It’s not wrong to pray about a matter, of course.  But prayer is often used as a substitute for the hard work of studying God’s Word to discover the facts needed. Prayer doesn’t automatically “work” in solving problems. Christians need to learn this fact.

Moreover, when God has already answered a question or given directions, why should we want to shortcut the process of discovering what that answer is by simply praying about it? Should we expect God to tell us individually the answer we seek, when He has already done so in His Word?

But there is something “mystically” special to some people about prayer. They think of prayer as more spiritual that Bible study! There’s the heart of the matter. Is it superior? Both are from God each has its place, but prayer is no substitute for hard study to find out truth.

Indeed, here is one to think about: Why would our words (prayer) be considered superior, more spiritual, etc., to God’s Word (in Scripture)? Isn’t what He says far more important than what you have to utter?

Check out our online courses, including, Introduction to Nouthetic Counseling and  The Use of Scripture in Counseling, taught by Jay Adams!

Books related to counseling others:

1. Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams
2. The Christian Counselor’s Manual by Jay Adams
3. How to Help People Change by Jay Adams
4. The Use of Scripture in Counseling by Jay Adams
5. Sanctification and Counseling by Jay Adams
6. Critical Stages in Biblical Counseling by Jay Adams
7. Check out our Bookstore for all the best counseling books!

The Christian Counselor’s New Testament and Proverbs, translated by Jay Adams

Visit our online bookstore for all your biblical counseling resource needs.
For more biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

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For we are not presenting our petitions before You based on our righteous acts, but upon Your abundant compassion (v. 18).

What fools we would be to come before God and intimate that He must hear and grant our petitions because of our righteousness!

Yet there are those who seem to think otherwise. They see themselves over against the grosser sin of others and believe that God, therefore, has an obligation to respond favorably to their requests. Oh, they rarely put it in those terms, but it is in their hearts whenever they compare themselves to others and thereby think God must answer their prayers.

There is another more subtle way in which they often bring their requests that goes something like this: “Lord, we are your people, so You must grant our prayers.”

Subtle, I say because we may always sincerely pray that God’s Name (which He has wrapped up in the welfare of His people) is at stake, and it is always right to plead with Him for His Name’s sake—when we sincerely mean it!  But so often, sincerity seems to be lacking. There is, however, when confessing one’s sin as Daniel confesses his and that of his nation, a genuine way to plead for a hearing in the Name of the Lord. That is, we may base our prayer upon God’s great mercy. This, believers know about because of what Christ has done for them. And it places petitions where they belong—upon God’s goodness and compassion; not upon anything worthy in us.

Check out our online courses, including, Introduction to Nouthetic Counseling and  The Use of Scripture in Counseling, taught by Jay Adams!

Books related to counseling others:

1. Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams
2. The Christian Counselor’s Manual by Jay Adams
3. How to Help People Change by Jay Adams
4. The Use of Scripture in Counseling by Jay Adams
5. Sanctification and Counseling by Jay Adams
6. Critical Stages in Biblical Counseling by Jay Adams
7. Check out our Bookstore for all the best counseling books!

The Christian Counselor’s New Testament and Proverbs, translated by Jay Adams

Visit our online bookstore for all your biblical counseling resource needs.
For more biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

Follow INS on Social Media:
– Facebook: noutheticstudies
– Twitter: @noutheticstud
– Instagram: @noutheticstudies

The post How to Pray Effectively appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

Anyone who turns his ear away from hearing the law—even his prayer is detestable.

Why should what we have to say to God (prayer) be deemed more important than what He has to say to us? Yet, there are those who think that prayer apart from study and observance of the Scriptures is all that’s necessary. Prayer without study and following the Word of God, is a way of manufacturing your own religion.  Why, you wouldn’t even know how to pray or what to pray for if you ignored biblical examples!
There is no easy way out—praying alone—you are required to listen to God as well!  Indeed, the hard work of learning God’s will (Scripture study) about all of life (including a proper prayer life) is incumbent upon you.  Don’t turn your ear from hearing God speak to you in the Bible—even when you think talking to Him is enough.

Check out our online course, The Use of Scripture in Counseling, taught by Jay Adams!

1. What to do on Thursday
2. The Christian’s Guide to Guidance 
3. A Call for Discernment

The Christian Counselor’s New Testament and Proverbs, translated by Jay Adams

Visit our online bookstore for all your biblical counseling resource needs.
For biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

Follow INS on Social Media:
– Facebook: noutheticstudies
– Twitter: @noutheticstud
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The post Don’t Pray! appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

Check out our online courses, including, Introduction to Nouthetic Counseling and  The Use of Scripture in Counseling, taught by Jay Adams!

Books related to counseling others:

1. Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams
2. The Christian Counselor’s Manual by Jay Adams
3. How to Help People Change by Jay Adams
4. Check out our Bookstore for all the best counseling books!

The Christian Counselor’s New Testament and Proverbs, translated by Jay Adams

Visit our online bookstore for all your biblical counseling resource needs.
For more biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

Follow INS on Social Media:
– Facebook: noutheticstudies
– Twitter: @noutheticstud
– Instagram: @noutheticstudies

The post Anger appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

The Christian Counselor’s New Testament and Proverbs, translated by Jay Adams

Visit our online bookstore for all your biblical counseling resource needs.
For biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

Follow INS on Social Media:
– Facebook: noutheticstudies
– Twitter: @noutheticstud
– Instagram: @noutheticstudies

The post Travel appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

“Never thought I’d have to choose.”

You don’t, of course, but there comes a time when the issue is raised.

“Tell me about it.”

Well, for one thing, prayer is man talking to God, while Scripture is God talking to man.

“Oh, I think I see what you mean—what we have to say can’t be as important as what He has to say.”

Good thinking. Only, don’t forget, what makes our prayer important is that God deigns to pay attention to it. Miserable as it is, and needing the Spirit to shape it properly for us, our prayer becomes important because of the One Who listens.

“I can see that too.”

Now listen to Proverbs 28:9:

If one turns aside his ear from the hearing of the law, even his prayer is detestable.

Now what do you think of that?

“God’s saying, ‘If you won’t listen to Me, don’t expect Me to listen to you”

Correct. Only there’s more to it. It’s not just a quid pro quo, so little of this, then so little of that. God calls this kind of prayer not merely something he won’t hear—it is “detestable” to Him. He uses the strongest word for a combination of anger and loathing that He could have used in Hebrew.

“Right. I can see that too.”

But there’s still more. You can’t make up for a lack of Bible study by “piously” praying all of the time. A lot of the monks had that all wrong.

And, there are Bible-believing Protestants who have it wrong too. Prayer can never be a substitute for Bible study. How could it be when one is ignoring what God has to say while spouting off himself?

“Wow! I never thought of such a thing. I guess I ought to make more time for Bible study, then.”

Are you going to?

“I’ll pray about it.”

Visit our online bookstore for all your biblical counseling resource needs.
For biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

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