7 Ways God Offers Hope for Struggling Marriages

In Genesis 2:24, we understand God's plan to be that a couple become "one flesh." That's God's desire for marriage. He wants couples to honor their marriages and each other, and He desires for couples to work through challenging times. God is the best cheerleader a marriage could have.

If we take the time to read God's Word carefully, we can find in those pages the answers to so many of life's issues. Psalm 119:105 says that God's Word is "like a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." If you struggle finding that path, there are many people who desire to help by applying God's Word to your circumstances.

God gave Christians His Holy Spirit for their comfort (2 Cor. 1:3-4). This comfort that the Holy Spirit brings gives married couples hope that there will be a brighter day in the future, and that God will give them strength to weather the darker days.

The book of Proverbs is filled with wisdom, and Proverbs 19:20 encourages us to listen to advise and accept instruction so we might gain wisdom. This is the work of a biblical counselor...to advise and instruct. Asking for help is an act of humility. If we really want to find help, we need to first find the humility to ask for it.

Hopelessness comes when we focus our eyes only on what we see, and not on the changes God can orchestrate. Let's be honest...this reveals a lack of faith and a lack of trust in God. For change to occur, we have to Co-Operate with God through His Holy Spirit, trusting that God can cause change to occur. Hope is in understanding that your God is a loving, trustworthy, and powerful God of change.

Mark 11:24 says: "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." God isn't a vending machine, but He does answer prayers that correspond to His desires. There is great power in prayer (James 5:16). Let's live with deep faith and hope in effectual prayer, not only our own, but others who join with us.

In his book, Sacred Marriage, author Gary Thomas points out that God's design for marriage is more for couples to become holy rather than to be happy. God created Eve to be a companion for Adam..."It's not good that man should be alone." Happiness is important, but holiness is of much greater value. God knew we needed companions to strengthen us and to complement our weaknesses.