Prodigal Parent ProcessSample

It's A Journey

When a child decides to walk away from God and their family, it is a painful experience for the parents of a prodigal. As a parent, you have sacrificed so much to raise your children. 

You introduced them to Christ, salvation, the church, and you served them with all your heart. You wanted them to follow Christ, walk in His blessings, and His design for their life. You gave them opportunities you may have only dreamed about when you were a child.

Then all of a sudden you are hit with the stark reality that in this season, they are choosing to walk away. As a psychologist who has worked with prodigals for several decades, I see that usually, they first often walk away from Christ, and then walk away from their parents – respectfully or disrespectfully.

In my 40 years of being a Christian, I have never heard a sermon or teaching on the parent of the prodigal. The pain, trauma, long-suffering, humiliation, grief, and often isolation is real. What parents of prodigals go through is often unseen, unmentioned, and not ministered to throughout the global church. 

This short study introduces you to the topic of the Prodigal Parent Process. 

Firstly, I want to encourage you. As a psychologist who has worked with many prodigals and prodigal parents, I have seen thousands of prodigals return home. Through this time working with these prodigals, I have seen them go through their own prodigal process. In addition, parents also go through their own process of being the parent to a prodigal. 

This process includes grief, hurt, anger, denial, mental conflict, and more. The scripture helps us along the path of life, even for parents of a prodigal. 

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (KJV) The time between now and “when he is old” can be a journey for both you and the prodigal. 

David said, “Thy word is a light unto my path.” The lantern light he was referring to was able to the light up the path just enough to take a few steps. The path of being a parent of a prodigal is a unique journey. As you go through this plan, open your heart to God so that he may light the steps you take on your path. You may not know what is more than a few steps ahead of you, but trusting Him along this journey is something you will not regret.