The silence is deafening. Your phone doesn’t ring on your birthday, holidays pass without visits, and grandchildren grow up as strangers in photos posted on social media accounts that have blocked you out. The child you raised, worried over, and loved through countless sleepless nights has chosen to cut you from their life entirely.
Adult child estrangement is a unique kind of grief because you’re mourning someone who is still alive but completely unreachable. Whether the separation came after explosive arguments, gradual drift, or sudden, inexplicable withdrawal, the pain cuts deep into your identity as a parent. You replay conversations, wonder what you could have done differently, and struggle with a loss that society often doesn’t understand or acknowledge.
Friends offer platitudes about how “they’ll come around eventually” or suggest you must have done something terrible to deserve this treatment. But estrangement is complex, rarely one-sided, and sometimes persists despite your best efforts at reconciliation. Scripture offers hope for broken relationships while also providing wisdom for living with the reality that some separations may last longer than we can bear to imagine.
Bible Verses About Dealing with Adult Children’s Estrangement
1. Luke 15:20 – But While He Was Still a Long Way Off
So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
New International Version (NIV)
2. Psalm 27:10 – Though My Father and Mother Forsake Me
For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.
English Standard Version (ESV)
3. Isaiah 49:15 – Can a Mother Forget the Baby at Her Breast?
Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you.
New King James Version (NKJV)
4. 1 Corinthians 13:7 – Love Bears All Things, Believes All Things
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
New Living Translation (NLT)
5. Romans 12:18 – If It Is Possible, as Far as It Depends on You
If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
6. Matthew 5:44 – Love Your Enemies and Pray for Those Who Persecute You
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
7. Proverbs 22:6 – Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
King James Version (KJV)
8. Romans 8:28 – And We Know That in All Things God Works
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
9. Luke 15:11-12 – The Parable of the Lost Son
Then he said, “There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, ‘Father, I want right now what’s coming to me from your estate.’ So the father divided the property between them.”
The Message (MSG)
10. Jeremiah 31:3 – I Have Loved You with an Everlasting Love
The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued to extend faithful love to you.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
11. Psalm 34:18 – The Lord Is Close to the Brokenhearted
The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he delivers those who are discouraged.
New English Translation (NET)
12. Isaiah 54:10 – Though the Mountains Be Shaken
For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
13. Psalm 147:3 – He Heals the Brokenhearted
God heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
14. Matthew 18:12-14 – The Parable of the Wandering Sheep
What do you think? What will a man who has a hundred sheep do if one of them gets lost? He will leave the other ninety-nine grazing on the hillside and go and look for the lost sheep.
Good News Translation (GNT)
15. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 – The Father of Compassion
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is the Father who is full of mercy and all comfort. He comforts us every time we have trouble.
New Century Version (NCV)
16. Lamentations 3:22-23 – Because of the Lord’s Great Love
Certainly the faithful love of the Lord has not ended; certainly his compassion is not exhausted. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
International Standard Version (ISV)
17. Romans 5:8 – But God Demonstrates His Own Love for Us
But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, the Messiah died for us!
Tree of Life Version (TLV)
18. 1 Peter 5:7 – Cast All Your Anxiety on Him
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
19. Hosea 11:8 – How Can I Give You Up, Ephraim?
How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.
World English Bible (WEB)
20. Psalm 139:17-18 – How Precious Are Your Thoughts
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand.
American Standard Version (ASV)
21. Isaiah 43:1 – Do Not Fear, for I Have Redeemed You
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
22. Psalm 30:5 – Weeping May Stay for the Night
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
New American Bible (NAB)
23. Romans 15:13 – May the God of Hope Fill You
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing; that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Ghost.
Douay-Rheims Bible (DRB)
24. Ephesians 4:32 – Be Kind and Compassionate to One Another
And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you.
English Revised Version (ERV)
25. Malachi 4:6 – He Will Turn the Hearts of the Parents to Their Children
And he hath turned back the heart of fathers to sons, And the heart of sons to their fathers.
Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)
26. James 5:16 – Pray for Each Other So That You May Be Healed
Confess therefore your offences one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The fervent supplication of the righteous man has much power.
Darby Translation (DARBY)
27. 2 Timothy 1:3 – I Thank God, Whom I Serve
I thank God, whom I serve as my forefathers did, with a pure conscience, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day.
Weymouth New Testament (WNT)
28. Psalm 116:8 – For You, Lord, Have Delivered Me from Death
For thou hast delyuered my soule fro deth; myn iyen fro teeris; my feet fro slidyng.
Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
29. 1 Samuel 1:27-28 – I Prayed for This Child
For this childe I praied, and the Lord hath giuen me my desire which I asked of him. Therefore also I haue giuen him vnto the Lord: as long as he liueth hee shalbe giuen vnto the Lord.
Geneva Bible (GNV)
30. Job 14:7 – At Least There Is Hope for a Tree
For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut downe, that it wyll sproute agayne, and that the tender braunche therof wyll not cease.
Bishop’s Bible
31. Luke 23:34 – Father, Forgive Them
Then sayde Iesus: father forgeue them, for they wot not what they do.
Tyndale Bible
32. Psalm 23:4 – Even Though I Walk Through the Darkest Valley
Yes, even when walking through the dark valley of death I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me, guarding, guiding all the way.
The Living Bible (TLB)
33. Isaiah 40:31 – But Those Who Hope in the Lord Will Renew Their Strength
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.
The Passion Translation (TPT)
34. Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
The Voice Bible (VOICE)
35. Philippians 4:19 – And My God Will Meet All Your Needs
God will meet all your needs because of his great riches. He will meet them in a wonderful way through Christ Jesus.
New International Reader’s Version (NIrV)
Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Estranged Relationships
Scripture doesn’t shy away from the reality of broken family relationships. The Bible is filled with stories of family dysfunction, sibling rivalry, and parent-child conflicts that resulted in years of separation. From Cain and Abel to Jacob and Esau, from David’s fractured family to the prodigal son, God’s word acknowledges that even families chosen by Him experience profound relational breakdowns.
What strikes me most about biblical accounts of family estrangement is how God continues to work even in the midst of broken relationships. He doesn’t abandon families because they’re messy or dysfunctional. Instead, He often uses seasons of separation to bring about growth, repentance, and eventual restoration. The prodigal son story reminds us that sometimes people need to journey far from home before they can appreciate what they left behind.
Scripture also teaches us that we cannot control other people’s choices, even when those choices break our hearts. We can love consistently, pray faithfully, and keep our hearts open for reconciliation, but we cannot force a relationship or manipulate outcomes. Sometimes the most loving thing we can do is give people the space they’re demanding, trusting God to work in ways we cannot see.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, the silence from my child feels louder than any argument we ever had. I lie awake wondering what I did wrong, what I could have done differently, and whether I’ll ever see them again. The pain of their absence is a constant ache that colors everything in my life.
Help me resist the urge to manipulate, guilt, or force contact that they clearly don’t want. Give me wisdom to know when to reach out and when to step back. If I contributed to this estrangement through my own failures, show me clearly so I can seek forgiveness. If this separation isn’t primarily my fault, help me release the guilt that threatens to consume me.
Keep my heart soft toward my child even when theirs seems hardened toward me. Help me love them from a distance, pray for them consistently, and trust You with their well-being when I cannot be part of their life. Use this painful season to draw me closer to You and teach me lessons I couldn’t learn any other way.
If reconciliation is possible, prepare both our hearts for that reunion. If this separation continues, help me find purpose and joy despite this loss. Most of all, help me trust that You love my child even more than I do.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Evang. Anabelle Thompson is the founder of Believers Refuge, a Scripture-based resource that helps Christians to find biblical guidance for life’s challenges.
With over 15 years of ministry experience and a decade of dedicated Bible study, she creates content that connects believers with relevant Scripture for their daily struggles.
Her work has reached over 76,000 monthly readers (which is projected to reach 100,000 readers by the end of 2025) seeking practical faith applications, biblical encouragement, and spiritual guidance rooted in God’s Word.
She writes from personal experience, having walked through seasons of waiting, breakthrough, and spiritual growth that inform her teaching.
Evang. Thompson brings 12 years of active ministry and evangelism experience, along with over 10 years of systematic Bible study and theological research.
As a former small group leader and Sunday school teacher, she has published over 200 biblical resources and devotional studies.
She specializes in applying Scripture to everyday life challenges and regularly studies the original Hebrew and Greek texts for a deeper biblical understanding.