PRAYERS FOR YOUR ADULT CHILDREN

A debut monthlong devotional offers prayers for older parents.

Parents require prayers at all points in their lives, not just when their children are small, according to Hodgins. As children grow older, they make more of their own decisions, and these choices can cause their parents both headaches and heartache. Oftentimes, it is the parents of adult children who require the most guidance, the author asserts in this volume: “How does God use us to reach our adult children who don’t know God or who have strayed from their godly upbringing? He uses us primarily through prayer and by our own godly example of living and loving.” The topics, arranged alphabetically, cover concerns like coping, encouragement, finding joy, guilt, letting go, self-control, and waiting. Each subject contains a prose introduction with relevant quotes from Scripture, a prayer, and a notes area called Meditation Moments, in which readers are encouraged to write down how the lessons contained within that topic relate specifically to their lives. In the Finding Rest section, for example, Hodgins discusses the importance of peaceful moments, citing Exodus, Psalms, and other sources. “Lord, thank you for reminding me that I need to rest. Help me to use my time wisely and bring honor to you,” begins the prayer. The book concludes with lists of useful prayer tips, inspirational Bible verses, and a few more requests for parents to make on behalf of their children. Hodgins’ prose is so woven through with Bible verses that she doesn’t have much room to establish her own voice, though she is capable of occasional moments of lovely lucidity: “Time in God’s economy is totally different than ours. We don’t seem to consider that as we rush through our days.” The wide range of subjects covered means there are prayers for almost every occasion, and they are broad enough to remain relevant month after month. The prayers themselves are rather boilerplate, and the author’s Christian worldview falls definitively on the society is “getting further and further away from God” end of the spectrum. For readers with similar beliefs, this book should serve as an accessible and handy guide for reaffirming their faith on a daily basis.

A functional, if not groundbreaking, Christian devotional.