Thanking God For Friends

 Friends

I’ve been thinking about friends and friendships these days.  With recently being in the town where spent a number of my growing up years and my mom being so well known there, I saw all kinds of friends – some of whom I’ve known most of my life and others that have come alongside much more recently.

We all have friends we don’t know what we’d do without – friends who have been there for us through thick and thin – friends we could turn to when we needed help and they’d be there for us.   The Bible got it right when it says: 

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.  Proverbs 17:17

We are called by God to not just receive the support of friends but to give the same in return – and “pay it forward” to others.  We’re to build each other up in our faith, and pray for one another. 

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit … Jude 1:20

God we’re thankful today for all those friends who are and who have been those who’ve guided us and pointed us in the right direction.  Thanks for pastors, sponsors, small group leaders, teachers, coaches, those who are a little older than us who were there for us. All these people have helped to shape our character and bring hope and insight and comfort at some point in our journey.  We are who we are today because of their positive influence.  

Bless them Lord, if they are still living, whether they are distant or close to us, whether we continue to have contact with them or our journeys have gone down unique paths.  Fill them up with everything they need today.  Bring those around them who can support them and encourage them today, we pray.

The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends.  Proverbs 11:30

For that small circle of friends in our life that are the close friends, those we can share our heart with, those who will tell us the truth – even if it is uncomfortable – those we can laugh and cry with – those we don’t mind seeing us in our grubby clothes with our hair doing whatever it is doing.  Thank you for these ones we can bring ourselves to when we are feeling put together and when we think we are falling apart. 

Thanks for those friends who take interest in the things that matter to us, who take time to pay attention to what we’re saying, what we’re doing, what we’re needing.  It’s such an honour to be cared for by others and we give you thanks for these good and close friends who care for us. 

Thank you God for those who have befriended us when we weren’t all that easy to love and be around.  Thank you for their patience, their attention, their support, and their commitment to doing what they could to support us.  

Most of all, we are grateful for Your friendship God,  We would be absolutely hopeless without it.  While we were still far from being your friend You reached out to us.  While we were still Your enemies You died on the cross for us to pay the price for our sins.  You’ve called out to us over and over again when we were going the wrong way because You wanted to protect us and get us safely to where we needed to be.  You have stuck with us and You always will. 

Thank You today for the gift of friendship.  Amen