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Online Prayer Resolution Course by Mike Banker in 2024.
There's many different ways that we can approach the hurting one as a safe helper. There's many different prayer resolution techniques that we can use to approach them. One way is the safe helper can approach the hurting one with empathy. The hurting one shares the problem, the issue, or hurting one is feeling or thinking. This gives hope to the hurting one because the safe helper is carrying the burden together with them, but it doesn't resolve it.
Mike Banker:It's not enough just to carry the burden with them. It's not enough just to listen. God resolves in response to prayer. When we do this, so when we're empathetic, we're bearing one another's burdens and thereby fulfilling the law of Christ as it says in Galatians 6:2. We can also approach the hurting one with analysis.
Mike Banker:So the hurting one shares their problem or their issue or their incident. And sometimes the safe helper helps the hurting one to analyze it by talking about the background and the relationships. Just understanding it more clearly though will not, by itself, resolve it. God resolves it in response to prayer. But the things to include in their prayer may become more clear from the analysis.
Mike Banker:Sometimes, the safe helper lets the hurting one direct the discussion. This hurt safe helper might just let the hurting one talk about the problem, the issue, or the incident without directing the discussion. And as the hurting one speaks it out, the things to include in their prayer may become more clear. Now unless the safe helper is sensitive to the Holy Spirit as their hurting one speaks, the prayers in the session may not be complete using this approach. It might leave something out.
Mike Banker:And so we have to be sensitive to the holy spirit when we allow the hurting one just to talk so that we can identify what it is they need to pray about. Another way the safe helper can approach the hurting one is the safe helper can be quite directive. He can direct the discussion. Sometimes, we direct the discussion about the problem, the issue, or the incident. And this is can be very efficient, but the hurting one may feel that the safe helper isn't listening to them or isn't understanding them very well or sometimes even feel judged.
Mike Banker:It's more important to be thorough than it is to be efficient. God resolves in response to prayer and sometimes being directive can help the hurting one see more clearly what to include in their prayer. Sometimes, the safe helper confronts the hurting one. And usually, it's because the hurting one's unwilling to do their part in the session. They're unwilling to look for the source of their inner pains.
Mike Banker:They're unwilling to learn how to extend forgiveness and mercy. Or they're unwilling to learn how to confess and receive forgiveness, or even unwilling to receive wholeness and healing from God. Sometimes, they're just unwilling to pray. And so, in this kind of situation, you may need to confront them. Once you've built trust and they see your love for them, they may be more willing to let you confront them about their behavior.
Mike Banker:As the safe helper, in the session, you can suggest talking about their behavior or their attitude, but it is not your job to make them feel convicted or guilty feel guilty about their behavior. Their conscience and the Holy Spirit should do that, not you. Don't use scripture to try to force them to change. Instead, suggest scripture might apply and respect them enough to discuss it with them. And when you feel like teaching, ask a question instead, unless they ask you a question directly.
Mike Banker:Be patient and gentle. If you confront them forcefully, it may break the trust that they have in you and they may stop meeting with you or stop listening to you as a safe helper. If this happens, you've lost the opportunity to help them. So my suggestion is whenever you feel like confronting the hurting one, pray and ask God first so that you don't confront them just out of frustration. God resolves in response to prayer, but confronting them can sometimes help the hurting one know what to pray.
Mike Banker:Even though we may need to confront them sometimes, our general pattern is gentleness. Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trans trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, each one looking to yourself so that you too will not be tempted, Galatians 61. So forceful confrontation is not often used. So here, I have a question for you. What is the best approach?
Mike Banker:As a safe helper, you may be very comfortable with some of these approaches and not as comfortable with others. The hurdy one may also have preferences, but each method has its strength and weakness. So you need to be willing to use the method that best fits a specific problem or incident or issue with a specific hurting one. You need to learn to use all these methods, not just the ones you're most comfortable with, if you are going to be most effective.