Christian Prayer Counseling

What Is Prayer Counseling?

Prayer counseling:

• is based in biblical Christian faith, activated and applied by prayers prayed aloud with all counselees.
• is a process not a method.
• relies upon Jesus Christ, who is the Truth that sets us free. True healing comes when lies are exposed by divine truth.
• depends upon prayer to connect us with the power of Jesus to affect change.
• depends upon the Holy Spirit’s anointing, wisdom and power to lead and guide into all truth. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate counselor and the ultimate comforter.
• focuses on God’s law and God’s grace, which allows true guilt to work, bringing us to true repentance and forgiveness.
• cooperates with the biblical truths of redemption, justification, sanctification and transformation.
• seeks to establish a Christ based identity for all sons and daughters of the heavenly Father.

There are many issues that are dealt with in prayer counseling. You are free to bring up any of the issues that are personally affecting or interrupting the flow of your life. Common issues are marriage, family, relational, emotional, spiritual and sexual. Your trained lay prayer counselor will discern and assess your situation to apply appropriate truth and ministry


Do I Need Prayer Counseling?

As we have mentioned, there are a variety of issues that are delt with in prayer counseling. Here are a few situations you may relate to as you try to answer the question "Do I need prayer counseling?".

• you find yourself in pain and need and nowhere to turn to, or no one to talk to.
• you have had a need, pain or concern for a while, and despite all of your efforts there has been no change.
• you have talked and prayed with others, but the change and relief is minimal.
• you have repeatedly gone forward to the alter in church for prayer, but found no lasting breakthrough and relief.
• you want Godly, Biblical, Spirit-filled counsel.
• you have unfinished issues from your past.
• you cannot seem to find your destiny, your life purpose.

What Might A Prayer Counseling Session Look Like and What is the Cost?

You will make an appointment with a trained lay prayer counselor and meet with him/her or the couple in an office in their home or at Freedom House. After being welcomed and introduced to each other very often the session begins with an opening prayer.

Your immediate need would be listened to, questions would be asked and you should feel heard. Your story would be listened to and more probing questions asked. Like a spiritual detective, your prayer counselor will seek to discern clues and recognize patterns that would expose the root issues of your problem, depending upon God's Word and God's Holy Spirit to light the way. At any time the prayer counselor could be prompted to pray quietly or out loud. The root cause might take a few sessions to come into focus, or may become evident immediately.

Ministry would be applied through prayers, prayed out loud by the prayer counselor. Sometimes the prayer counselor will lead you, the counselee, in praying out loud, repeating sentence by sentence, following the lead of your prayer counselor. These could be prayers for comfort and for healing of a broken heart, prayers of recognition, confession, repentance or renouncing. All according to what is needed.

Prayer is the way God has given us to activate intimacy between Him and His children. Through prayer we express our innermost heart to God, and through prayer the heavenly Father releases His love, compassion, healing, grace and forgiveness to us. Sometimes these prayers will be accompanied by the prayer counselor laying his/her hands on your head or on your shoulders, or asking to hold your hand while praying with you.

In some cases you will be anointed with oil on your forehead or on your hands when you are prayed for, special music or a song might be played to minister to you along with prayer or an appropriate teaching video might be watched to illuminate the subject discussed.

Sometimes you might be given homework between your sessions. This would consist of things to read, videos to watch or tapes to listen to. Also, some writing could be involved. This is an opportunity for you to speed up the healing process as you participate in these activities between sessions.

You might be uncomfortable with some of these things in the beginning, and that is okay. All you have to do is tell your prayer counselor.

Cost & Fees

Per Person $65/hour
Per Couple $75/hour
Per Family $95/hour

Hourly per person is $100 with 2 Prayer Counselors
Hourly per couple is $115 with 2 Prayer Counselors
Hourly per family is $145 with 2 Prayer Counselors