It’s so refreshing to reconnect with a close friend. Have you ever spent time with someone you hadn’t seen in a while and felt like you never missed a beat? Friends are such a blessing. Today we are going to pray for our friendships.
In the years I spent as a young homeschooling mom, it was so important to see other adults, even if it was just while the kids all played together. My church community was so important in those years. It was nice for the kids to get together, but it also allowed me to be with people who were in the same life stage as I was.
As life got busier, I had less and less time to spend with my friends. I was never one for a “girls night out,” so I didn’t tend to do that very much. As a young wife, I usually preferred to go out with my husband as a couple. As my kids got older and had their own activities, I found that it was important to get together with my own friends, even if it was just for a cup of coffee.
Day 28- Praying for your friends
Prayer is a beautiful thing when it is friends carrying each other’s burdens. Sometimes, people pray for their friends for specific reasons. Prayer is also helpful when someone is going through a difficult time.
For a lot of us, praying on our own for our friends may be a new thing. If I think about my friends, I can think of a lot of things to pray for because I know much of what they are going through.
In our friendships, we usually talk a lot about our lives and what is going on. We share our ups and downs, and everything in between.
We share in the beautiful celebrations and life events, and we are part of the sad times too.
But, what about those things that your friends wish you knew but for some reason, they are afraid to share? Sometimes, I think people are having a hard time with things they are afraid or uncomfortable sharing with even their closest friends.
There are a lot of reasons people don’t talk about what they are going through. Sometimes it is because they are afraid of how people will see them. Sometimes, there are things our friends go through that they haven’t quite figured out how to talk about yet. One of my prayers for today is that the people I call friends feel safe enough to be honest with me if there are things they are struggling with.
If you are having a hard time right now, it is healthy to find someone to confide in. A close friend, a pastor, or even a professional counselor may be the right choice.
Today, when you pray for your friends, pray that they never feel alone.
Pray that they feel comfortable coming to you with anything they are having a tough time managing alone. Ask God to be with them whenever they are having trouble, and pray that they are safe and emotionally healthy until they have an opportunity to talk to someone about it.
You can pray for your friendships to stay healthy.
Sometimes, relationships change over time. We get older, things happen in our lives, we get a different job, etc. We sometimes move into new lifestyle roles and even change where we live. All of these things change the way we connect with the people around us.
Many things can make friendships change. We may not have the same kind of relationships we had when we were younger. Ask God to help you. Pray that God protects those relationships you were meant to have.
I think about the friends I had when my kids were growing up. They have changed for a number of different reasons. Even if your friendships change, you can ask God to bless the people you have in your life. Pray for God to be with those friends that you don’t see as often too. If you aren’t as close as you once were, God still sees them and knows what they need.
When you pray, remember those that are close, and also the ones that are at a distance.
As our lives change, it is hard to keep our relationships strong.
Sometimes, friendships fade. It is a real thing. It may not be the most comfortable topic, but it does happen. It is so beautiful if you have friendships that you’ve had for many years. But most of us have had one or two relationships that changed over time too.
It can be very painful for you both to grow apart. There are so many reasons these things happen. Sometimes it is because your circumstances have changed. Sometimes it is because you live far away. Sometimes, even changing churches can cause people to grow apart. This happens a lot. When we change where we go every Sunday, it is hard to stay connected to the people who we don’t see very often anymore.
At times, because we’ve changed, friendships feel pressured. It can seem like things just don’t work very well anymore. Try and try again, but if all the times you try to put things back together aren’t working, it is best to bring that relationship to God.
It is difficult to know whether to try and repair an old friendship. Sometimes, depending on the reason that you aren’t connected, it’s best to let God guide you in that decision. Pray about how to handle those situations. Each one is different.
If you have a close friend who you have not connected with in a long time, pray for that person.
Maybe it is a good time to try and make plans to get together again. If you are far away, and you can’t physically get together, sometimes it is refreshing to have a conversation.
Text and email is great, but hearing the voice of someone special is really a great blessing. Let them know you are special to them. We don’t often tell the important people in our lives how much they mean to us.
Friendships are an incredible gift from God. No matter what your relationships look like, we should remember to keep our friends in our prayers.
My prayer today:
Dear God,
Today I lift up my friends to you in prayer. Thank you for the friends that I have and the people I have been blessed to be friends with in my life. Today, I ask you to bless the friends I have and cover them with your love. Help them in the struggles they have shared with me and also the struggles they have not. God, if you want me to be a helper to them in any way, I ask that you open those doors so they can share their heart with me. If any of my friends needs anything from me, I ask you to help me to do that in whatever way is your will. Protect my words, protect the conversations, and protect my heart if I am called to that.
God, I ask that you shield the relationships that I have now and guide us. Help me to be a good and faithful friend to the people around me. Show me how to be the friend you want me to be to those in my life who I’ve known a long time, and lead me down the right path with new people I am starting to know better. Help me to protect my words and help me to know what to say in difficult situations.
Lord, I give back to you any of my friendships that need healing. I ask that friendships from the past be renewed if it is in your will. Any old relationships that have hurt my heart, I ask that you help me to know what I need to let go of, and what things I need to pursue further. Forgive me for any mistakes I have made in my friendships. Bring restoration wherever it is necessary.
I ask you to be with those friends I don’t see anymore. Lord, you know what they need, even if I don’t. Please protect them and give them happiness, joy, good health, and prosperity in their lives today. Bring them comfort if they are hurting, and give them blessings and laughter today wherever they are.
Lord, I am so thankful for the gift that friendships have been to me, and I thank you for allowing me to learn so much about you from those close relationships.
Amen
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¹Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
