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Biblical Counseling Coalition | The Counselor’s Toolbox: Versatility & Number of Prayer in Counseling


Editor’s Word: Our July 2024 mini-series on the BCC Grace and Reality weblog affords biblical counselors just a few extra instruments to your counseling toolbox. On this ultimate article, Keith Evans discusses utilizing versatility and number of prayer within the counseling room. In different contributions to the collection, Tim St. John shares three classes to information counselors in selecting homework that most accurately fits the present stage of counseling, and Joe Hussung explains how confrontation can transfer the counseling dialog ahead.

Prayer in Counseling

I as soon as had a brother provoke counseling by saying, “I don’t know what I would like counseling for, however all I do know is that I would really like somebody to hope for me.” Who may probably refuse such a humble request for shepherding care? And the way tragic this man didn’t have an everyday individual (or a number of folks!) in his life to hope for and with him.

What an unimaginable privilege it’s to hope—and to hope on another person’s behalf. To intercede for somebody is to be invited into the work of the Lord Jesus, our nice Intercessor, in even a small method. He offers us the privilege of being an intercessor (lowercase i), whereas He, the (capital I) Intercessor, at all times makes intercession for the saints. He invitations us into His work and function, and in consequence, we get to convey folks earlier than the throne of God. As Jesus says in Hebrews 2:13, chatting with the Father, “Right here I’m, I and the youngsters you could have given me.” Christ, our Intercessor, is bringing us earlier than the throne of God. We counselors, in like method, have the privilege of bringing folks earlier than our mutual Father, saying, “Right here I’m, bringing considered one of your youngsters, asking you to take care of this one, bless this one, strengthen this one, and assist this one.” Such a privilege just isn’t one thing I’m fast to surrender or let go of simply.

Versatility of Prayer

So, expensive counselor, we should pray. Even pray instantly in a session while you hear of one thing to hope for as you’re discussing along with your counselee. If biblical counseling entails asking inquiries to the purpose the place you know the way to hope for somebody, why not pause and say, “You already know what you simply stated, that’s actually necessary. Can we cease now and pray?”

However don’t simply pray instantly—pray particularly. Know your counselee’s particular points, know their detailed points, and pray for these requests thoughtfully and reflectively. In doing so, you’re implicitly educating them methods to pray for a similar points. Then, observe up with them within the subsequent session and ask how these objects are going. I often say throughout preliminary periods, “Counseling doesn’t finish this week while you stroll out the door; I proceed to hope for you.” So pray all through the week—when driving in your automotive, when coming and going, when rising up and sitting down, in your prayer closet, and at different applicable occasions, be praying to your counselee often.

A Number of Praying Folks

But, the counselor shouldn’t be the one praying individual within the equation. Invite the counselee to hope as effectively. It’s applicable at occasions to pause in the course of a session when one thing important is shared, or an particularly tough matter is earlier than you. I attempt to not put the counselee on the spot, so I ask, “That was actually important what you simply shared. Would you be comfy if we stopped and I requested you to hope for that now? In the event you would open us, I’ll shut, however I believe it can be crucial that we take a second to hope.”

Assign prayer all through the week, as effectively. A specific task of prayer may help the individual be extra dedicated, extra concrete, and extra common of their prayers. Moreover, as you hearken to them pray within the session, otherwise you hear in regards to the methods they’ve been praying by means of the week, there’s a one-another precept the place we will come alongside the counselee and assist educate them methods to pray. We will instruct how they could pray extra confidently or boldly earlier than the throne of grace. For instance, they might really feel hesitant to hope for therapeutic, as that’s an space folks usually really feel apprehensive about asking, “Lord, would you please heal me?” as a result of we wish to be submissive to the Lord’s will. We would level out, “The Scriptures educate God is dedicated in Christ to ‘binding up all your wounds and therapeutic all your illnesses’ (cf. Ps. 147:3; Ps. 103:3), in order that prayer for therapeutic is an ‘amen’ in Christ. You’ll expertise that totally within the subsequent life; we’re positive of that. So why not ask the Father if He could be prepared to provide such a mercy sooner? That method, you may be free to ask extra confidently earlier than the throne of grace.”

Serving to instruct in methods we believers are inclined to wrestle isn’t one thing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. Even Jesus needed to educate His disciples (and us!) methods to pray. When the disciples got here to Christ and requested, “Educate us to hope” (Luke 11:1), Jesus didn’t rebuke them. He didn’t suppose, “Oh, how childish that you just don’t even know methods to do such a primary non secular self-discipline.” No, He gave them the only best prayer of all church historical past: The Lord’s Prayer, and by it, He instructs even to today in prayer. If the disciples may humbly ask and Jesus patiently educate, can we not do likewise?

A Number of Prayers

Lastly, pray the total vary of prayers. We now have not been left with mere supplication, however we now have adoration, thanksgiving, rejoicing, lamentation, intercessory prayer, confession, and repentance. We now have evangelistic prayers, the place we pray for these in our listening to that the Lord would possibly transfer of their lives and awaken them, giving them new hearts, ears to listen to, and minds to know and imagine within the Lord Jesus Christ. We will pray benediction prayers, praying for folks’s blessing: that the Lord would possibly bless and maintain them; the Lord would possibly make His face to shine upon them and be gracious unto them; the Lord would possibly raise up His countenance upon them and provides them peace (Num. 6:24-26). There are much more classes of prayer present in Scripture that may require their very own weblog submit, however for our quick functions, all biblical classes of prayer can be found to our counseling. These multitudinous prayers are a blessing and profit when prayed in accordance with their biblical instruction and the way in which through which the Scriptures educate us to hope. What great instruments are at our disposal as a part of our counselor’s toolbox! Might we use the device of prayer to its fullest.

Questions for Reflection

  1. What are another methods you might assign or use prayer within the counseling room moreover those talked about on this submit?
  2. The article mentions different classes of prayer present in Scripture that weren’t talked about. What would possibly a few of these classes be, and the way may they be utilized in our counseling?
  3. None of us would say “we now have arrived” in our prayer life, as there may be at all times room to develop. What are one or two methods from the submit above that you might incorporate to continue to grow in your reliance upon prayer?