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 us well in every season of life. You will never leave us or forsake us, and there’s no ebbing or flowing with your compassion. You stick much closer than a brother, because you’ve so much more than a brother. You humbled yourself to become a spouse to us—the Bridegroom who died to make rebels, fools and idolaters, like us, your cherished wife. What wondrous love is this, indeed?
Your lavish, constant affection should spell the end to all our poutings and pity-parties—all of our whinings and worry-fests. It should also radically affect how we relate to our friends. I come before you today convinced of your love, and therefore, convicted about the way I relate to my friends, especially those in various stories and stages of adversity. I’ve been too busy even to pray for them. That’s a confession of sin, not an excuse or acceptable alibi.
Lord Jesus, I repent, even as I cry out on behalf of married friends who are floundering in the Bermuda triangle of hopelessness, anger and disconnect. Their number seems to be increasing every day. Adultery is a hard wound to heal, but with you all things are possible. Cold hard hearts can be thawed and softened by the gospel, do so for your glory and for the welfare of the kids. For the marriages, like gardens left unattended, un-weeded and unfertilized for years, bring the life-giving power of your resurrection to bear. Give me emotional strength, gospel-wisdom and heavenly hope for being a good friend.
I pray for another friend who’s suffered sequential business losses and financial reversals. He doesn’t have many options or tears left. He loves you, as only a broken man familiar with your grace can, but Jesus, he needs relief—he needs a job. He’s living in a perpetual fall, please bring spring to his soul. And for my young friend who feels like an old woman—whose health continues to be sabotaged and held hostage to chronic pain with no clear diagnosis, Jesus, for your fame and glory, please bring healing. It is one thing to be broken-hearted, but she’s nearly broken-down.
Gracious Lord, give us fire and faith for loving as all weather friends. We’re all invested in stories of broken, struggling and foolish friends. What do we do next? Do we get in our cars, buy an airline ticket, call up, show up? How can we best come along side of our friends? Show us, Jesus, lead us. So very Amen we pray, in your faithful and compassionate name.