What is Theophostic Prayer Ministry
So what exactly is Theophostic Prayer Ministry? Quite simply, it is prayer. It is honestly looking at and facing the pain in our life, then asking God to speak to it.
No Diagnosis
In this prayer minister model, the minister does not seek to give advice, diagnose, provide insight, or give direction. So often, Christian counselors inadvertently move people toward victim thinking in seeking to solve their problems for them, or even get a word of the Lord for them. People are happy for you to solve their problems for them, but this brings little lasting fruit and may lead to ego on the part of the minister. Any form of ministry that places the minister as a person's "source" is moving toward dangerous ground. People are really quite capable of hearing from the Lord themselves with a little support.
Discovery
The Theophostic model encourages people into discovery. The minister does not take on the responsibility at any level to resolve a person's problems, issues, or pain in life. His role is to encourage people to "own" their own emotional pain, take responsibility for their own thinking, not blame other people or circumstances for their emotional reactions, and move forward toward God's resolution.
In one case, Joe (not his real name) wanted help with a fifty-year habit of biting his nails. He had unsuccessfully sought freedom many times. At one point in the session he said, "The first thing that popped into my head was a memory involving the first time my step-uncle had molested me almost fifty years ago. All I could feel was anger. It was based on the realization that this was the first time I had been introduced to pornography and the thoughts of the struggle I had with it for many years as a direct result."
Joe had suppressed the pain of this incident but lacked peace and forgiveness. This affected his life in many ways, including biting his nails to the point that they would bleed. In the session, Joe was led to forgive his step-uncle. Then Joe himself heard God speak His truth to lies he believed as a result of this experience such as. Joe reports that the memory is still there, but the anger and frustration within him are gone. He no longer has the compulsion to bite at his nails and most importantly he is at peace. When people are willing to take ownership, they get free every time. When a person chooses to face their pain, God always shows up.
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