# A Prayer When Your Adult Child No Longer Wants a Relationship with You

An episode of [Your Daily Prayer](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1253570474), 18 Aug 2026, 8:29.

Audio: https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/c035a7f6-4128-4372-aaf2-af5b00f866a9/6d375442-41f5-4da9-8cdc-b4a400e21be6/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=b1db73a2-bae6-49ef-b354-af5b00f8a5d2

The grief of being estranged from an adult child is in a category of its own. It does not arrive with a funeral or a clear moment of loss. It accumulates in empty birthdays, quiet holidays, and the absence of a simple acknowledgment that you exist. And it is far more common than most people talk about openly. This episode speaks directly to that pain with honesty and hard-won hope. For any parent sitting with the silence of an estranged child, there are several truths worth holding onto. First, the grief is real, and it deserves to be brought to God without minimizing it. Second, shifting from asking God "why?" to asking "what now?" is one of the most powerful movements a hurting parent can make. Third, giving your children back to God is not giving up on them. They were His before they were yours, and He has not lost sight of them. And finally, Philippians 1:6 reminds us that He who began a good work will bring it to completion. You were not made to live as though buried alive. Choosing to fully inhabit the life God has given you today, one foot in front of the other, is itself a declaration of faith and a refusal to let grief have the final word. Bible Verse "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." — Philippians 1:6, ESV Ponder Today • The grief of estrangement from an adult child is a particular and often invisible kind of loss. It does not have a funeral or a clear beginning. It accumulates in empty birthdays and quiet Thanksgivings and the absence of a text message. Bringing that specific grief to God is not weakness — it is wisdom. • Shifting from "why?" to "what now?" is one of the most powerful movements a grieving parent can make. It does not minimize the pain. It refuses to let the pain be the only thing that defines the days ahead. • We can hold our own failures honestly without letting them be the only story. Acknowledging the moments that should not have happened is part of healing — but so is remembering that imperfect parents who did their best are not the villains their estranged children may currently believe them to be. • Giving your children back to God is an act of profound trust. They were His before they were yours. He has not lost sight of them, and He is still at work in their lives — even when you cannot see it and cannot reach them. • You were not made to live as though buried alive. The resurrection of Christ is not just a theological truth — it is a daily reality for those who belong to Him. Choosing to live fully in the life God has given today is itself a declaration of faith. A Prayer for You Today Heavenly Father, I am so grateful that You are the only perfect Parent. Your unconditional love sees me through each day. Today, I lift every estranged parent and grandparent up to You and ask that Your comfort and love surround them. May we find rest in Your presence, trust in Your ongoing work in the lives of our children, and the courage to keep living fully in the days You have given us. May we rejoice in Your workings in all our lives. In gratitude to You, Father, Amen. Want More? 🎉 We're excited to introduce The Good Word, a new way to receive weekly biblical wisdom and encouragement right in your inbox. Join our community today: https://www.lifeaudio.com/thegoodword/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

## Transcript

[0:02] Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your daily prayer,
[0:15] Speaker 1: where we help you find the words you need to
[0:18] Speaker 1: connect to your Father in Heaven. No matter what is
[0:20] Speaker 1: happening in your life today, you can trust that God
[0:24] Speaker 1: wants to hear from you. Right after this short word
[0:27] Speaker 1: from our sponsors, will pray through today's prayer when you're
[0:30] Speaker 1: an adult child no longer wants a relationship with you. A
[0:51] Speaker 1: prayer when you're an adult child no longer wants a relationship
[0:55] Speaker 1: with you. Written by Tammy Darling, read by Carrie and
[1:02] Speaker 1: I am sure of this that he who began a
[1:05] Speaker 1: good work in you will bring it to completion at
[1:08] Speaker 1: the day of Jesus Christ Philippians one, verse six. With
[1:14] Speaker 1: just one flip of the calendar page, everything changed my mood,
[1:19] Speaker 1: my countenance, my thoughts, even my heart rate. October, what
[1:25] Speaker 1: was once my favorite month, my birth month, was now
[1:28] Speaker 1: filled with overwhelming, breath sapping sadness. With a deep sigh,
[1:34] Speaker 1: I trudged into the kitchen where I flipped a second
[1:37] Speaker 1: calendar month. The very act brought Gothic ambiance to an
[1:42] Speaker 1: otherwise colorful and festive fall month for the second straight year.
[1:47] Speaker 1: The painful realization settled in deep. Three out of four
[1:52] Speaker 1: of my children have buried me alive. There would be
[1:56] Speaker 1: no celebratory gathering, no gifts, no happy birthday mom, not
[2:01] Speaker 1: even a text message to acknowledge that I even existed.
[2:05] Speaker 1: The estrangement phenomenon I recently noticed on social media was real,
[2:10] Speaker 1: and it had hit our home once again. I resigned
[2:14] Speaker 1: myself to a month of surviving, being buried alive, all
[2:18] Speaker 1: the while longing for those past birthdays. With the flip
[2:21] Speaker 1: of the calendar, ushered in a month of excitement and celebration.
[2:26] Speaker 1: Adrift on memories of the past. I recalled the surprise
[2:30] Speaker 1: birthday cake my daughter made because she knew it was
[2:32] Speaker 1: my favorite. I remembered the special ghetaway birthday trips, the
[2:37] Speaker 1: concerts and the games we played, and with physical pain
[2:41] Speaker 1: in my heart, I remembered the fun and laughter we
[2:43] Speaker 1: all had, not just in October, but in every month,
[2:48] Speaker 1: all buried along with my existence. And then my thoughts
[2:52] Speaker 1: turned to the times I yelled at my kids, when
[2:55] Speaker 1: I glared at them, said things I never should have said.
[2:59] Speaker 1: The moments I was it truly there for them were
[3:01] Speaker 1: when I was dealing with so much trauma, The times
[3:04] Speaker 1: I grabbed one of their arms in frustration to get
[3:07] Speaker 1: their attention and settle the matter, even the times I
[3:11] Speaker 1: paddled them sometimes in anger. Not every thought is worth
[3:16] Speaker 1: thinking about, but these latter thoughts are the only ones
[3:20] Speaker 1: my children now have. The three children who have buried
[3:23] Speaker 1: me alive, they have chosen to see only the bad
[3:27] Speaker 1: as justification for their actions. I can't say I blame them.
[3:32] Speaker 1: I was there once with my own parents. I always
[3:35] Speaker 1: thought I had a bad childhood. Sure things happened that
[3:39] Speaker 1: shouldn't have happened. But time forgiveness, healing, and perspective changed
[3:45] Speaker 1: how I viewed my childhood and my parents. I now
[3:48] Speaker 1: know that my childhood was more good than bad, and
[3:51] Speaker 1: I experientially understand they were doing their best. And as
[3:55] Speaker 1: far as how I view my childhood and my parents,
[3:58] Speaker 1: that's my choice. And so I now choose to remember
[4:02] Speaker 1: the good, forgive the bad, and move forward in love.
[4:06] Speaker 1: Perhaps someday my children will choose the same. Meanwhile, October
[4:12] Speaker 1: golden to November, and another flip of a calendar, when
[4:16] Speaker 1: not even the daughter who still speaks to Mom and
[4:19] Speaker 1: dad committed to coming for Thanksgiving dinner. I cried deep,
[4:23] Speaker 1: got her old cries. My beloved husband gave me a
[4:26] Speaker 1: hug and suggest it let's go to the ocean for
[4:29] Speaker 1: a few days over Thanksgiving. I looked at him in shock.
[4:33] Speaker 1: Are you serious? Absolutely, he replied, we don't need to
[4:37] Speaker 1: spend three days preparing a Thanksgiving meal that no one's
[4:40] Speaker 1: coming for. Besides, I don't want to see you crying
[4:43] Speaker 1: on Thanksgiving Day. With a small measure of joy and excitement,
[4:47] Speaker 1: I booked a room with the jacuzzi that overlooked the ocean.
[4:51] Speaker 1: I too, knew that if I was at home on
[4:54] Speaker 1: Thanksgiving Day, I'd be a certifiable train wreck. I was
[4:58] Speaker 1: so grateful for my husband's again. Question as Christmas came
[5:02] Speaker 1: and went a mix of joy and sadness. The year ended,
[5:06] Speaker 1: and with the close of the year came the question
[5:09] Speaker 1: that had been stirring within me, how do I move forward?
[5:13] Speaker 1: I knew I couldn't keep living as though I was
[5:15] Speaker 1: buried alive, I was suffocating on every level. I wanted
[5:19] Speaker 1: to live again, to be free and full of joy,
[5:23] Speaker 1: to have peace. That past is all understanding. My children
[5:27] Speaker 1: must find their own way. I must discover mine. Therefore,
[5:32] Speaker 1: I'm shaking off the disappointment and embracing my new life.
[5:36] Speaker 1: This day is the day that the Lord has given me,
[5:39] Speaker 1: and I want to make the most of it. I'm
[5:42] Speaker 1: no longer asking God why, but instead I'm asking what Now.
[5:49] Speaker 1: I've got a longing for something more real than me.
[5:52] Speaker 1: I'm desiring the substance of all things God with me.
[5:56] Speaker 1: So long as I have God, I have all I need.
[6:01] Speaker 1: I may not have my children with me right now,
[6:03] Speaker 1: but I have got God. My kids don't have my back,
[6:07] Speaker 1: but God does. In fact, I have decided to give
[6:11] Speaker 1: my children back to God. They're His. God gave those
[6:15] Speaker 1: children to me for a season, a season and which
[6:19] Speaker 1: to raise them, which I did the best of my ability.
[6:23] Speaker 1: Now there is again, day by day I will put
[6:27] Speaker 1: one foot in front of the other. I will move
[6:30] Speaker 1: forward and continue to heal and to grow. I may
[6:34] Speaker 1: or may not ever see my children's relationships reconciled, and
[6:37] Speaker 1: I'm okay with that. I am forgiven by God, the
[6:41] Speaker 1: only one that truly matters. I will no longer live
[6:45] Speaker 1: as though I've been buried alive, because the fact is
[6:49] Speaker 1: that I've been resurrected with Christ. Let's pray happily.
[6:53] Speaker 2: Father.
[6:54] Speaker 1: I am so grateful that you are the only perfect parent.
[6:58] Speaker 1: Your unconditional love sees me through each day. Today I
[7:03] Speaker 1: lift every estranged parent and grandparent up to you and
[7:07] Speaker 1: ask that your comfort and love surround them. May we
[7:11] Speaker 1: rejoice in your workings in all our lives, ingratitude to
[7:15] Speaker 1: you father. Heymen, your daily Prayer is a production of
[7:30] Speaker 1: Life Audio and Sale Media. If you haven't already, be
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[7:37] Speaker 1: so you never miss an episode. For more faith filled
[7:41] Speaker 1: inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio dot com.
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