Navigating difficult times

It has been two months since we picked our daughter up from the residential facility. The first month was great; we were all getting along and she acted responsibly. She was respectful, and sympathetic, abiding by the plan we all agreed upon for her coming home. She was cleaning up after herself and went to bed on time, without any conflict.

Over the past month, we have witnessed a decline in her behavior and overall attitude. She answers most questions we ask with a sharp tone and a negative attitude. We give an inch, she takes a mile. We offer privileges, with some guard rails in place and she immediately violates the rules. It feels like we are starting this year, just like last year when all of this behavior began. We are trying to better respond to conflict, using the tools we have acquired over the past year. My wife and I are trying to not raise our voices or feed into the conflict. We are trying to think more, before we respond and even speak with each other, before addressing behavioral issues.

I'm not sure what the answer is to our current situation. We are all still in therapy and we are doing the best we can. We are grateful that she is not self-harming or running away. We will continue to pray that God wraps His loving arms around her and calms the conflict in her mind. There is only so much we can do, and the rest is up to God. We want her to get past this so she can grow and thrive. I want her to be able to get a job and experience the feeling of accomplishment in getting her first paycheck. I want her to be able to obtain her driver's license and experience that amazing feeling we all had when we took our first drive on our own. These are all things that I want for her, but at this moment, those things seem farther away for her than they should be.

Lord, please touch my daughter. Calm the confusion in her mind and fill her mind with peace. Lord, bind up what the enemy is using to deceive her and free her from his lies. Lord, shield her from the fiery darts of the enemy and give her total peace. In Jesus' name, Amen.