Never Give Up Praying for Your Young-Adult Children

There are always moments of pain.

Whenever I listen to women share of their unnesting experience, pain is invariably part of the story. And in those hard moments there is heartbreak and often confusion. Trying to understand some of the life choices their young-adult children have made, choices which are contrary to the values their parents have taught them, leaves them questioning themselves and where they went wrong.

I know that pain.

My husband and I, we have our own stories of unexpected and difficult choices our girls have made. At times I too have wondered where we failed them.

Of course, there are also moments of beauty and hope and pure joy – especially as we watch our kids master their independence.

But nothing has driven me to my knees like those parts of the journey that have been especially messy and difficult. God has faithfully met me in those moments, deepening my trust in Him and expanding my capacity to hope for a better future for our girls.

During those harder parts, I often find myself asking God for a glimpse of the work He is doing in their lives. Sometimes I just need an affirmation that, despite what current circumstances suggest, He is at work in the unseen.

Recently, one of those prayers was answered in His tender, loving way.

My husband, who is nearly two years into the remodel of our home, came across an unfinished block of wood. It had been part of a set of building blocks our children had played with when they were little. As I turned the block over in my hand I could see the child-like scrawl of one of our girls, the one I was praying fervently for, her name emblazoned on one side. On the other side were these words:

I love you, God. I need you God.

Those words ministered to me. I have held tight to them believing that her love and her need for Jesus remains in her heart and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, it is slowly being unearthed. That block of wood sits on my dresser, a visual reminder that regardless of what I see, God is at work in her life and I will one day see the fruit of His efforts.

Are you worried about one of your young-adult children? If so, know that, if your child received Jesus at some point in their growing-up years, then they are God’s possession. Continue praying for them, believing that one day you will see the fruit of those prayers.

If your child has never professed faith in Jesus, do not give up on praying for them, no matter their age. I did not receive Christ until I was 30 years old. I credit my salvation in large part to my grandparents, who spent years praying for my rescue. So keep praying, friend. Keep praying. (Galatians 6:9)

When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of His Glory.

Ephesians 1:13-14