3 Things to Avoid When Ministering to Those Suffering from Mental Illness
We make many mistakes in what we say to sufferers. Partly because of ignorance, discomfort, or fear, we end up saying nothing, or nothing helpful, or everything wrong.
Articles by David Murray
58 results found
The Pros and Cons of Being Rich
“Wealth is wonderful and makes us wonderful.” That’s the message the media bombards us with every day. No wonder so many of us want to be rich.
The Real Reason We Don’t Evangelize
How can we motivate greater evangelism? Many of us hold false beliefs that are at the root of a lot of our evangelistic apathy and inactivity.
Is “Mental Illness” a Helpful Label?
Labels can be helpful in beginning to describe or define what we are talking about, but labels can also cause difficulties.
Can a Christian Have Mental Illness?
Some Christians believe that Christians cannot have mental illness. If a professing Christian is depressed, anxious, or bipolar, they think it’s because they are not a real Christian, or it's because of unrepented sin.
How to Pray for a Loved One Struggling with Mental Illness
When God gives us the right spirit in prayer—the spirit of hope, patience, and love—that will usually result in the right petitions.
Why You Should Enroll in Wisdom University
The primary reason people drop out of Wisdom University is peer pressure—the influence of others in the same social group or age group.
“How much will you lose if you follow Jesus?” That’s the devil’s favorite question; he has successfully used it more than any other to lead billions to hell.
In the age of TikTok, how does a naked, bloodied, and bruised body hanging on a wooden cross outside Jerusalem have any connection with my life?
Fight the Good Fight but Surrender the Bad Ones
Paul shows the Philippians catastrophic consequences of unnecessary war to make them long for necessary peace. Let’s fight the good fight of faith but surrender bad fights of faith.
Dear Pastor . . . No, You Are Not a Failure
Our present failures make us long for future heaven, to hasten the day when the pain of failure and the torture of disappointment will be gone forever.
An Antidote to Spiritual Amnesia
We forget we were saved by God. We forget the suffering required to save us. We forget to worship God for saving us. What’s the antidote for such serious spiritual amnesia?
The weed of doubt never grows alone. When we plant the seed of doubt in God’s word or God’s power, the weeds of fear, disobedience, and pessimism also take root and grow.
Lots of people want to teach us how to postpone death through healthy living, but very few teach on how to face up to death when healthy living is fading.
3 Kinds of Prayers That God Answers
We know we should pray. We start praying. But soon we give up. Or we pray with no expectation of an answer. Or we pray for the wrong things. Prayer becomes a problem rather than a solution.
Stress sickens the soul. Yes, stress causes bodily disease (some estimate that 90 percent of doctor visits are stress-related), but it also causes soul disease. Stress and spirituality are mortal enemies.
Help! I’m Supposed to Be the Perfect Child, Student, and Christian
We live in a culture of impossible expectations. Teens are under incredible pressure to succeed on a number of fronts. All these impossible expectations lead to an inevitable sense of failure and shame.
We’re All Writing the Stories of Our Lives, but We’re All Failed Authors
We’re all writing the stories of our lives, and we’ve all failed to write and publish the book we wanted. Some of us failed at the beginning, some of us fear failed endings, all of us have failed chapters.
Does Reflecting on Our Past Hurt Show a Lack of Trust in God?
Trying to write our future story can change our present story. But what about our past story? Can we get any help in the present from reading what’s already been written in our past chapters?
3 Things Overwhelmed Students Need
“Teens” and “rest” don’t usually go together, do they? The teen years are busy years, restless years, hectic years.
Help! I’m Feeling Anxious about . . . Everything
Let’s be honest, we’re all worried, aren’t we? The good news is that God knew this day was coming and has provided counsel for us to stop worry at its source.
Common Barriers to Family Worship
There are barriers to creating a regular habit of family worship, but God has provided many helps to get over them.
9 Principles for Navigating Anxiety and Depression with Your Teen
What are the general principles to bear in mind as you begin to work with your teen through anxiety and depression?
Practical Ways to Sustain Family Worship
3 Simple Helps I've noticed when I talk about family worship that people say, I've tried it. It doesn't work. Or, I've tried, but I can't keep it going. They are discouraged from even trying …
3 Simple Ways to Get Started with Family Worship
Build your hopes and your faith on the truth that God can take his word, with prayer and worship, and bless it to your children’s salvation.
A Parent’s Role in Teen Anxiety
If your teen experiences anxiety or depression, it’s very common for you to feel that you’ve failed or you’ve done something wrong. So what do we do with these feelings and thoughts?
3 Practical Ways to Battle Depression
There are some basic steps we shouldn’t miss before we try and treat anxiety and depression with medication and counseling.
How to Help Your Kids Establish Bible Reading Habits
Ask yourself, What do I want most for my kids? If we're Christian parents, we want our kids to know Jesus, we want them to be saved. Sometimes just writing that down really helps to reorder our lives.
2 Categories of Questions to Ask When Reading the Bible
The worst thing you can do when you read the Bible is to read it passively or thoughtlessly.
4 Things to Remember When Meeting with Jesus
Pray, have a plan, be patient, and be positive. You will meet him in his word.