Gospel singer Kirk Franklin and his wife Tammy are the very picture of a happy marriage, but the Christian couple said they did not reach this point without some road bumps along the way.

During an interview with "Mary Mary" star Erica Campbell on her show "Get Up! Mornings With Erica Campbell," Tammy said prayer and counselling helped preserve their marriage.

"I think that as a culture we kind of shy away from counselling and therapy, but it's important. It says that you love each other enough, love yourself enough to get the help that you need," she said. "And so we've done counseling; it has saved our marriage. We pray together and I'm not only his wife, but I'm his girlfriend."

Tammy said they learned a lot because of their counselling, and one of these things is to never forget that the root of their relationship is friendship.

"When you have a girlfriend and [you all] are at odds with each other, it just [doesn't] feel right, it just hurts you. But sometimes we're not like that with our spouses," Tammy said. "But if you have a friend in your spouse, then my heart aches when we get into it. I'm like, 'Ok I'm ready to talk through this, let's get back.'"

The Franklins have been married since 1996. Before getting married to each other, Franklin and Tammy each had a child from previous relationships — Kirk's son Kerrion and Tammy's daughter Carrington. Together, they have two children — a daughter named Kennedy and a son named Caziah.

Meanwhile, Franklin earlier said that there's one thing he'll never do to his wife — cheat on her. When he married Tammy, Franklin said he made a promise to God to uphold his wife at all times.

"Men can be dumb at times, and want what's newer, fresher, or what our other 'head' thinks is better. But to fail Tammy is to fail God. To cheat on Tammy is to cheat on the Kingdom, my children, and even you," Franklin said, according to BET. "I'm not perfect, but I'm still in love with Tammy."