The biggest obstacle that many aspiring biblical counselors confront is the transition from theory to practice. You’ve read the books, listened to the lectures, and observed live counseling. But everything changes the moment that you sit down with someone for the first time. “What do I say? What do I do? What questions do I ask? What was that passage again? When do I pull out this handout? If the counselee starts crying, what do I do?”
If this experience is true for students in biblical counseling programs at colleges and seminaries, it is even more intimidating for lay counselors and church members. At the same time, this experience is completely understandable. While biblical counseling training, books, and seminars will offer instruction in biblical counseling theory and biblical principles for a variety of issues, the unspoken reality is that much of the actual conversation in counseling is the result of learned habits, skills, and intuitions that are the result of the counselor’s sanctified personality and applied biblical wisdom. Biblical counseling methodology is not a straitjacket nor a series of scripted prompts. How to phrase a question, how much pause to give, how to press in a point—these micro skills counselors have developed over hundreds of counseling sessions and are the exact areas where beginning counselors can find themselves feeling the shakiest as they begin to walk with counselees on their own.
In light of this reality, I highly recommend a multi-volume series from P&R Publishing, 31-Day Devotionals for Life. Edited by pastor and Biblical Counseling Coalition council member Deepak Reju, this series of over 27 booklets is the perfect companion for counselees walking through difficult challenges and struggles. Each booklet addresses a topic such as contentment, grief, forgiveness, or pornography, even including entries that tackle harder issues, such as after an affair, after cancer, and chronic illness. Every day, a seasoned biblical counselor presents a bite-sized reflection (front and back of a single page) on a biblical principle or passage that applies to the specific issue. Each author guides the reader through a series of devotions that address the counseling issue in a way structured to follow a recommended progression in formal counseling. This day-by-day approach allows the authors to shift the reader’s perception and responses to their struggles as their minds are slowly renewed according to God’s Word.
This series of booklets serves many purposes in biblical counseling practice. These devotionals are an excellent resource for “homework” or “growth work” as counselees read through the devotional in conjunction with formal counseling. They can also be given to counselees as “pre-reading” for a counselor’s waitlist or “post-reading” after a counseling case has concluded. In a display case, they can be available to a wider congregation who may need guidance and counsel on a particular issue but are not ready to come forward for formal counseling. The top three booklets I regularly use in my counseling ministry are Addictive Habits, Marriage Conflict, and A Painful Past—areas where counselees often need a daily dose of biblical wisdom to experience the change God desires to produce in their lives.
These booklets can also be used intentionally in biblical counselor training. Aspiring lay counselors can use these booklets to begin building early “reps” in one-on-one conversations. Pick a devotional on a topic such as anger, depression, or anxiety that you would personally benefit from addressing. Then talk to your pastor about whether they know anyone who might benefit from reading this book together. After an initial conversation, commit to reading through the book and meeting weekly to discuss what God is teaching both of you.
Now, it is important to remember that these are informal meetings and therefore should have a level of reciprocity that is usually absent in biblical counseling. At the same time, this setting allows the booklet to direct the conversation while giving the aspiring counselor the opportunity to practice important skills such as asking questions, framing passages or counseling ideas, and probing for responses. Even if these meetings result in little counseling but plenty of encouragement, reflection, and personal growth, the experience of sitting down with someone to discuss a personal issue can be a valuable “test drive” before taking the wheel of formal counseling.
Every biblical counselor starts somewhere. Your favorite biblical counseling author once had their first counseling session—and they probably are not thrilled to think back to that moment and how their novice efforts were received. If you are looking for a place to start, consider using P&R Publishing’s 31-Day Devotional series. Pastors and elders, include these resources in your ministry budget so you can put biblical, practical, and trusted voices into the hands of your congregation.
Use code “IRBC” for 40% off each devotional from P&R Publishers until March 18, 2026!
