What to Do When Your Child Walks Away from God

God’s goodness gives parents a secure place to bring their grief, fear, and hope when a child walks away. God loves all of His children, including prodigal children, and He wants the best for them. The father in this parable is presumed to represent God, who watches His children turn away and seek their own plans (Psalm 78:10-11). As in the parable, some of God’s children eventually return, and He welcomes them with kindness and mercy (Jeremiah 30:3). God is a good father who gently restores prodigal children. In other words, He runs to greet them, gives them a new robe and ring, and throws a celebration. 

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God sees your child fully, even when you cannot see where they are, what they are facing, or what is happening in their heart. In His omnipresence, God is watching over our children. He is aware of their needs, their struggles, and their heartaches. In the story of Hagar, she runs away from her master and finds herself in a desperate situation. Hagar is alone with her infant son and frightened, but God sends an angel to tell her that he hears and sees her despair. She calls Him the “God Who Sees” (Genesis 16:7-14). Take courage in knowing that, just as He saw Hagar, God is watching over our prodigal children. 

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A season of wandering does not place your child beyond God’s knowledge or ability to work, even though Scripture does not promise a particular outcome or timetable. The prophet Jeremiah warned the Israelites of the consequences of their sin, yet they did not repent and were exiled. While they were living in exile, God sent them a message through the prophet, telling His people to take heart, make the best of their circumstances, and endure, for He had good plans for them.

The prophet told them that God would bring them back from exile and that they would prosper, have hope, and have a future (Jeremiah 29:4-14). Our heavenly Father has the same plans for errant children—to return them home, not to harm them but to give them hope and a future. 

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Parents can continually ask God to protect their children while recognizing that trusting Him does not guarantee freedom from every painful consequence. Parents pray many things over their children, and protection is always near the top of the list. Our imaginations conjure up so many fearful situations. Our heavenly Father is also concerned with protecting His children.

To Joshua, as he was about to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land, He says, “I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous…” (Joshua 1:5-6). In Isaiah 41:10, God tells the Israelites, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” With God as our helper, there is assurance that wayward children are under His protection. 

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God is patient and rich in mercy, offering forgiveness to those who repent and turn to Him. God doesn’t just offer second chances; He gives one hundred chances, a million chances— whatever it takes to restore relationships with His children. Consider Jonah, the prophet charged with preaching to his enemy but who instead turns and runs.

There were consequences for his disobedience, but the LORD gave him a second chance. “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you” (Jonah 3:1-2). We can be confident that just as Jonah got another chance, God is offering the same grace to prodigal sons and daughters. 

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God is able to confront lies, soften hearts, and place truthful voices in your child’s path, so you can pray with hope without trying to control the result. The battle for our prodigal children is being fought in the heavenly realms, and God is the Mighty Warrior. He is with our sons and daughters, and He fights to save them. To the Israelites, He says, “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs” (Zephaniah 3:17). The world entices our children, but we know that God will defeat those strongholds. 

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God remains sovereign even when your child’s decisions leave you feeling frightened and powerless. God created the world and everything in it, and He rules over His creation. Nothing happens that is outside His knowledge or control: “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). Because of this, we know that the paths forged by our prodigal children are within His control, and in His time and for His purpose, our children are rescued and returned. 

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Nothing in your child’s story catches God unaware, and no decision can place your child outside His sight. There is not a day that unfolds that God has not already experienced, and there is nothing we do that He doesn’t already know will happen. Before words cross our lips, He knows our thoughts (Psalm 139:4). He is not surprised by what our children or we do because He sees the future. “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21). Our assurance rests in trusting that God knows the future for our children and that His plans will prevail. 

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God promises to forgive those who confess their sins and turn to Him through Christ. Prodigal children need forgiveness, and God promises that if we confess our sins, they are forgiven (1 John 1:9). This parable is a beautiful picture of that kind of mercy. Once the son is visible in the distance, the father runs to welcome him home and celebrates his return. There is no condemnation, only forgiveness and love.

In the same way, God promises to forgive wayward children. “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25). Mothers and fathers can be confident that God forgives prodigal children and erases their transgressions if they return to Him. 

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God rejoices when sinners repent and return to Him, just as Luke 15 depicts celebration when the lost is found. Christ came so that we would be reconciled to God. Paul writes, “that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19). In the parable of the lost coin that appears in Scripture just before the parable of the prodigal son, there is much rejoicing when the owner finds the coin (Luke 15:9). In the same way, God and the heavens also rejoice when one prodigal child is reconciled and returns home. Like the father in the parable, He runs down the road to greet him with open arms.

Parents and family of prodigal sons and daughters, rest in the assurance that God is working through this season of your child’s life. While you wait for their restoration and their return to love and safety, we can trust God’s faithfulness, pray without ceasing, and watch the road.

Pray for Your Prodigal Child with Hope and Wisdom

Use this Scripture-centered prayer guide to bring your child, your concerns, and the parts of the situation you cannot control before God.

Download the 9 Prayers for Mothers Prayer Guide and use the prayer for a prodigal as you entrust your child to God.

Frequently Asked Questions About Trusting God with a Prodigal Child

• Does the parable of the prodigal son promise that my child will return?
  The parable reveals God’s readiness to welcome repentant sinners, but it does not establish a timetable or guarantee a particular outcome for every family. Parents can pray with hope without attempting to predict how or when their child’s story will change.
• How can I trust God when my child continues making harmful choices?
  Trust means believing that God sees what you cannot see and remains worthy of your confidence. It does not require pretending that your child’s choices are harmless. You can trust God while grieving, establishing boundaries, and responding wisely.
• Did my child walk away from God because I failed as a parent?
  Every parent makes mistakes, and honest repentance may be necessary in some families. However, an adult child is responsible for his or her own beliefs and decisions. A child’s wandering does not automatically prove parental failure.
• Should I continue giving money to my prodigal adult child?
  Generosity should not finance destructive behavior. Parents can provide food, transportation to treatment, counseling, or other carefully chosen assistance without giving unrestricted money. The right boundary will depend on the circumstances.
• What should I pray for my prodigal child?
  Pray that your child will recognize truth, encounter godly influences, become receptive to conviction, find freedom from destructive patterns, and understand the mercy offered through Christ. Also ask God for wisdom, patience, courage, and healthy boundaries.
• What if my child is struggling with addiction, abuse, or immediate danger?
  Prayer remains important, but urgent situations also require practical intervention. Contact qualified professionals, treatment providers, emergency services, or appropriate authorities rather than trying to manage a dangerous situation alone.

For Further Reading

• 7 Prayers for Your Prodigal Child
• 10 Affirmations for the Parent of a Prodigal Child
• Encouragement for the Mom with a Wayward Child
• God's Plan for Your Prodigal
• How to Establish Healthy Boundaries with Your Adult Children

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