PSALMS That Can Change Your Life: A Believing Psychologist Explores the Passionate Poems, Prayers, and Songs of the Old Testament - by Stephen H. Farra, PhD, LP.

Reviews:

"There are people who say the Bible and Modern Psychology do not mix, cannot mix. Not so, suggests author Stephen Farra. In fact, the author argues, much of what we might consider new psychological interventions or therapies are in fact found in the Psalms, Israel's ancient hymnal. ... [the author] moves through various psalms, highlighting how each provides truth that assists people through challenging times, through dark hours. By focusing on truth rather than on lies, worries, or feelings, people can find strength to cope with what life sends their way. The author does not promise the way will be easy, but he does consistently point the reader in the direction of a solution. His use of personal examples helps readers identify with him as a fellow traveler on the journey. " - Dr. Bryan Beyer, Hebrew Scholar and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Columbia International University.

"Very well written, biblically sound, psychologically attuned. Good, uplifting content!" - K. Wildstream, posted Kindle Review

This short book will speak to your mind, as well as your heart. It invites you to come experience the ancient and eternal wisdom housed in the Psalms. It deals with pressing life issues such as the lack of social justice in the world, how to maintain personal righteousness and integrity under the most difficult of circumstances, and how to get and stay above the suffering, chaos, confusion, loneliness, and despair that are frequently a part of our human experience.

How can we restore and maintain our mental and physical health when our external world is so often falling apart? The psalms selected for this book help us address this issue in a very direct and meaningful way - by leading us to "the Rock that is higher than I."

Individual psalms can provide us with much needed moral guidance, and set us on a spiritual journey toward personal deliverance and deep healing. We'll discuss in some depth the path of life that selected psalms lay out before us. These selected psalms can do more than make us feel good. They can change our lives.

But, first, a quick word about what this short book is not. This short book is not and does not pretend to be a complete, exhaustive, or even "representative" exposition of the entire book of Psalms. And, this short book does not attempt to be a volume of systematic theology. It does not try to articulate a comprehensive theology of God, sin, sacrifice, and/or outline God's whole plan of redemption.

What this book does try to do is quickly look at the whole collection of psalms, and then focus in on particular psalms, and find in them very personal messages of guidance/counsel, deliverance, and consolation. These messages can prove extraordinarily helpful to those of us who are trying to meaningfully and lovingly live out our lives before our Creator - in these often confusing and turbulent times.

The very practical purpose of this short book is to show how the substantial collection of Hebraic poems, prayers, and songs we know as Psalms can help us to actively experience salvation and abiding joy in our everyday lives.

The physical and mental health benefits that come through the application and practice of biblical meditation and biblically-consistent Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are highlighted in several chapters.

There is a great deal of biblical and scientifically-derived research embedded in the chapters of this short book. Its insights are designed to be helpful to nearly all believers, at multiple levels.
About the Author: For the last 23 years Dr. Farra has served as the Director of the Psychology Program at Columbia International University (SC). He and his wife, Sharon, have six children, and nine grandchildren. Dr. Farra served as a Pastor, as well as a Counseling and Research Psychologist before joining the faculty of CIU. In this short book he uses his knowledge of Scripture and Physiological Psychology to address the physical and mental/emotional health benefits associated with applying the spiritual insights of selected psalms.