Our world is full of fear. Wars, earthquakes, terrorists, volcanoes, racial strife, hurricanes, fires, mass murders, floods, bombs, tornadoes, disease….did I just raise your fear level?

And when you love a prodigal, fears multiply: Is he safe? In jail? Overdosed? Will she survive? Why is she rejecting me? Will I ever get to meet my grandchildren? Where have I gone wrong?

Afraid. Fearful. Even terrified.

Today is our first episode of Fear Not, leading up to our June 2 Worldwide Prodigal Prayer Day. You will hear lots of help to face fears. And be sure to check out the Resources—lots more help for you

Do you have a loved one you want prayer for on the June 2 Prodigal Prayer Day? Write to us at PrayerforProdigals@gmail.com or go to the Prayer for Prodigals Facebook page. Give us the first name of a prodigal you want prayer for.

To learn how you can be a part of Prodigal Prayer Day, check out this link: https://judydouglass.com/prayerday

Judy’s Resources:

• For more resources go to my website: judydouglass.com/podcast
• Songs to help to calm your fears: https://bit.ly/FearNotPlaylist
• Join the Prayer for Prodigals community here: https://bit.ly/3uyhSWQ
• Sign up for Judy’s monthly newsletter here: https://bit.ly/39TBlYt
• Purchase a copy of the When You Love a Prodigal book for you or a loved one here: https://amzn.to/3RuiUx9

Stay connected:

• Facebook: facebook.com/JudyDouglass417
• Instagram: instagram.com/judydouglass417
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JudyDouglass

Most of us, as we encounter challenges with our loved ones, try to handle it by ourselves. But as time goes on, we often need more help—professional counseling, medical attention, interventions, spiritual guidance, and various kinds of programs.

Today I’m chatting with Stefani Monn, who went through a program called House of Hope—the same one our son went through. Stefani is coming to tell us about her journey before, during and after those months. I heard her share a bit at a HOH event I attended—she said “House of Hope saved my life.”

Judy’s Resources:

• Listen to A House Called Hope Interview: https://tinyurl.com/mr3tyt59
• House of Hope Website: https://nationalhouseofhope.org
• Join the Prayer for Prodigals community here: https://bit.ly/3uyhSWQ
• Sign up for Judy’s monthly newsletter here: https://bit.ly/39TBlYt
• Purchase a copy of the When You Love a Prodigal book for you or a loved one here: https://amzn.to/3RuiUx9

Stay connected:

• Website: judydouglass.com/podcast
• Facebook: facebook.com/JudyDouglass417
• Instagram: instagram.com/judydouglass417
• Twitter: twitter.com/judydouglass417
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/judyddouglass/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JudyDouglass

Last week we talked about four gifts God gives us during our prodigal journey—gifts that sustain and equip us for all the challenges. Did one of those gifts—God Himself, love, mercy, or grace--bless, encourage, or help you?

Today we are going to talk about four more gifts our gracious God offers us—valuable resources on our journey to help us with our loved ones and to appreciate the good-work our Lord continues to do in each of us.

Judy’s Resources:

• The Mystery of Prayer: https://judydouglass.com/themysteryofprayer
• Read Perseverance: https://tinyurl.com/mry3h97w
• Read Surrender: https://tinyurl.com/36s5yauz
• Read Gratitude: https://tinyurl.com/5cphr4h8
• Join the Prayer for Prodigals community here: https://bit.ly/3uyhSWQ
• Sign up for Judy’s monthly newsletter here: https://bit.ly/39TBlYt
• Purchase a copy of the When You Love a Prodigal book for you or a loved one here: https://amzn.to/3RuiUx9

Stay connected:

• Website: judydouglass.com/podcast
• Facebook: facebook.com/JudyDouglass417
• Instagram: instagram.com/judydouglass417
• Twitter: twitter.com/judydouglass417
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/judyddouglass/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JudyDouglass

For our previous two episodes we explored the hard reality of the grief that comes with walking with a challenging child for months and years. I hope you captured some perspective and practice for your grief journey.

This week and next I have gifts for you—gifts from God that will give you what you need for all the twists and turns of your odyssey. If you choose to accept these gifts, you can face what lies ahead.

Judy’s Resources:

• Read God’s Gifts to Me: https://judydouglass.com/blog/gods-birthday-gifts-to-me
• Join the Prayer for Prodigals community here: https://bit.ly/3uyhSWQ
• Sign up for Judy’s monthly newsletter here: https://bit.ly/39TBlYt
• Purchase a copy of the When You Love a Prodigal book for you or a loved one here: https://amzn.to/3RuiUx9

Stay connected:

• Website: judydouglass.com/podcast
• Facebook: facebook.com/JudyDouglass417
• Instagram: instagram.com/judydouglass417
• Twitter: twitter.com/judydouglass417
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/judyddouglass/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JudyDouglass

Grief is a normal part of life. Disappointments, losses, hard situations come, and grief is often a part of those.

But when you love a prodigal, grief can become an ongoing reality as the journey goes on and on. The hardest part of our journey lasted about 15 years. Grief was ever present, but so was God. Today I want to share with you some of the ways God met me and sustained me and even freed me.

Judy’s Resources:

• Read The Circle of Life: https://tinyurl.com/2pp34dph
• Join the Prayer for Prodigals community here: https://bit.ly/3uyhSWQ
• Sign up for Judy’s monthly newsletter here: https://bit.ly/39TBlYt
• Purchase a copy of the When You Love a Prodigal book for you or a loved one here: https://amzn.to/3RuiUx9

Stay connected:

• Website: judydouglass.com/podcast
• Facebook: facebook.com/JudyDouglass417
• Instagram: instagram.com/judydouglass417
• Twitter: twitter.com/judydouglass417
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/judyddouglass/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JudyDoug

If you have been journeying in the prodigal journey for a long time, or if your journey is just beginning, you will experience many emotions: fear, anger, frustration, resentment, guilt and more. And at some time you will recognize an overriding emotion: grief.

This week and next we will acknowledge the grief we experience as we walk through life with a broken heart—and some ways to live through it.

Judy’s Resources:

• Read When Not to Pull Weeds: https://tinyurl.com/2dvu3ukv
• Listen to A Companion in Grief: https://tinyurl.com/mr2v6f2m
• Join the Prayer for Prodigals community here: https://bit.ly/3uyhSWQ
• Sign up for Judy’s monthly newsletter here: https://bit.ly/39TBlYt
• Purchase a copy of the When You Love a Prodigal book for you or a loved one here: https://amzn.to/3RuiUx9

Stay connected:

• Website: judydouglass.com/podcast
• Facebook: facebook.com/JudyDouglass417
• Instagram: instagram.com/judydouglass417
• Twitter: twitter.com/judydouglass417
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/judyddouglass/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JudyDouglass

Sometimes I think it’s good to let you listen to another voice. The one you will hear from today is Gary Wilkerson, head of World Challenge Ministry, following in the footsteps of his father, David Wilkerson, author of The Cross and the Switchblade and founder of the Times. Gary is a pastor in Colorado Springs. When my book When You Love a Prodigal first came out, he had me on his podcast. He has walked our journey.

I saw he was doing a series on the Parable of Jesus. I listened to the Parable of the Prodigal Son and thought you would benefit from it. So today, meet my friend Gary.

Gary’s Resources:

• Website: https://www.worldchallenge.org
• Read Fire in His Bones: A Collection of the Fifty Most Powerful Sermons of David Wilkerson: https://a.co/d/cihLQU2
• Read The Altar of Our Hearts: https://a.co/d/0BTIVFk

Judy’s Resources:

• Join the Prayer for Prodigals community here: https://bit.ly/3uyhSWQ
• Sign up for Judy’s monthly newsletter here: https://bit.ly/39TBlYt
• Purchase a copy of the When You Love a Prodigal book for you or a loved one here: https://amzn.to/3RuiUx9

Stay connected:

• Website: judydouglass.com/podcast
• Facebook: facebook.com/JudyDouglass417
• Instagram: instagram.com/judydouglass417
• Twitter: twitter.com/judydouglass417
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/judyddouglass/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JudyDouglass

I imagine, if you listened to the past two episodes on ambiguous loss, you’ve done some challenging thinking about your own challenges and losses.

Today will be an encouraging time, I believe. You will hear a recording from me, a message I gave at Christian Leadership Alliance about the transformation God did in me over the years of our prodigal journey.

Judy’s Resources:

• Read Way-of-Life Practices: https://tinyurl.com/3z73vybh
• Join the Prayer for Prodigals community here: https://bit.ly/3uyhSWQ
• Sign up for Judy’s monthly newsletter here: https://bit.ly/39TBlYt
• Purchase a copy of the When You Love a Prodigal book for you or a loved one here: https://amzn.to/3RuiUx9

Stay connected:

• Website: judydouglass.com/podcast
• Facebook: facebook.com/JudyDouglass417
• Instagram: instagram.com/judydouglass417
• Twitter: twitter.com/judydouglass417
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/judyddouglass/
• YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/JudyDouglass