Fire and Faith for Loving

Scotty Smith:  A Prayer about All-Weather Friendship

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17

     Jesus, there’s no question about your commitment to love us well in every season of life. You will never leave us or forsake us, and there’s no ebbing or flowing with your compassion. You stick much closer than a brother, because you’ve so much more than a brother. You humbled yourself to become a spouse to us—the Bridegroom who died to make rebels, fools and idolaters, like us, your cherished wife. What wondrous love is this, indeed?
     Your lavish, constant affection should spell the end to all our poutings and pity-parties—all of our whinings and worry-fests.  It should also radically affect how we relate to our friends. I come before you today convinced of your love, and therefore, convicted about the way I relate to my friends, especially those in various stories and stages of adversity. I’ve been too busy even to pray for them. That’s a confession of sin, not an excuse or an alibi.
     I repent, even as I bring before your throne of grace a friend who is stuck in the throes of a toxic marriage. He simply doesn’t know what to do. His heart is treading water in the Bermuda triangle of hopelessness, rage and numbness. Show me how to love him well. I need wisdom. I need courage. Oh God of resurrection, bring the power of the gospel to bear. Give his wife hope than men can change—that her husband can change. Please, redeem this marriage for your glory.
     I pray for another friend who’s suffered sequential betrayals and losses. He’s beyond being angry and he doesn’t have many tears left. He loves you, as only a broken man filled with the gospel can, but Jesus, he needs relief. His willingness to trust and hope are gone. How much is too much? How much can more can this one brother sustain? It is one thing to be broken-hearted, but he is nearly broken-down. Please intervene, Jesus.
     Gracious Lord, give us fire and faith for loving as all weather friends. What do we do next? Do we get in our cars, buy an airline ticket, call up, show up? How can we best come along side of our hurting friends? Show us, Jesus, lead us. So very Amen, we pray, in your faithful and compassionate name.