6. Advise the person to strengthen any home ties that may not be all they should be. Communication with other members of the family will do much to develop mutual respect and caring. Now that he or she knows Christ, the salvation of family members should be a primary concern.
7. Pray for spiritual growth and the development of meaningful relationships with both Christian and non-Christian friends.
For the Lonely Christian: 1. Encourage the inquirer to develop a daily quiet time. A sense of God's never-failing presence will help diminish feelings of loneliness.
Billy Graham offers his own experience for encouragement: "I will give you a little recipe I have found for conquering loneliness. First, I am never lonely when I am praying, for this brings me into companionship with the greatest friend of all—Jesus Christ. He said, 'I call you not servants, but friends' (see John 15:15). Then, I am never lonely when I am reading the Bible. I read it every day— whole chapters of it. Nothing dissolves loneliness like a session with God's Word."
As we grow in this devotional relationship with God, we begin to change. The attitudes of loving and caring which gradually develop become the basis for contacts with others and for the deepening of friendships.
2. Recommend seeking a meaningful place of service in an active Bibleteaching church. Focusing on the needs of others will put our problems into perspective and make them seem a little less important. Service helps us cultivate relationships with other Christians who serve, and tends to increase our self-esteem as we become a part of the group.
Billy Graham says about service, "I am never lonely when I am sharing Him with others. There is a great exhilaration in talking to others about Christ. This is something we can all do."
3. Suggest strengthening family ties. Lonely people often have some "loose ends" in regard to family relationships. Constant efforts to communicate with our own family—learning to share, to respect and care, to become a part of each other—will do much to prevent loneliness. Improved relationships at home will always lead to improvement elsewhere.