How to help a friend in crisis

Sometimes, your friends and family members need help. In fact, turning to God and trusting Him with the storms in your life doesn't mutually exclude accepting help from other people. There will be times when God Himself will minister to you through other people. Similarly, God may use you to reach out to someone who needs His help in the storm he or she is facing.

When you do have the chance to help others facing tough times, use the following tips to help them turn to God:

1. Be available.
Don’t worry about what to say; often your presence is the best gift you can give. Be willing just to be there for the person in need.

2. Be willing to listen without judging.
Offer compassion and understanding. Whatever the reason for their trouble, people need to know that God can and will help.

3. Pray for and with them.
Help them call on God and His power for their needs. Your prayers don’t have to be fancy or elaborate. Just speak honestly and from your heart.

4. When you don’t have answers, offer to help them find resources they need.
Look for practical ways to help; show the person you’re ministering to where to find answers—certainly in Scripture and maybe with the help of your parents, pastor, or youth leader, a Christian hotline, website, or similar resource. You don’t have to be an expert to help, just one seeker helping another seeker turn to God in the storm.



A quote to remember:
“God is doing a greater work in us, and that can only come as we learn to trust Him no matter how dark the days and sleepless the nights. And it is only as we have been through the darkness with Him that what we know with our heads slides down into our hearts, and our hearts no longer demand answers. The why becomes unimportant when we believe that God can and will redeem the pain for our good and His glory . . . When I put the sovereignty of God beside His unfailing love, my heart can rest.”
—Verdell Davis