Exposition:

Pre-marital counselling is a form of guidance that helps prospective couples to prepare for marriage. More than anything, pre-marital counselling aims to produce a marriage that is biblical. Today, we would explore some importance of premarital counselling. Through pre-marital counselling, unrealistic expectations of prospective couples are addressed to mitigate the probability of affecting the success of the marriage. Most people enter marriage thinking it is going to be blissful and pleasure centered but during such counselling sessions, these conflicting expectations can be seen and hopefully addressed.

Also, during pre-marital counselling, the counsellor takes the prospective couples through the roles expected of each of us in the marriage. With the changing roles in our societies, the counsellor helps the prospective couple to understand how perfectly these roles can be performed so as not to lead to tension in the home.

Another important reason for the need for pre-marital counselling is for the counsellor to educate the young couples on the need for chastity before marriage. We live in a” sex crazy generation” where everything is centred on sex. During the counselling sessions, the counsellor with the prospective couple discuss the biblical stands of sex before marriage (1 Cor. 10:8; Gal. 5:19) and also provide a guide as to how not to yield to the temptation of sexual sin during the courtship (1 Cor. 6:15).

It is also during pre-marital counselling that certain situations termed “red flags” can be identified and remedies provided. Prospective couples may not see these as obstacles to a good marriage. When the prospective couples are counselled in this regard, a future misery can be curtailed. Additionally, during pre-marital counselling, the counsellor helps the prospective couples to build stable attitudes and behaviour that will undergird the new marriage and help them to endure. It is therefore prudent that, as young couples we make ourselves available for pre-marital counselling so that our intended marriages would stand tall against the storm of life.