Healing Life’s Deepest Hurts: Let the Light of Christ Dispel the Darkness in Your Soul (Regal Books, 2002)

The author coined the term Theophostic Ministry. As a pastoral counselor Dr. Edward was discouraged with how little people changed or were freed from their emotional pain even after many sessions of counseling. Then he discovered an effective way to minister in his counseling. It was God-centered and God-directed. Yes. I recommend this book because I know it works. For me, this one is personal. Not too often do we have something major happen to us and then find out about it in another context. Usually we read about it first.

Many years ago I was healed and set free of emotional pain I had carried for two decades. A short time later I was visiting with a friend who is a Theophostic counselor for her church when she explained the process to me. She said that during their church’s Theophostic Ministry sessions, a couple of people will pray in a separate room while the counselor is praying with, and guiding, the person in need of healing. They ask God to reveal the source of the person’s emotional pain. The counselor acts more like a facilitator than a counselor. After my friend told me about this unusual way of counseling, where the counselor does not suggest what might have happened–instead, God becomes the source, my interest was piqued. I decided to buy this book because it intrigued me, and because I knew this was something important. Basically, I wanted to know more.

Like in the Theophostic approach, my healing came through seeking, prayer, heavenly therapy, then peace and thankfulness. I had prayed for healing a few weeks before but not knowing if it was possible. Then it came about while I was walking and praying in solitude. God ministered to my inner being in a profound way. A week or two later I noticed I no longer carried a weight of silent heaviness. Theo (God) + Phos – (Light) is a winning combination.  God reveals or shows the emotional damage sustained; He then ministers to the wound and identifies the lies the person has believed about self. This works well because God is the counselor and the healer. He knows more about the person than they do!

Dr. Smith wrote this book after seeing the way people were helped, healed, and living changed lives after their counseling sessions.  This book is as much for counselors as it is for people in need of healing. I don’t believe it is for spiritual lightweights, though. The counselor has a lot of responsibility to keep their own relationship with God close and spiritual before they can help others.

The Light of the World, Jesus, can illuminate our minds and bring us into wholeness.” Book jacket.

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