Resolve: Biblical Counselling Conversations

Is prayer just a means to get Christians to calm down when they are anxious? Does prayer really change our circumstances?  In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr Mack continues with Part 3 of his study on Answers to Prayer. In it we learn the role of prayer in the Christian life, that it is not fiction, but going to war. Some important questions are asked and answered, such as: Can...

How should we respond when God chooses not to answer our prayers immediately? What are some reasons for Christians to be persistent in prayer? Why do we find it difficult to pray? In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr Mack continues with Part 2 of his study on Answers to Prayer. In it he continues to draw from the example of the evangelist George Müller, and lists 4 reasons why Ge...

What does it say about our prayer life if we never pray for specific things, but only in general terms? Is it biblical for a Christian to pray without being guided by the Bible? In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack examines the life of George Müller, an evangelist that lived in the 1800’s, who’s life was marked by answered prayer. Müller had 7 principles of prayer, na...

Why did Jesus specify that we have to pray daily for our needs? Why does the Lord give us daily bread and not bread for a lifetime?   In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack continues to reveal all the spiritual treasure that can be found in the Lord’s prayer by focusing on the phrase “give us this day”. We all have a tendency to live in a way that we think we don’t need...

How do we avoid temptations? How can we be kept from evil? In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack exposits the following portion from the Lord’s prayer: “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Why is sin so awful? What are the implications if we see sin as God sees it? How was Jesus made a curse for us? What does it mean that every sin is rebelli...

Why is our sin debt so significant? Can man live in such a way that he is not in debt with God?  In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack exposits Matthew 6 verse 12: “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”.  Various things are unpacked within this Scripture filled episode, such as Thomas Watson’s commentary on the passage, the relationship betwee...

What is the daily bread that we need? Is it wrong to pray for physical needs?  In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack answers the question: what does it mean to pray for our daily bread? This episode includes a word study on how “bread” is used throughout the Scriptures, a discussion on the balance between physical and spiritual needs,  and answers  to questions like “S...

What did Jesus mean when He taught the disciples to pray “as it is in heaven”?  How is God’s will done in heaven?    In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack continues to expound on the meaning of the Lord’s prayer in Matthew Chapter 6 by focusing on the phrase “as it is in heaven”. When we are obedient to the Word of God, should we only do it out of duty or should it be...

What does it mean to pray “Thy will be done”? Are we really satisfied with His will if our lives are marked by grumbling?   In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack explains what Jesus Christ meant when He explained to the disciples that they should pray that God’s will would be done. In this biblically based episode, God’s will is discussed in great length, by firstly lo...

What does it to mean to pray “Thy Kingdom Come”? Is the kingdom political, earthly, or providential?    In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack discusses what Jesus Christ meant when He prayed that the kingdom might come. What is God’s kingdom of grace and glory?  If it is God that saves sinners, what is our prayer lives supposed to look like? How dependent are we suppos...

Can we pray with confidence knowing God hears our requests? What is it to pray according to the will of God?  In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack discusses how God’s name might be hallowed in our lives. What does the strange fire in Leviticus 10:1 teach us about worshipping God? How can we take the Lord’s name in vain? Are we praying that God would use our lives to s...

Why is it important for us to see God as our heavenly Father? If we see God as our Father, how are we supposed to see the church? In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack discusses the attributes of our heavenly Father as we learn to pray more like Jesus. Seeing Jesus as the perfect son, dwelling on the fact that God is our holy, righteous, Father of glory and mercies, wh...

Should prayer just be a free for all, or does God want us to pray a certain way? Should we pray about our concerns, God’s concerns, or both?  In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack discusses the outline of the Lord’s prayer in Matthew Chapter 6 and answers some common question regarding prayer. Was the Lord’s prayer given to just be repeated? What is the preface, body,...

What is the place of prayer in our lives?  Does our theology and our prayer life go hand in hand? In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack discusses the prerequisites for an effective prayer, and how we as believers can reach the ear of the Lord. Can we overcome the schemes of the Devil without prayer? Why is prayer so difficult for believers? What is most important: prea...

Do you want to learn from the most renowned expert on prayer? Do you want to have a truly intimate relationship with God?   In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack discusses how the most renowned expert on prayer, our Lord Jesus Christ, taught the disciples to pray. What effect does teachability, humility and purity of heart have on one’s prayer life? Is prayer learned i...

How did David counsel himself amidst Absalom’s pursuit of him? Did David just focus on how he felt? In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack analyses Psalm 42 and 43 based on David’s situation that is described in 2 Samuel 15. Should we just be stoic in our response to our situation? What role does God’s promises play when we seek to defeat depression? What does it mean t...

How do you get a depressed person to not continue to rehearse their problems in their mind? What approach should one follow to counsel depressed children? In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack discusses some of the questions that he is asked regularly,  specifically regarding depression. How do you communicate your counsel to depressed people? What association is there...

What does it practically look like when someone overcomes their depression? In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack examines Asaph, David and Jeremiah and how they applied the overcoming depression principles in their own lives. How did Asaph talk to himself rather then listen to himself after being honest with the Lord? On what did Jeremiah dwell to help him overcome hi...

What does Philippians 4:4 mean, i.e. to always rejoice in the Lord?  What does it mean to talk to ourselves and not listen to ourselves? In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack discusses how depression can be defeated by understanding what rejoicing in the Lord means, as well as what it does not mean.  The saving work of Jesus Christ, the enabling power of the Holy Spiri...

How can we overcome our depression through the work of Jesus Christ? Can we ever experience real joy apart from Christ? In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack discusses how unresolved sin can be a source of depression, and works through David’s depression that he experienced because of his unresolved sin. What is the condition of the heart of natural men, the importance...

Is depression an illness? Does depression come from a chemical imbalance that can merely be solved with medication? In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack discusses how secular culture have defined depression and compares that worldview, with Word of God. The effects of unbiblical thinking, the findings of Dr. Robert Smith regarding depression and various case studies a...

Why do people get depressed? Why are we here? What are we supposed to accomplish? In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack discusses how our relationship with God can have a direct effect on our life and ultimately determine whether we are depressed or not. The effect that redemption, and regeneration have on our lives; our relationship with the indwelling sin in ourselve...

Does severe depression manifest itself in more ways than just the emotions? Can we see when a person is severely depressed? In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack discusses what the emotional, physical and behavioral manifestations are of people who are severely depressed. Does depression have an effect on our, intellect or theology? Can depression come from our past? T...

What are some of the ways that severe depression is manifested in a person? What are the differences between moderate and severe depression? In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack examines the thoughts, behaviour and actions of several people within God’s Word that experienced severe depression and how they came to that point. David in Psalm 38 and Elijah within 1 Kings...

What should we focus on when our feelings cause us to be depressed? What is the difference between mild and moderate depression?  In this episode of Christian Life Issues for Today, Dr. Wayne Mack examines what it means to be moderately depressed and examines people from God’s Word who had moderate depression. Asaph in Psalm 73, Jeremiah in Lamentations 3 and the Psalmist in Psalm 42 and 43 are ex...