As we begin the new year, Converge churches and missionaries from around the globe will embark on 21 Days of Prayer. Join us on this prayer journey by reading the daily entries on Converge’s blog, or by downloading your free 21 Days of Impactful Prayer: Moving Forward guide. In addition, you can share daily posts from our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter feeds. Thank you for joining us as we open 2021 in prayer together.
Day 13: Understanding True Friendship
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you (John 15:12-15).
Reflections
How many friends do we really have who will stand by us when we really need them? How many friends do we have who sacrifice their time to support us? The truth is, no matter how much people say they are with us and for us, we basically live our daily lives alone.
We should never overestimate our friendship with others because, sooner or later, we are going to leave them, or they are going to leave us. Truth be told, it is during the middle of the midnight of our lives that we recognize and realize the only true friend we have is Jesus Christ. And he has promised never to leave us or forsake us.
Challenge
All friendships must be predicated upon our love, loyalty and commitment to Jesus Christ and his anointing. A true friend will encourage and admonish his or her friends to grow and glow in the holiness of God and to set an example for others. Anyone who suggests that we sin is not our true friend.
Prayer
Most gracious and loving God, as I go about this day grant me your grace to honor Jesus Christ as my best and holy friend. No one can be a better friend to me than Jesus. When it comes to my earthly friends, Lord, help me not to depend as much on them as I should depend on Jesus. Use me daily to represent your holiness before my friends, and remind me the best gift I can offer my friends is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Amen.
