Praying for Adult Wayward Children

God said if a person hates someone it is the same as if they had murdered them. The murder is in their heart even if they never carry out the act of murder.

Matthew 5:21-22
Personal Relationships
21 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’
22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

1 John 3:15
"15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."

Many adult children murder their parents through their contempt for them. They don't pick up a weapon to kill them, they kill them over and over again with their toxic mouth and eyes that roll upward in contempt.

Notice that God says that anyone who has hatred in his heart does not have eternal life. In other words, those who have not been cleansed of their anger and the murder in their hearts was never born again. God removes from our hearts the evils of the flesh when He changes us into a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

1 John 5:18
"We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him."

If you have adult children who are consistently treating you disrespectfully it is best to pray for their salvation because they couldn't be this way if the Holy Spirit were living in them.

"Praying for the unsaved with the right perspective
Start with our own hearts. ...
Bring down spiritual blindness. ...
Ask for more opportunities to hear God's message of love. ...
Ask for time and mercy. ...
Praise God." How to pray for the salvation of your children, (taken from "Teaching Humble Hearts")