The Place of Prayer in Counseling

 Dear Friends,

             Rob came into my counseling office while in a state of depression and with many family problems.  He is married and all three of his children have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.  His oldest son also has Tourette’s Syndrome.  To make Rob’s situation even more difficult is the reality that Rob is an orphan and his personal past history is filled with physical and sexual abuse of the most severe type.  Rob was referred to me to help stabilize his life and also to give him some hope that God could help him with all of this.

             Upon meeting Rob and hearing his story, I was reminded of how powerless I am and how only God could help this man.  I felt deeply sorry for him, and ,yet, I was impressed with his faith and his desire to persevere.  For me, it was one of those situations that I find myself in, that God uses to humble me.  While I was the person helping him, I also found he was being used by God to remind me of the simple and important things in life like family, health, and faith in God.   

            Because of the things I was feeling for and about Rob and his difficult life, I was being led by God to ask him if I could pray for him.  He smiled and seemed a bit surprised and joyful all at once.  I prayed at the end of the counseling session asking God to intervene in Rob’s life and to strengthen and encourage him daily.  I prayed to give God the rightful place in the counseling process and to remind Rob and me of God’s power and love.  I prayed for his children and the healing the whole family needed.  When I finished Rob was encouraged, smiled and then warmly thanked me.  Little did he know how much he blessed me!

            It’s great to know that the power to change and heal comes from God.  It is also wonderful to know that this is how great our God is and that we can trust Him this much and that any moment we can call out to Him, even in a counseling session! 

                                                                                    God Bless,   Paul