What changes should parents make when their children leave the home?

In this video, Dr. Joel Beeke answers the question what happens when children grow up and leave the home? How do parents continue to glorify God? How can parents still bless and be a part of their children's lives?

As your children grow, mature, and begin to make their own decisions and prepare to start their own families, they create new family units. Parents at that stage need to cover their child and their spouse in prayer. Not only should they continue to pray for their child, but they should pray for their child's spouse and their grandchildren. 

Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) - "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

When your children are now out of the home, you're an empty-nester with your husband, how can you best go on in a lifestyle that glorifies God without becoming some kind of a busy body and interfering in the lives of your married children? All that said, that's a good question and there's, it's a challenging question because after all you've been at the center of the lives of these kids all their life and you've got to really, really control yourself not to stay at the center of their lives and give them unsolicited advice in marriage. So as you wean yourself, as your children go through the teen years and let them make more of their own decisions. Be prepared for that day when they'll leave your home and they'll be on their own and they'll be a new family unit and now your daughters will have to to show submission to their husbands and that becomes a new family unit. So I often say to, not just to women but also to men, now you need to take a step back and a step down, down on your knees and you need to pray doubly.

Because now you have an additional child, an in-law that comes into the picture. So be careful not to intrude, but don't be careful in how much you pray for your married children.