Heavenly Father,
We come to You in humility and gratitude, giving You thanks for the blessings of friendship. We know that in You, true friendship is founded on love, trust and mutual respect. We ask that You bless our current friendships, and bring new ones into our lives as You see fit.
We pray that You would guide us to be true friends, to one another and to others, always speaking truth in love, and showing kindness and compassion. We ask for the courage to forgive and to be forgiven, to accept and to be accepted, to serve and to be served, and to be patient with one another’s faults.
We ask You to lead us to friends who will challenge us to grow in our walk with You and who will encourage us to remain faithful to Your Word and Will. Help us to be a good influence on our friends, and to not be swayed by the ways of the world.
We trust in Your goodness and faithfulness, and we know that You will always be with us, even when we feel alone.
We give You all the honor, glory, and praise, now and forever. Amen.
Suggested Bible Readings
Proverbs 17:17 ESV
A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 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! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand hima threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Proverbs 18:24 ESV
A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Must-Read Christian Books
Mere Christianity
Lewis lays out the core beliefs of the Christian faith with clarity, logic, and imagination, rooted in Scripture.
View on Amazon
Holiness
A rich, pastoral treatment of sin, sanctification, and the fight for holiness in the Christian life, deeply rooted in Scripture.
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
Pilgrim Theology
An accessible summary of Reformed theology that connects doctrine to the Christian life.
View on Amazon
Respectable Sins
Exposes the "ordinary" sins Christians often tolerate and calls us to gospel-driven holiness.
View on Amazon
The Enemy Within
A modern, accessible summary of John Owen's teaching on indwelling sin and the believer's battle.
View on Amazon
Overcoming Sin and Temptation
A classic Puritan work on mortifying sin and living in the power of the Spirit.
View on Amazon
Future Grace
Argues that faith in God's future grace frees believers from the enslaving power of sin.
View on Amazon
Don't Waste Your Life
A passionate plea to live for Christ's glory rather than trivial pursuits.
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
The Bruised Reed
A tender Puritan work on Christ's gentleness toward weak and struggling believers.
View on Amazon
The Bondage of the Will
Luther's classic defense of the Bible's teaching on human sin and God's sovereign grace.
View on Amazon
Christ-Centered Preaching
A standard textbook on preaching that shows how to proclaim Christ from all of Scripture.
View on Amazon
Preaching and Preachers
Classic lectures on the nature and power of biblical preaching.
View on Amazon
Religious Affections
Examines the nature of true spiritual experience and the marks of genuine conversion.
View on Amazon
The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment
Teaches believers how to distinguish truth from error using Scripture.
View on Amazon