A Prayer for a Rebellious Child

Father, my child has pulled away, and the silence between us is louder than any argument. The door that used to be open is closed, and I do not know how to knock without driving them further off.

I confess my anger and my fear are tangled together. I have lashed out when I meant to reach out. Some of this distance I helped build with sharp words and impossible expectations. Show me my part honestly, and soften what has gone hard in me.

I turn to You, the Father who watched His own children wander and never stopped loving them home. You are not surprised by this season, and You have not given up.

Reach my child where my voice no longer carries. Surround them with people who will tell the truth in love. Protect them from harm even in their running.

Your word tells of a father who saw his lost son a long way off and ran to him with open arms. Let me be that kind of waiting, ready to run, slow to accuse.

I let go of the timeline I keep demanding. I trust You to do what I cannot. Bring my child home, in Your time and Your way. Amen.