The Year of the Lord’s Favor
The Integration of spiritual and psychological counseling is what we call The Special Year of the Lord’s Favor. The integration of spiritual and psychological counseling is a force multiplier that will help men and women understand their origin and destiny, which God ordained as mentioned in Jeremiah 1:5 God said, “I formed you in the womb I knew you before you were born.” Thematically throughout the Bible, God has addressed the physical needs of man before addressing their spiritual needs.
For example, if the people were hurting, he healed them first; if they were hungry, he feeds them first, and if their captor enslaved them, he freed them first then provided spiritual insight for them to accept or deny. The people of God must be capable and willing to go forth as commanded, living the Great Commandment and the Great Commission because the spirit of God dwells in them and speaks to them as it did with Isaiah when he made the following creed:
Isaiah said the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom from the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:1:3).
Bibliography
Bales, W. D., & Piquero, A. R. Assessing the impact of imprisonment on recidivism. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 8(1), 2012: 71-101.
Bingaman, Kirk A. “Incorporating Contemplative Neuroscience and Mindfulness-Based Therapies Into Pastoral Care and Counseling: a Critical Correlational Method,” Pastoral Psychology 65, no. 6 (February 2016): 578.
Brown, Derek, and John D. Barry. “The Fall.” The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
Buju, Smaranda. “Clinical Approach of Spiritual Illnesses: Eastern Christian Spirituality and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.” Pastoral Psychology 68, no. 4 (2019): 361–78.
Corrigan, P.W., Steiner, L., McCracken, S. G., Blaser, B., & Barr, M. Strategies for Disseminating Evidence-Based Practices to Staff who Treat People with Serious Mental Illness. Psychiatric Services, 52, (2001): 1598-1606.
Chisholm, Robert B Jr. “For this Reason”: Etiology and its Implications for the Historicity of Adam.” Criswell Theological Review 10, no. 2 (2013).
Clinton, Tim and R. Hawkins. The Popular Encyclopedia of Christian Counseling: An Indispensable Tool for Helping People with their Problems. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers. Kindle, 2011.
Davidson, R. J. The Emotional Life of Your Brain: How its Unique Patterns Affect the Way You Think, Feel, and Live – and How You can Change Them. New York: Plume, 2012.
DeRevere, D. W., Cunningham, W. A., and Mobley, T. W. Chaplaincy in law enforcement: What It Is and How to Do It. (2nd ed.). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, Ltd, 2005.
Entwistle, D. N. Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity: An Introduction to Worldview Issues. Philosophical foundations, and models of integration (3rd ed.) Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2015.
Holm, Neil. Practicing the Ministry of Presence in Chaplaincy. Journal of Christian Education, 52, no. 3 (2009): 29–42.
Kelly, Peter J., Frank P. Deane, and Megan J. Lovett. “Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Examine Residential Substance Abuse Workers Intention to Use Evidence-Based Practices.” Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 26, no. 3 (2012): 661–64.
Longman, Tremper. How to Read Genesis. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005.
Muse, S. Finding the fit: An Eastern Orthodox approach to pastoral counseling. Edification: The Transdisciplinary Journal of Christian Psychology 6, no. 2 (2012): 125.
McMinn, M. R. Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling (Rev. ed.). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 2001.
Ortberg, J. The Life You’ve Always Wanted: The Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People (Rev. ed.) Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002.
Pearce, J. P. & Koenig, H. G. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for the Treatment of Depression in Christian patients with medical illness. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 16, (2013), 730–740.
Pew Charitable Trust Pew center on the states, State of Recidivism: The Revolving Door of America’s Prisons. Washington, DC. Retrieved on Oct 20, 2020, 1. https://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/legacy/uploadedfiles/pcs_assets/2011/pewstateofrecidivismpdf.pdf
Skeem, Jennifer, Jennifer Eno Louden, Sarah Manchak, Sarah Vidal, and Eileen Haddad. “Social Networks and Social Control of Probationers with Co-Occurring Mental and Substance Abuse Problems.” Law and Human Behavior 33, no. 2 (2009): 122–135.
Scalise, Eric. The truth of God’s Word and the Science of Psychology. Announcements forum question and Answer Center (QAC), Liberty University, Accessed April 13, 2018. https://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/discussionboard/do/message
Shivy, Victoria A., J. Juana Wu, Anya E. Moon, Shay C. Mann, Jo G. Holland, and Christine Eacho. “Ex-Offenders Reentering the Workforce.” Journal of Counseling Psychology 54, no. 4 (2007): 466–473.
Townsend, L. Introduction to Pastoral Counseling. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2009.
End of “The Special Year of the Lord’s Favor“
Leave A Reply