Hope Lies Ahead: follow up to Prayers for Prodigals

Hope Lies Ahead: Encouragement for Parents of Prodigals from a Family That's Been There is the follow up to James Banks’ Prayers for Prodigals. In Hope Lies Ahead, Mr. Banks writes about his journey as a parent with his prodigal son, Geoff. Geoff also contributes to the book as he writes about his side of events as well as his thoughts and feelings as he descended into drug use, his struggle to recovery and the transformation his life has taken now. Each chapter is a conversation with James providing the parental perspective and Geoff providing the prodigal perspective. Their goal for the book is to show all their faults, struggles and successes to encourage parents and prodigals who deal with the same faults, struggles and look forward to their own successes. It is also their goal to encourage churches to open their doors and arms, to become a place that people can truly be honest about their struggles, without judgement, for prayers, love, and support.

From the very beginning, Hope Lies Ahead is brutally honest. Misters Banks open their hearts and laying everything on the table to show what they went through and how they battled to achieve the recovery that live today. Not just Geoff’s recovery from drug abuse but their own relationship as father and son recovered to be in a better place than it had ever before. Geoff at one point said, “My father was so concerned with getting me to God that he forgot to maintain our relationship.” Hope Lies Ahead is a great heartfelt look into one family’s battle with addiction. One side are the parents, desperate to help their child and on the other side is the child whose addiction takes him to the very depths. Only through prayer, faith, and determination is that child alive and well today. I highly recommend Hope Lies Ahead!

Hope Lies Ahead:

Encouragement for Parents of Prodigals from a Family That's Been There

is available in paperback and eBook

Prayers for Prodigals: a 90 day of prayers for prodigal children

Prayers for Prodigals by James Banks is a 90-day prayer guide for parents to pray for their child. A prodigal is a child who has turned his back on his parents, taken from The Story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 115:11-32. Prodigals can teach parents the need for patience, forgiveness, and continual dependence on God in prayer. Mr. Banks has personal experience with dealing a prodigal child as both his children had a prodigal period in their lives. He designed each week with a theme, for instance one week is entitled “God’s Timing.”  Each week opens with a brief meditation and a personal story how Mr. Banks and his wife experienced the prayers for that coming week. Within each week is a day of a Scripture based prayer for your child. Covering the emotional and practical challenges faced by parents of prodigals, James Banks offers a guide for parents to learn to lean on God and allow His movements in their child’s life.

Prayers for Prodigals is a great tool for parents who are dealing with children who may be wandering and rejecting their parents’ help, advice, and guidance. One of my favorite weeks is Week 9 entitled “Waiting for an Answer” in which Mr. Banks reminds Christian parents that God always answers prayers with a yes, no or wait. Wait answers are often confused with no answers and parents must wait on God when we pray. He may answer yes but we may not see the result right away or even in our lifetimes. He provides examples of parents’ prayers being answers years after the parents’ have passed. I also liked that in the book as well as at the end, Mr. Banks wishes to hear from parents who have been affected by his book. Overall, Prayers for Prodigals is a great tool for parents of prodigals and even parents in general to pray for their children as they grow up to be more independent and go out in the world on their own. I highly recommend Prayers for Prodigals.

Prayers for Prodigals

is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook