A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17
Dear Lord Jesus, there’s no question about your commitment to love me well in every season of life. You’ll never leave me or forsake me. You stick much closer than a brother, because you’ve so much more than a brother. You actually humbled yourself to become a spouse to me—the Bridegroom who died to make rebels, fools and idolaters, like me, your beloved Bride and cherished wife. What wondrous love is this, indeed?
Such lavish, constant, kind-hearted affection should spell the end to all my all my poutings and pity-parties… all my whinings and worry-fests. But it should also radically affect how I relate to my friends. I come before you today convinced of your love, and therefore, convicted about the way I relate to my friends… especially those who are in various stories and stages of adversity. I’ve been too busy for them, Jesus, even to pray for them. That’s a confession of sin, not an excuse or an alibi…
So I repent, and I bring before your throne of grace a friend who is stuck in the quagmire of a toxic marriage. He simply doesn’t know what to do. His heart is treading water in the Bermuda triangle of hopelessness, rage and numbness. Show me how to love him well, Jesus. I need wisdom. I need courage. Oh God of resurrection, bring the power of the gospel to bear. Please help my friend and redeem his marriage.
I also pray for a friend who has suffered sequential betrayals and losses… for years. His eyes glisten with tears of disappointment, confusion and a muted-anger. His life exudes the aroma of grace, as only a broken man filled with the gospel can, but Jesus, I pray for relief. How much is too much? How much can more can this one brother sustain? It’s one thing to be broken-hearted but another to be broken-down.
As I rise from my knees, Lord Jesus, show me… show us… what do to next, Jesus. Do we get in our cars, buy an airline ticket… call up, show up? How can we best come along side of our friends? So very Amen, I pray… we pray… in your all-times loving well name.