Praying With Your Friends
Why is it more difficult to pray with those we are closest to?
Maybe this is just me, but I have always struggled to pray with (not necessarily for) my closest friends.
For some reason, I get so much more nervous praying for a loved one or a dear friend than I do a total stranger.
I’m sure it has a lot to do with caring more what the person you are praying with thinks of your ability to pray…and that makes you get more nervous.
But, at the same time, when we remember that prayer isn’t just about us, that prayer is for the good of the entire community of Jesus Christ, then it makes more sense, right?
Praying with someone you are close with, emotionally intimate with in some way, makes it feel more real. It makes it harder to pray because you want the prayers to be true and comforting so much more than with a random stranger.
And that adds a whole lot of emotion and commotion in your prayers with your friends.
There is no greater love than laying down one’s life for a friend (a paraphrase of John 15:13).
And, in some small way, praying with a dear friend is a type of laying down of your life.
You are humbling yourself not just before God but before them…and on their behalf…before God. Someone you care about deeply.
Praying for our friends is important…praying with our friends is imperative.
It’s an act of sacrifice, an act of love, and a forgotten practice.
My prayer for today
Our Father, help us to pray with and for our closest relationships. Remind us that love is an action and a choice, and one that means the most to those who know and understand the sacrifice being made. Amen.
Remember
Your prayers with your friends don’t have to be fancy…just genuine.
In fact, try typing out a quick text with a prayer for a friend right now. Or, take it up another level and record a quick voice message prayer.
I promise you, it will mean far more than you think…for both of you!