Heavenly Father,
We offer You our gratitude for the gift of friendship. We humbly request that You bless our friendships, drawing us closer to one another and to You. We pray that You would use our friendships to bring glory to Your Name and serve as a beacon of light to those around us. We ask for the strength and wisdom to be good friends, to be faithful and supportive, truthful and kind, and forgiving and understanding.
We humbly ask You to heal any broken relationships in our lives and to bring about reconciliation where there is division. We ask You to grant us the courage to reach out to those who are lonely and in need of a friend. We also pray for patience and willingness to be a friend to those who may not be easy to befriend.
We give You thanks for the friends You have brought into our lives and ask that You continue to guide and bless our friendships. We pray that You would help us to be the kind of friends that You desire us to be and that You would help us to see the value and importance of friendship in our lives.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Suggested Bible Readings
Proverbs 17:17 ESV
A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 ESV
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!
1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
Proverbs 27:9 ESV
Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.
Proverbs 18:24 ESV
A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 12:26 ESV
One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Proverbs 27:17 ESV
Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.
Must-Read Christian Books
Desiring God
Piper unpacks "Christian Hedonism": that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him, grounded in Scripture.
View on Amazon
The Cross of Christ
A profound exploration of the meaning and power of the cross at the center of Christian faith and life.
View on Amazon
The Pilgrim's Progress
A classic allegory of the Christian journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, saturated with Scripture.
View on Amazon
The Holiness of God
Sproul unfolds the blazing holiness of God and why a right fear of the Lord is vital to true worship.
View on Amazon
The Reason for God
Thoughtful, biblical responses to common objections to Christianity, aimed at skeptics and believers alike.
View on Amazon
Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God
A robust, Scripture-saturated theology of prayer with practical guidance for deepening communion with God.
View on Amazon
Faith Alone
Defends justification by faith alone as the heart of the biblical gospel and Reformation.
View on Amazon
The God Who Is There
Shows how the God of the Bible speaks into modern philosophical and cultural confusion.
View on Amazon
The Discipline of Grace
Shows how God's grace and our disciplined effort work together in sanctification.
View on Amazon
The Trellis and the Vine
A vision for church ministry centered on disciple-making rather than mere structures and programs.
View on Amazon
Redemption Accomplished and Applied
A concise, biblical study of Christ's atonement and the application of salvation to believers.
View on Amazon
Communion with God
Explores how believers enjoy distinct fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
View on Amazon
Just Do Something
A wise, biblical approach to knowing God's will without paralysis or mysticism.
View on Amazon
Worship Matters
Helps worship leaders and churches keep the gospel central in congregational worship.
View on Amazon
God's Glory in Salvation through Judgment
Argues that God's glory in salvation through judgment is the central theme of Scripture.
View on Amazon
Gentle and Lowly
Meditates on Christ's heart for sinners and sufferers from key biblical texts.
View on Amazon
Shepherding a Child's Heart
Biblical parenting that aims at a child's heart, not just outward behavior.
View on Amazon