Theophostic Prayer Ministry?
Theophostic Prayer Ministry a ministry of prayer designed to ask Jesus to speak truth into these lies. Many people assert that in as little as 15 minutes with a Theophostic approach, they have been healed of behaviors and hang-ups that had plagued them for years , even that were resistant to traditional therapies, and other types of Biblical counseling.
Is Theophostic Ministry effective? Is it ethical? Is this ministry theologically sound? These questions have been hotly debated since Dr. Ed Smith’s book “Healing Life’s Deepest Hurts” was published in 2002.
Most support for this therapy or ministry is experiential and anecdotal. Even though Dr. Ed Smith quotes the Bible, the primary validation for Theophostic Ministry is that it works. One problem or concern with Theophostic from a theological point of view is its assertion that the Bible alone is not adequate for a Christian ministry. Theophostic Ministry began, not from a study of the Bible, but from Dr. Ed Smith’s frustration with slower and less miraculous healing methods.
Theophostic’s theory that all sin comes from a lie stemming from a traumatic event in one’s past goes against traditional Christian belief that man is born into sin from the time of Adam’s Fall. Traditional Christian belief states that only Jesus through His death was able to give humankind victory over sin. Theophostic, by contrast, doesn’t consider man a “sinner” but merely “operating from a lie” and this lie can be miraculously revealed and the damage healed in an instant through prayer.
Despite denominations, heresy seekers, and apologetic groups speaking out against Theophostic, the movement created by Dr. Ed Smith and based in Campbellsville, Kentucky has its equally vocal adherents. More than 15,000 peple have taken the basic Theophostic training. It is estimated that more than 300,000 Christians have received a type of Theophostic ministry. Theophostic ministry is being used in at least 40 countries, and manuals are translated into four languages so far.
Believers in Theophostic Ministry say that people are being healed from phobias, sexual addictions, eating disorders, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, anxiety and other disorders very quickly, often in as little as one session. This is a contrast to more traditional therapies which would “desensitize” the client by taking them through the memories until the pain was lessened and they could utilize coping skills. It can be exciting and liberating to think that no learned coping skills and no emotionally painful therapy is needed. Thousands of people verify that Theophostic Ministry works!
What do traditional secular counselors and psychologists have to say about the burgeoning Theophostic Ministries movement?
One published concern is that Theophostic Ministry shares many fundamental beliefs with Recovered Memory Therapy. Recovered Memory Therapy is no longer considered valid or reliable by most counselors today. Some of the shared beliefs are:
? Memories of traumatic events , particularly sexual abuse, are often repressed at the time
? These memories are stored accurately in a part of the brain that an adult cannot readily access
? Repressed memories of childhood abuse cause emotional problems later
? Repressed memories can be accurately recalled
? Recovered memories are real recollections of actual events
Theophostic Minestry goes even further into an area of the supernatural that traditional psychiatry cannot follow. Demonic possession, Satanic possession, seeing or hearing Jesus are all parts of Theophostic Ministry. The secular mental health community abandoned those notions long ago.
Another caveat of Theophostic Ministry is that the counseling is performed in a religious setting. Many of the Theophostic counselors do not have academic qualifications to perform therapy outside of Theophostic. The belief that since God is part of these encounters, He will prevent any harm from occurring, is not valid to the mainline mental health community.
Does Theophostic Ministry work? It would seem so, based on glowing testimonials, the crowded seminars and growing popularity in Christian circles.
Does Theophostic Ministry have any lasting harm or ill effects? It is hard to tell. So far, no independent study of Theophostic has been done. Many other fads, including the similar Recovered Memory Therapy, have been debunked and left heartbreak and confusion behind. The FDA in the United States does not monitor or require testing of new therapeutic techniques. In addition, Theophostic Ministry bills itself as a “prayer ministry” and has removed the word “counseling” from its marketing.
It would be wise to approach Theophostic Ministry with a great deal of caution, as you would with any other wildly popular technique that seemed too good to be true.
