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

I woke up cold, angry, and sick. It was about four in the morning and I was laying on a hard cement floor on a mat about an inch thick. Due to rampant drug addiction, the county jail was overpopulated and there were no bunks left to sleep on. Being a heroin addict, I couldn’t go more than 6 hours without dosing or I would be horribly sick. It had been almost 24. Every inch of my body was in pain and my skin was crawling. I couldn’t think straight or even form coherent sentences, but the one thing that continually ran through my head was "How did I end up here? How did I end up like this?”
 
Geoff's situation seemed hopeless. He had made a mess of his life. His parents struggled to understand the choices the son they loved so much made. And they prayed. Through the hurting, the questions, the frustrations. And through it all, God walked with them.
 
Hope Lies Ahead shares the story of Geoff's prodigal journey and James's perspective as his father. Each write from their own personal experience as they candidly address spiritual and practical challenges families with prodigals face. As someone who loves a prodigal, you'll know you are not alone and that there is hope! Because no prodigal is beyond the reach of God.

HopeLiesAhead.org
 

James Banks (D.Min, Gordon-Conwell) makes his home in Durham, North Carolina, with his wife, Cari, where James is the founding pastor of Peace Church. James’s adventure with writing started in 4th grade when his teacher discovered it was a great way to keep him out of trouble! He loves to encourage others to draw close to God through heartfelt prayer and fresh insight from Scripture. James’s books have been translated into many languages and have touched the lives of over half a million people. They include Prayers for Prodigals, Praying the Prayers of the Bible, Prayers for Your Children, Peace Through Prayer, Hope Lies Ahead (which he co-wrote with his son Geoffrey), and others. You can find teaching from James through Our Daily Bread University’s popular Prayer Basics series and the Praying with Jesus DVD. James is featured weekly on the Encouraging Prayer radio broadcast and podcast and is a much-loved speaker for churches and retreats. You can find out more about what James is up to lately by visiting JamesBanks.org.
Geoffrey Banks serves as the high school coordinator at Port City Community Church in Wilmington, North Carolina. He loves reaching students where they are and helping them walk with God. He is an avid surfer and skater. Geoffrey struggled with heroin addiction throughout his teens and early twenties before coming to know Jesus and having his life radically change. Now he is host of the podcast Too Many Christians, which explores beliefs in the pursuit of ultimate truth.