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Laurie Cole

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July 20, 2012

Front Porch Friday: How To Love Your Prodigal

Having an adult child on the run from God is difficult enough, but you know what’s harder? When that adult child’s visits are having a negative impact on their younger, still-at-home siblings. So what’s a Christian mom to do? That’s today’s question on Front Porch Friday: Ask Laurie. So come on over, and let’s talk about loving your prodigal . . . even when love must be tough.

Praying for prodigals,

What has the Lord taught you about loving your prodigal? How has God answered your prayers for your prodigal? Your wisdom and testimonies are always such a blessing — thanks for sharing!

P. S. Need some extra encouragement as you pray for your prodigal? Get your hands on Ruth Graham’s excellent book, Prodigals and Those Who Love Them: Words of Encouragement for Those Who Wait. It is excellent.

Click here to watch other videos in the “Ask Laurie” series!

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Comments

  1. Ellen Giermann says

    July 20, 2012 at 12:47 pm

    Hi Laurie, This is Ellen, thank you so much for answering my question!!! Your comments were so clear and wise. Thank you for the guidance and the example of how to handle this situation and what to say and the Spirit that it needs to be said in. Love, the Scripture references too!!!!

    I feel so honored and blessed that you walked me through an area of life that I was struggling in. You are indeed, a sister in Christ.

    With the Lord’s help I know my family can get through this stage and the testing that goes along with it. Knowing in the end, God will be Glorified if we honor Him and obey His precepts, even when they are tough.

    Fondly,
    Ellen Giermann

    Reply
    • Laurie Cole says

      July 20, 2012 at 9:45 pm

      PTL and you are so welcome, Ellen. God is soooo good. When we need wisdom, He always gives it (James 1). But I gotta admit: I never expected to see His answer to your question in 2 John. 🙂 Seriously, I will continue to pray for you, sweet sister, and your beloved prodigal. Thank you for your honest, heartfelt question and for your courage in sharing your story. You blessed lots and lots moms of prodigals. Love to you!

      Reply
  2. Catherine McClimans says

    July 20, 2012 at 6:45 pm

    Laurie your words of wisdom and tenderness is such the heart of this matter, we are to hold up God’s truth His word and Thank you for bringing that into such a hard place as when our children are running from that truth. We love you here in Burnet Laurie and keep the Front Porch Friday coming:) Catherine

    Reply
  3. Laurie Cole says

    July 20, 2012 at 9:54 pm

    I love you Burnet glo girls, too, Catherine! Please give my love to Dixie, Rosemary, and the Hill Country Fellowship sisters. Bill and I were so blessed to worship with your great church a few months ago. Praying the Lord will allow our paths to intersect again soon. Love!

    Reply
  4. Karen says

    July 21, 2012 at 7:16 am

    Thank you for covering this topic. My husband and I are struggling right now but we both keep hearing the Lord say “wait.” As moms, we want to be able to ‘fix’ things when it comes to our kids but this is something He alone is able to do. He is able!!

    Reply
  5. Debbie says

    July 21, 2012 at 8:11 am

    I was a prodigal but HIS intense love never left me. It’s taught me that we’re to love with that intensity…..never giving up, out or in. I got to watch an 84 year old woman come to know Christ, ( an aunt who mocked & made light of my passion for Christ ), but prior to her decision FOR Christ I had to, very lovingly tell her, “I love you but I’m sorry you don’t have my permission to cross that line any more”. And the fight was on. Satan didn’t want to loose her & neither did my Father God. It was HIS love & grace that shown through me to her that after ALL the ugly she’d been shown in her life she simply couldn’t throw enough darts to diminish the love being shown to her.
    Those darts she threw out cut deep into my heart. She was the last living realative who’d known me as a baby. But do I still feel wounded? NO, not at all. Why……….because in life we all are hurt by others OR we’ve been the ones doing the hurting and when it’s our kids …………well, there’s no hurt to match. But I’ve been shown now that time after time, after time, HIS GREAT LOVE prevails if we won’t give up, in or out, (even when the darts are flying fast & furiously), and just continue on in His LOVE.

    Reply
  6. Beth Bookout says

    July 23, 2012 at 3:50 pm

    I have read Ruth Bell Graham’s book and it is excellent. I am also reading the book, Prayers for Prodigals -90 Days of Prayer for Your Child by James Banks. It is published by Discovery House Publishers. I’ve had to learn to focus on my son’s spiritual needs over everything, even when he wants nothing to do with us

    Reply
  7. jewelry4change says

    July 24, 2012 at 10:52 pm

    Fantastic question and very insightful answer. I tend to try to hide from issues like this, rather than setting boundaries, as you mention. Thank you for this help. 🙂

    Reply
  8. Judy says

    July 30, 2012 at 4:49 pm

    What if your prodigal child still lives at home and you have a younger child? What do you do?

    Reply
    • DIANE MUNZ says

      October 7, 2016 at 5:24 pm

      Loved your words of wisdom and your loving and gentle spirit on this matter. As a christian, we have seen most of our prodigal members in our family return to Christ. It has taken many years of exercising just what you spoke about. We as christians, must realize that God’s instructions is the truth and that He is not a liar–not matter what the difficulty. We must continuously respond with love and faith in our God. There is a real devil who is continuously destroying lives, but God overcame, and as christians, we overcome. Trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not to thine own understanding and in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths. Pray without ceasing and believe God!

      Reply
  9. Debbie Gonzalez says

    June 5, 2021 at 8:37 am

    Thank you Lauire for this. I am going through a really hard ordeal with 3 prodigals and my extended family is joining with them to celebrate lifestyle choices and encourage sinful behavior. I know what is right and your video really encouraged me. Please pray for my children Julia, Rachael and Caleb. They were all raised in a loving Christian home and they are trying to pressure my husband and I to agree with their choices and beliefs. But we can’t becasue Christ must come first. I really feel like my husband and I have tried to hold out the truth in love. Thanks again for this video.

    Reply

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