Praying With Joy: Even When Your Adult Child Is Breaking Your Heart

Welcome, listeners, to this heartfelt episode, Praying With Joy: Even When Your Adult Child Is Breaking Your Heart, where we dive deep into the journey of parenting, letting go, and rediscovering hope. Join host Laine Lawson Craft on the "Warfare Parenting: Faith-driven strategies for struggling parents of teens and adult children", and special guest Mary DeMuth as she offers faith-driven insights, encouragement, and practical strategies for all parents struggling with wayward teens and adult children. Whether you’re in the thick of a parenting battle or seeking support for your faith walk, you’ll find warmth, wisdom, and real-life tools to reclaim joy and strength in your prayers.

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Mentioned Resources & Links:

• Mary DeMuth’s website: marydemuth.com
• Free year of prayers for your adult kids: marydemuth.com/LPL (Love Pray Listen)
• Laine Lawson Craft’s daily battle plan book & free first 10 days: lanelawsoncraft.com

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About Mary DeMuth
Mary DeMuth is an acclaimed author, international speaker, and passionate advocate for families in the trenches of parenting challenges. Drawing on her personal journey and biblical wisdom, Mary has authored over forty books, including "Love, Pray, Listen: Parenting Your Wayward Adult Kids With Joy." She equips parents to navigate disappointment and guilt, pointing them toward faith-rooted hope, resilient love, and transformative prayer. Mary’s compassionate voice and practical insights have encouraged countless families to persevere through heartbreak, embrace community, and find God’s joy and strength in every season.

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Key Talking Points

• The grief of unmet parenting expectations and its impact
• Moving from guilt and self-blame toward freedom and forgiveness
• The essential framework: Love, Pray, Listen
• How to infuse prayers with genuine joy, even in pain
• Why listening is crucial for healing parent-child relationships
• Shifting from controlling outcomes to trusting God’s timing
• Building strength through community and persistent, faith-filled prayer
• Letting go of parenting formulas and embracing dependence on Jesus
• Writing, journaling, and processing as tools for parental growth
• Redefining love—honesty without enabling, boundaries with compassion

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Time Stamps

00:00 - Welcome & Episode Introduction
01:02 - Meet Mary DeMuth: Journey & Inspiration behind Love, Pray, Listen
02:09 - Grieving Lost Expectations: Where Joy Begins
05:01 - The Framework: Love, Pray, Listen Explained
06:31 - Loving the “Unlovable” & Conditional Love
07:43 - Facing Parental Guilt & Letting Go of Self-Blame
10:23 - The Power of Holy Curiosity & Listening
12:30 - Fear-Based vs. Joyful Prayer: Biblical Perspective
13:57 - Taking the Long View: Patience in Prayer and Waiting
15:51 - Standing Firm without Compromising Convictions
17:37 - Letting Go: Faith, Expectations, and Returning Children
18:48 - Joy & Heartache: Learning to Let Go and Lean on God
19:56 - Importance of Community for Parents
21:30 - Daily Practices for Hope & Strength
22:35 - How the Book Changed Mary’s Parenting & Prayer
24:06 - Lasting Impact: Letting Go of the Idol of Family
25:37 - Where to Find More from Mary DeMuth
26:20 - Mary’s Final Encouragements
27:36 - Episode Conclusion & Free Resources

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Conclusion

Thank you for joining Laine Lawson Craft and Mary DeMuth in this powerful conversation on finding joy amid parenting heartbreak. Remember: your prayers, infused with hope and grounded in faith, can transform not just your child’s journey—but your own. Dive deeper with “Love, Pray, Listen” and the resources linked above to strengthen your spirit, reclaim joy, and never lose hope.