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Prayers and Promises for Worried Parents: Hope for Your Prodigal • Help for You
Worrying about our loved ones is the worst kind of worry in the world, especially when it’s our children for whom we’re concerned. From the moment they’re born, our youngsters have an unrivaled place in our hearts, and we feel an unending burden for their welfare. We do our best to provide for them and to protect them. But sometimes, like the prodigal’s father in Luke 15, all we can do is entrust them to the Lord, love them, and give them time to find their way. Nothing is more difficult.
Prayers and Promises for Worried Parents offers hope for your prodigal and help for you. In more than a hundred brief readings, Robert J. Morgan offers doses of hope—encouragements from Scripture, effective prayers, true-life stories, promises from God’s Word, timely quotes, and helpful hints for coping with yourself and your child in difficult times.
God specializes in being gracious, and prodigals have a way of coming home. Don’t despair over your wayward ones. The Lord hasn’t given up on them. Nor on you!
Prayers and Promises for Worried Parents offers hope for your prodigal and help for you. In more than a hundred brief readings, Robert J. Morgan offers doses of hope—encouragements from Scripture, effective prayers, true-life stories, promises from God’s Word, timely quotes, and helpful hints for coping with yourself and your child in difficult times.
God specializes in being gracious, and prodigals have a way of coming home. Don’t despair over your wayward ones. The Lord hasn’t given up on them. Nor on you!
- GenresParenting
218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2013
15 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 20, 2020
Every phase of life within families has its joys and struggles. Each year that passes holds its unique challenges given the development and personalities of our kin. That being said, it is my belief that my family is entering an extremely trying period within the life of one of our members. Without airing the family’s dirty laundry, I will generally state that life with this loved one has been challenging for a very long time, but lately it has tested me almost to the breaking point. I care for them so much, and I worry about the choices they're making and the road that they may be on.
About a month ago I was approached to review Prayers and Promises for Worried Parents by Robert J. Morgan. I usually gravitate toward fiction titles, but this one seemed like it might have a few nuggets that would help me in my efforts as a concerned family member. Not long after I sent the acceptance email, a major crisis erupted, and I once again found myself crying out to God for comfort and direction in our trying situation. A few days later, Robert Morgan’s book arrived. I began reading it that very night.
To say that Prayers and Promises was a blessing to me is an extreme understatement. On many occasions, the words leaped off the page and impacted me so much; I literally had to put the book down to cry. The tears that flowed were ones of sadness over what was happening to our family, as well as tears of gratitude for the comfort that had been given to me through this simple, short book. I treasured every chance I could get to read one of the 108 devotions that comprise this work. Morgan’s intention may have been for the reader to go through each short chapter over the course of three and a half months, but I found it difficult to read just one entry at each sitting. It was easy reading, but more importantly, it was a lifeboat for me within a raging storm.
As mentioned, Prayers and Promises is presented in devotional form. The 108 entries fall into three general categories:
**Passages of scripture that apply to our struggles as worried family members/friends of those who are struggling or leading a “prodigal” lifestyle. Morgan oftentimes would re-write the scriptures to reflect the situation, allowing the reader to insert the name of their loved one within God’s word in order to apply it to their lives.
**Prayers and thoughts from both Robert Morgan and his experiences as a troubled soul, and also from beloved Christians such as:
Billy Graham
Oswald Chambers
Hudson Taylor
John Wesley
Norman Vincent Peale
C.H. Spurgeon
J.I. Packer
**Hopeful stories of prodigals who have struggled in life, but have yet found victory and recovery by God’s grace and through the prayers of their loved ones.
This is a simple template for a book—indeed, Morgan originally did not intend it for public consumption. During his own times of struggle, he was journaling and putting this collection together for himself, words that would comfort him and guide him during trying times. Thankfully, Mr. Morgan has made this work available to the public, and for that I am sincerely grateful. Prayers and Promises is a simple premise, yet it holds truths and encouragements that will resonate forever. Possibly my favorite lines from the book came in devotional #22, “Open His Eyes”:
The tears in our eyes are sometimes converted, through prayer, into eye drops for our prodigals.
As we pray through our tears, the Lord hears our requests and opens our prodigals’ eyes.
As someone who has shed countless tears over my loved one, it is such a comfort to know that those tears are not in vain; the Lord sees them. Morgan quotes, “It is not possible that the son of such tears should be lost” –from Augustine’s Confessions. Through this I will not see weeping as a wasted exercise, but as a measure of sowing that will reap joy in the future (Psalm 126).
If your heart is aching for a wayward son, daughter, grandchild, family friend or even a spouse, I cannot recommend Prayers and Promises highly enough. In fact, I will most surely be opening this book again in the future. Much of the content within this work is tried and true—scriptures that will never fail. Words of wisdom from renowned and respected Christians. Stories of struggle and victory that can give even the most concerned reader hope for the future. Our family members and friends may not always make the best choices. They may take themselves (and therefore their loved ones) through days or years of seemingly inexplicable pain. But I am thoroughly confident that the Lord sees it all. Somehow He has His hand on everything, working it all out according to His plan, despite our wandering. And it is through gifts like Prayers and Promises for Worried Parents that He has reminded me of this and brought me profound comfort during some very trying days.
About a month ago I was approached to review Prayers and Promises for Worried Parents by Robert J. Morgan. I usually gravitate toward fiction titles, but this one seemed like it might have a few nuggets that would help me in my efforts as a concerned family member. Not long after I sent the acceptance email, a major crisis erupted, and I once again found myself crying out to God for comfort and direction in our trying situation. A few days later, Robert Morgan’s book arrived. I began reading it that very night.
To say that Prayers and Promises was a blessing to me is an extreme understatement. On many occasions, the words leaped off the page and impacted me so much; I literally had to put the book down to cry. The tears that flowed were ones of sadness over what was happening to our family, as well as tears of gratitude for the comfort that had been given to me through this simple, short book. I treasured every chance I could get to read one of the 108 devotions that comprise this work. Morgan’s intention may have been for the reader to go through each short chapter over the course of three and a half months, but I found it difficult to read just one entry at each sitting. It was easy reading, but more importantly, it was a lifeboat for me within a raging storm.
As mentioned, Prayers and Promises is presented in devotional form. The 108 entries fall into three general categories:
**Passages of scripture that apply to our struggles as worried family members/friends of those who are struggling or leading a “prodigal” lifestyle. Morgan oftentimes would re-write the scriptures to reflect the situation, allowing the reader to insert the name of their loved one within God’s word in order to apply it to their lives.
**Prayers and thoughts from both Robert Morgan and his experiences as a troubled soul, and also from beloved Christians such as:
Billy Graham
Oswald Chambers
Hudson Taylor
John Wesley
Norman Vincent Peale
C.H. Spurgeon
J.I. Packer
**Hopeful stories of prodigals who have struggled in life, but have yet found victory and recovery by God’s grace and through the prayers of their loved ones.
This is a simple template for a book—indeed, Morgan originally did not intend it for public consumption. During his own times of struggle, he was journaling and putting this collection together for himself, words that would comfort him and guide him during trying times. Thankfully, Mr. Morgan has made this work available to the public, and for that I am sincerely grateful. Prayers and Promises is a simple premise, yet it holds truths and encouragements that will resonate forever. Possibly my favorite lines from the book came in devotional #22, “Open His Eyes”:
The tears in our eyes are sometimes converted, through prayer, into eye drops for our prodigals.
As we pray through our tears, the Lord hears our requests and opens our prodigals’ eyes.
As someone who has shed countless tears over my loved one, it is such a comfort to know that those tears are not in vain; the Lord sees them. Morgan quotes, “It is not possible that the son of such tears should be lost” –from Augustine’s Confessions. Through this I will not see weeping as a wasted exercise, but as a measure of sowing that will reap joy in the future (Psalm 126).
If your heart is aching for a wayward son, daughter, grandchild, family friend or even a spouse, I cannot recommend Prayers and Promises highly enough. In fact, I will most surely be opening this book again in the future. Much of the content within this work is tried and true—scriptures that will never fail. Words of wisdom from renowned and respected Christians. Stories of struggle and victory that can give even the most concerned reader hope for the future. Our family members and friends may not always make the best choices. They may take themselves (and therefore their loved ones) through days or years of seemingly inexplicable pain. But I am thoroughly confident that the Lord sees it all. Somehow He has His hand on everything, working it all out according to His plan, despite our wandering. And it is through gifts like Prayers and Promises for Worried Parents that He has reminded me of this and brought me profound comfort during some very trying days.
March 23, 2022
A lot of people in my circle *really* liked this, but for me it was just a 3-star read. I think the issue is that the author initially wrote it as personal notes and encouragements for himself and not for publication. As a result, even though the book is divided into thematic categories like resting, singing, striving, etc., it still comes across as a mishmash/scrapbook (very similar to Ruth Bell Graham's Prodigals and Those Who Love Them). For me, the most beneficial parts were the models for prayer.
January 25, 2020
Though there are several Scripture based prayers within, this is more of a literature review of Prodigal writings. It is practical and covers a wide range of applications. Mr Morgan seems particularly fond of classic authors and hymns.
April 6, 2022
Wordy yet quite helpful
December 8, 2025
Good book to help parents of prodigal children.
September 28, 2013
Title: PRAYERS AND PROMISES FOR WORRIED PARENTS
Author: Robert J. Morgan
Publisher: Howard Books
September 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4767-4067-6
Genre: Family and relationships/prayer/encouragement
HOPE FOR YOUR PRODIGAL * HELP FOR YOU
Worrying about our loved ones is the worst kind of worry in the world, espe¬cially when it’s our children for whom we’re concerned. From the moment they’re born, our youngsters have an unrivaled place in our hearts, and we feel an unending burden for their welfare. We do our best to provide for them and to protect them. But sometimes, like the prodigal’s father in Luke 15, all we can do is entrust them to the Lord, love them, and give them time to find their way. Nothing is more difficult.
PRAYERS AND PROMISES FOR WORRIED PARENTS offers hope for your prodigal and help for you. In more than a hundred brief readings, Robert J. Morgan offers doses of hope—encouragements from Scripture, effective prayers, true-life stories, promises from God’s Word, timely quotes, and helpful hints for coping with yourself and your child in difficult times.
God specializes in being gracious, and prodigals have a way of coming home. Don’t despair over your wayward ones. The Lord hasn’t given up on them. Nor on you!
PRAYERS AND PROMISES FOR WORRIED PARENTS is a timely book for me. I have a son I’m desperately trying to reach—and failing. I picked up this book to review because I had an empty day and it was thin. Translation—quickly read. But wow. This was a book I needed to read! As I read I found myself soaking up the scripture promises that Pastor Robert Morgan shares in the chapters, and I prayed the written prayers in there for my son. They are exactly what I needed.
PRAYERS AND PROMISES FOR WORRIED PARENTS will be going on my keeper shelf, to read and reread as I need. To use the prayers written there daily, as he is a good prayer-writer. Better than I can think when I’m stressed, worried, or upset. If you have a prodigal—male or female—then PRAYERS AND PROMISES FOR WORRIED PARENTS is the book you need. Highly recommended. Also a must have for any youth leader’s or pastor’s library. $14.99. 240 pages.
Author: Robert J. Morgan
Publisher: Howard Books
September 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4767-4067-6
Genre: Family and relationships/prayer/encouragement
HOPE FOR YOUR PRODIGAL * HELP FOR YOU
Worrying about our loved ones is the worst kind of worry in the world, espe¬cially when it’s our children for whom we’re concerned. From the moment they’re born, our youngsters have an unrivaled place in our hearts, and we feel an unending burden for their welfare. We do our best to provide for them and to protect them. But sometimes, like the prodigal’s father in Luke 15, all we can do is entrust them to the Lord, love them, and give them time to find their way. Nothing is more difficult.
PRAYERS AND PROMISES FOR WORRIED PARENTS offers hope for your prodigal and help for you. In more than a hundred brief readings, Robert J. Morgan offers doses of hope—encouragements from Scripture, effective prayers, true-life stories, promises from God’s Word, timely quotes, and helpful hints for coping with yourself and your child in difficult times.
God specializes in being gracious, and prodigals have a way of coming home. Don’t despair over your wayward ones. The Lord hasn’t given up on them. Nor on you!
PRAYERS AND PROMISES FOR WORRIED PARENTS is a timely book for me. I have a son I’m desperately trying to reach—and failing. I picked up this book to review because I had an empty day and it was thin. Translation—quickly read. But wow. This was a book I needed to read! As I read I found myself soaking up the scripture promises that Pastor Robert Morgan shares in the chapters, and I prayed the written prayers in there for my son. They are exactly what I needed.
PRAYERS AND PROMISES FOR WORRIED PARENTS will be going on my keeper shelf, to read and reread as I need. To use the prayers written there daily, as he is a good prayer-writer. Better than I can think when I’m stressed, worried, or upset. If you have a prodigal—male or female—then PRAYERS AND PROMISES FOR WORRIED PARENTS is the book you need. Highly recommended. Also a must have for any youth leader’s or pastor’s library. $14.99. 240 pages.
September 9, 2013
Among the many things that parents have to worry about is the child who has chosen the wrong path. For parents of prodigals, pain and worry is more than a 24 hour a day job. Thoughts of what they could have and should have done, worried thoughts, frantic thoughts control their minds, their conversations and their prayers. It is hard to hand them over to the Lord, but that is what they are told to do. Unless you've been there, it's difficult to understand how they feel. While some parents are dealing with the wayward child who has or is abusing drugs and alcohol, others may be dealing with a child who has walked away from their faith and travelling another dark road of sin.
Robert J. Morgan knows what it's like to care for a prodigal. After taking in a troubled man with a history of drug and alcohol abuse and watching him relapse after six months of progress, all Morgan could do was pray. As a result of his experience, he penned "Prayers and Promises For Worried Parents" as a guide for parents who are traveling the same journey to encourage them along the way and a guide to help them pray. Not only does Morgan teach parents how to pray, he also offers hope to those who have become discouraged.
This prayer and devotional guide is also an excellent resource for all parents not just those dealing with prodigal and wayward children. Morgan's stories will move you. He also includes promises from God's Word, quotes from wise Christians, encouragement and hints about coping in difficult times. If you know a parent who is discouraged about their prodigal child, Morgan's book would make an excellent gift of encouragement.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Robert J. Morgan knows what it's like to care for a prodigal. After taking in a troubled man with a history of drug and alcohol abuse and watching him relapse after six months of progress, all Morgan could do was pray. As a result of his experience, he penned "Prayers and Promises For Worried Parents" as a guide for parents who are traveling the same journey to encourage them along the way and a guide to help them pray. Not only does Morgan teach parents how to pray, he also offers hope to those who have become discouraged.
This prayer and devotional guide is also an excellent resource for all parents not just those dealing with prodigal and wayward children. Morgan's stories will move you. He also includes promises from God's Word, quotes from wise Christians, encouragement and hints about coping in difficult times. If you know a parent who is discouraged about their prodigal child, Morgan's book would make an excellent gift of encouragement.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
June 20, 2016
Didn't finish.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews