FRIENDSHIP AND PRAYER

I think that friendship is such an important facet of life. In no way, am I an expert on the subject, but I’ve learned many things about friendship, as I’m sure you have, along your life’s journey. However, it is not often put into print. Well, perhaps it is — in our personal journals.

One of the most interesting things that I’ve learned about friendship is the element of prayer. Have you ever met someone for the first time and before the encounter was over, you felt that you wanted to get to know them better or you felt that you would like to become friends with that person? Perhaps you’ve known of them, from afar and feel that you have quite a few things in common or perhaps they just have the light of Jesus all about them. At any rate, your spirit is attracted to theirs. What I’ve learned is, if we experience any of this, one of the most powerful actions to take (in addition to showing ourselves friendly) is to sincerely pray for that individual, in our prayer time. In every way that we can think of, pray for them. Pray for their relationship with the Lord, pray for their family, pray for success in their respective endeavors, pray for their good health, and pray that their needs are met. Lastly, pray that the Lord will show you whether it is His will that you become close friends. My experience has been that the Lord will show me. Sometimes it’s through additional encounters with that person; sometimes He reveals things about them, in our spirit. The end result is that you will truly begin to know whether it is a friendship that is within the will of the Lord.

Two years ago, I met Elvira, in our work (both are teachers and we are working together). Elvira always greeted me with a smile, and for some reason, we felt that we are good friends. Yes, we had some things in common, but it seemed to be a bit more than that. My thoughts were that she was a person that I’d like to get to know better. I thought that she had a wonderful spirit and a friendly smile. We began to pray, she pray for me and I pray for her, in our prayer times. I even asked the Lord, how I could be a blessing to her. She has one wonderful mother, they presently are my  roommate, I have been  blessing with this friendship, because they always are ready foy help me in all, they are one blessing from God.

We, now, encourage and pray for each other. We are on our way to developing, what I believe will be a long lasting friendship. I believe that our friendship and care for each other began developing beyond acquaintances due to my intentional prayers for her. It will be sustained the same way.

Prayer, as it is in all relationships, is powerful and necessary in determining, developing and sustaining our close friendships.

“A man that hath friends must show himself friendly…” Proverbs 18.24 (KJV)

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit…” Ephesians 6:18 (KJV)