Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward from him. Psalm 127:3

Your grown-up children are walking with the Lord, thriving, and doing what God has called them to do. Imagine your delight as you celebrate them and their successes.

The reality is that many of us moms have grown-up children who have walked away from God. They have abandoned their Christian values and faith. Maybe they’ve embraced destructive attitudes and habits. Perhaps they are into substance abuse, or they may be alienated from you. Our adult children face a harsher world than we did when we were growing up. They live in a fast-paced world where truth mixed with lies is the norm.

As moms, we bring our concerns about our adult children to God every day. We have aches in our hearts because of our grown-up children. How do we parent adult children positively in light of their choices?

During my morning walk in January, I heard in my spirit to pray for the prodigals and grown-up children. Psalm 91:1 came to mind. “Those who dwell in the shelter of the Most-High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge, my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”

We need God’s help to parent our grown-up children. He sees the end from the beginning, but we do not. Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son. Out of envy, Joseph’s brothers plotted to kill him. But one brother convinced them to sell him to Ishmaelite traders, who later sold him to Pharaoh.

Meanwhile, the brothers went home and told their father that a wild animal had killed his son. Jacob mourned deeply for Joseph for a long time and refused to be comforted. His distress and heartache were profound. But God was aware. He had a bigger plan and purpose for the brothers’ evil plot (Genesis 37:18-36).

Likewise, the Lord sees every tear we’ve shed over our adult children. If Jacob could see the end from the beginning, he wouldn’t have been in so much despair. He would have trusted God. So, let’s trust God’s plans even when it looks different from our expectations. We can rest in his peace and have the assurance that he has our cries. So, let’s not give up. Our adult children are a gift from God, and they belong to him.

Perhaps you question your parenting or struggle with feelings of guilt. As moms, though, we never stop caring for our children, we can’t be responsible for their choices. Jacob loved his children. But he wasn’t responsible for their choice to sin against their brother.

As we continue to pray for our grown-up children, we must release any obstacles in our hearts. We can ask God to cleanse us of any bitterness, regrets, and guilt. We ask him to search our hearts about our parenting, and whatever he reveals, we ask for forgiveness. We also need to forgive ourselves and ask for forgiveness from our adult children.

Let us release our grown-up children to the Lord and bless them whenever they come to mind. Thank God for what he is doing in their lives that we cannot see. Ask the Lord to put his hedge of protection around them and frustrate every evil plan over their lives.

Prayerful compassion is loving our grown-up children unconditionally and praying for them regularly. God can turn their lives around as we dwell under his protective wings and wait on him.

In Your Life

What are some ways in which you can extend grace to your adult children?

 

Resources

Prayer of blessings for adult your son and daughter. Pray along with me on YouTube (https://youtu.be/brtKVt_deekLink)

Weathering Storms: Finding Treasures in the Ruins, 90-day devotional. Packed with encouragement and biblical truths, it will help you get through any crisis. Get your copy today on Amazon (https://amzn.to/35gKQOz)

 

Let’s Connect

Find more encouragement from Dr. Tope Keku at https://hiddentreasuresandriches.com/blog/