking me for a life coaching session.
➡️ Feel free to email me your prayer request and share your story.
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