Counselling and Prayer in the Spiritual Climate of Today

Scriptures

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Tit 2:11-14)

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3)

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.  11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness.” (2 Pet 3:10-11) (Phil 4:5; 1 Thess 5:23; 1 Tim 6:14; 2 Tim 2:21; Rev 22: 10 – 11)

Priorities of People Coming For Prayer Ministry?

Existential experience – less pain more joy

Lifestyle – getting more out of life, better able to share life with family, others

Personal spiritual growth – more mature Christianity

Coming of the kingdom of God – God’s reign on earth as in heaven

Godliness and Holiness – scriptures as above

Jesus Motives for Healing

Christ’s foremost motivation for healing/transforming his people must be the same as those he sought for his own healing from suffering and death

Jesus’ personal crisis experience, his Passion (Mark 14:36; 15:34), was endured as an agent for growth, “made perfect” (Heb 2:10; 5:9; 7:28) and glory (Luke 24:26; John 12:27-28) cf. because he was seeking the coming of the kingdom of his Father

n.b. how various strains are united, “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source.” (Heb 2:9-11)

godliness involves glory and growth are culminates in complete union with God the Father through Jesus and by the Spirit cf. 2 Pet 1:4

What is God seeking to impart to the Church

Restoration of the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16; Phil 2:5)

Very uppermost in the mind of Jesus is “I am coming soon” (Rev 22:20)

Consciousness of the imminence of transformation into Christ-likeness motivates us to be like him NOW and to make use of all the resources he has provided in his body for his goal.

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