5 Ways to Help Friends Whose Marriage is Struggling

1.  Pray for them by name

 Ask God to intervene in their marriage. Ask Him to give you and others wisdom to know how to help. Pray in their presence as well as alone. Send emails and notes of encouragement.

2.  Listen, but don’t give advice

Listening doesn’t mean simply hearing. It involves empathizing, seeking to understand and expressing genuine interest. But leave the advice-giving to a pastor, experienced counselor or mentor.

3.  Don’t make the problem worse

Don’t allow your support to be seen as an encouragement to give up or get a divorce. Your job is to help steer your friends toward help and reconciliation.

4.  Help them find the right help

Locate a good, licensed Christian counselor. Genesis Counseling Center offers counseling in marriages.

5.  Refer them to the Genesis Counseling Center website

GenesisCounselingCenter.com offers ample amounts of marriage resources as well as information to contact us at our offices in Williamsburg and Hampton.

Adapted from Focus on the Family