Steve and Jenia Williams, the parents of Grammy Award-winning Christian artist Zach Williams, are opening up about the years they spent praying for their son during his struggles and the promise from God that carried them through.
The couple recently shared the heart behind their new devotional, God's Heart for the Prodigal: A Devotional Journal of Mercy, Redemption, and Unfailing Love, which was inspired by countless conversations with hurting parents at Zach Williams concerts over the last decade.
Despite being involved in Christian music since 2007, Zach Williams rose to national prominence with his breakthrough 2016 hit "Chain Breaker." Since then, the award-winning artist has earned two Grammy Awards, three Dove Awards, multiple K-LOVE Fan Awards, and numerous gold and platinum certifications.
Speaking with ChurchLeaders, Steve Williams recalled how parents and grandparents would often approach them at concerts asking how they survived the difficult years.
"After going to a lot of his concerts over the last 10 years, we would meet people, parents, grandparents, and they would ask us, 'How did you weather the storm? How did you make it?'" Steve said. "We just had to trust God that he would bring Zach back to him."
Steve revealed that the devotional idea originally came from Zach himself several years ago. Though the couple initially felt unqualified to write a devotional, they eventually completed the 30-day project with the help of a writer in hopes of encouraging families walking through similar pain.
Jenia Williams said one of the hardest parts of the journey was learning how to love a prodigal child while remaining faithful to biblical convictions.
"We have to remember our example, which is God the Father," she said. "He loves us even when we make mistakes."
The couple admitted there were seasons when they did not know how to respond to Zach's struggles. Eventually, they reached a point of complete surrender.
"We reached a point where we had begged and pleaded and tried to do everything we could to get him to come to church," Steve shared. "We finally just had to say, 'God, you're going to have to do it.'"
Jenia added that they learned to anchor themselves in God's promises throughout the long wait.
"His Word is true," she said. "He desires for everybody to come to know him, so we knew that any prayers that we prayed in that way was not against his will."
Reflecting on the years before Zach's return to faith, Jenia said the journey lasted 15 years after high school. Yet one prophetic word spoken shortly after Zach's birth became an anchor for the family.
"This child will be a voice to his generation," she recalled. "We just held on to that as a promise."
Steve noted that it took more than three decades before they saw that promise fulfilled.
"It took 33 years for that prophecy, that word that was spoken over him, to come to pass," he said.
The couple also shared that Zach showed little interest in music growing up and only began teaching himself guitar around age 18 or 19.
As they concluded the interview, Steve and Jenia emphasized that the devotional is not only for parents of prodigal children but for anyone who feels distant from God and in need of hope.
"If he can do it for us, he can do it for anybody," Steve said. "It just takes hanging in there, never giving up."
