Mothers Should Always Pray And Never Give Up on their Prodigals

 

There she is in my kitchen, her mother’s daughter and my first grandchild.
Pivoting between the cutting board and the big stovetop.
All large belly and the most beautiful red hair imaginable.
She’s a glorious testimony to the powerful love of God and the mysterious workings of His Spirit among the children of men.

There were days, weeks, even several years we thought she might be lost to us.
Her mother and I. A mother’s prayer for her daughter can be joy-filled and hopeful or it can be full of anguish and uncertainty. Our prayers for her were more of the latter, but God was working in us as we were begging Him to work in her.

 

The Role of Prodigals in a mother’s spiritual life

 

This one tried our faith. Honed is more like. So while we were begging God to work, to DO SOMETHING, He was. But He started with us. With all of us who loved and imagined the worst while hoping against hope for the best. Our focus was on her spiritual condition, but God is able to work ALL THINGS together for good. He was doing just that through the trials we had with this redheaded prodigal. We wanted Him to focus on her, but, unlike us mortals, He can do more than one thing at a time.

 

God Always Rewards Faith

 

Little Judah, 3 years old, holds my hand as we descend the stairs. He asks if I’m afraid of the dark. I say no. He says when he’s afraid he sings a song or reads ‘devotion’ (he means his Bible for Children). Responses to fear ~ taught to him by his mother, the very one used by God to stretch and strengthen our faith. Faith isn’t theoretical, it’s relational. It’s how we are suppose to relate to God, taking Him at His word.

It is us saying to God ‘We know You want what You say You want in this one’s life, we want that too. We’re hanging on to You, we’re counting on You, and we know You have a plan to work this all out for good.’

 

 

God Uses Our Trials

 

I’d had some experience in this before. My daughter, up until then, hadn’t.
The whole business of kids tearing your heart out was new to her. Of nights when you’re crazy with panic and worry, and a gut wrenching scenario that won’t stop playing in your head. Years before she’d been the prodigal and I was the unraveling mother. Now I was there for her. And I was able to use what God had taught me, what He’d walked me through, to encourage and comfort her.

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

 

 

Don’t Give In To Worry Or Blame

 

An old definition of worry: assuming responsibility God never intended you to have.

When a kid starts ‘heading into oncoming traffic’ a Mom starts looking for reasons. All her searches end up in the same cup-de-sac. Her own doubts and insecurities as a mother. She married too young. Or didn’t potty train correctly, or was it the pacifier, did she take it away too abruptly? Should she have been more nurturing, or more strict, definitely more strict, no wonder this child lacks direction and self-control. Was it public school? I should have homeschooled!!! It was movies and MTV. Or not enough prayer in the home? We needed a better Sunday School at church?

The why’s mount up without any answers. Why my daughter? Why now? Why won’t she listen to reason? Doesn’t she know I want what’s best for her? God why can’t I help her, rescue her, save her from herself, protect her, stop her, control her?

Are you going around in circles, going crazy trying to blame yourself, explain the why?

Stop!
Whatever the reason, you can’t change it now. What went wrong only God can put right. The very best thing you can do for this girl is put her into God’s hands.

Don’t abdicate your responsibility, but stop trying to figure it all out.

This Too Shall Pass

When it’s all passed, and it will one day be passed, you won’t care why she went astray.
You’ll just rejoice in the safe ‘return’ of a prodigal. There’ll be feasting and rejoicing in your home again. If you start doubting God’s good intention, or His power, His interest, you need to remind yourself of this passage in Romans 8.

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who dies—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who is interceding for us.
Romans 8:32-34

God gave His only Son for the purpose of bringing us back from a lost place.

I love the few words that form a question for us: how will he not also? Is there any way that God, who gave up His only Son, will start being stingy now?

No. Not a chance. Whatever’s needed He will provide. All things. Who can bring a charge? No one. Because God justifies. Who can condemn? No one. God is the Judge who justifies.
Christ is the Savior who died. But He also rose again. That’s power demonstrated. 
Transforming, life giving power. And He is interceding for us.

You are not alone in any trial

You’re not in this alone.
God isn’t assigning blame.
He isn’t casting stones.
He’s giving everything graciously.
Don’t lose faith in His will, or His power to perform it.

God Is Expert At Retrieving Prodigals

He leaves the 99 and goes after the one that wandered away.
He did it with me.
He did it with you.
He did it with my daughter.
He did it with her daughter.

You don’t see it yet, but you can believe it now and be at peace.

Father give peace and fresh faith to every weary mother praying for a prodigal. Help her believe that You are watching, that You are working and that You never leave or forsake Your own.

Amen.

If you’d like some encouragement on the go you can listen to Divine Connections. It’s a new podcast I  created to give encouragement to busy Christian women. 
https://kellyjgrace.com/podcast/

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