The Gift of Friendship
Imagine with me for a moment that a friend sends you a text message asking you for a favor. Your friend explains in her text that she needs some food to offer her unexpected guests. It’s late and all the grocery stores are closed; yes, even Walmart! YOU are her only hope. It’s midnight.
The only reason why you read her text was because you forgot to put your phone on Do Not Disturb. The lights in your house were off, the kids were fast asleep, hubby is in his REM, and even the dogs were dreaming away! So here you are, sitting in bed, processing this text from your friend, and wondering how to respond.
What would you do? (We’ll come back to this question later.)
As I was reading scripture this week, my heart was so encouraged. I read reports and experiences from people encountering the love of Jesus and being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Every good and perfect thing comes from God. For from Him are all things and to Him are all things, He deserves the glory.
When we pray things change and shift. When we seek Jesus, we encounter His love.
The gifts that God has for us are good and His promises are true.
In Luke 11, Jesus explains to one of His disciples how to pray. Jesus had just arrived back from praying alone. Jesus understood the importance of prayer and never grew weary in prayer.
He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’
Honoring prayers are powerful prayers.
Humble prayers are powerful prayers.
Repentant prayers are powerful prayers.
So, remember your friend who texted you at midnight? Let’s read further along in Luke 11 about a similar situation:
Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
We often do things for our friends that are not always convenient or easy, but we do them because we truly care about those relationships. Back to the friend who texted when you were asleep in bed:
What would you do? #giveme10minutes
Think, for a moment, how much you care about your best friend. You would do anything for her, right? We are compelled to help our close friends out of our love and relationship with them.
· You would drop all your plans to help your best friend in a time of need.
· You would drive 10 + hours just to go visit for a weekend.
· You would give her a kidney if you had to, (okay maybe that’s too far),
but you get my point.
I have a best friend who lives in Buffalo, New York. We’ve been best friends since college. One of our traditions is to send each other gifts for our birthdays and Christmas. When the package arrives, we either Facetime or video when we open it up to capture our authentic response and participate in the JOY of giving. This is such a fun tradition that we have continued doing for over a decade. It’s a way we can connect since our friendship is long-distance.
Consider how much more God wants to give good gifts to His children. I love how simple and accessible Jesus is to us. When we pray, God does not hold anything back nor does He place contingents on our prayers. He loves us. He cares for us. He knows our needs.
What if every time you receive a text message you remember this story in Luke chapter 11? Take a moment to ask the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do. Think of how many prayers would be said if every time we picked up our phones, we would first talk to Jesus.
That’s a whole lotta praying ladies but consider it an opportunity to be a vessel of God’s love in the relationships that you have. The Holy Spirit wants to be invited into your exchanges with others. You never know unless you ask. Unless you seek. Unless you knock.
Come Holy Spirit!
Bethany Marshall
