For a while now, God has called upon my heart the importance of friendship. As an only child, my friends quickly became the ones that I choose as family. When I moved to a new town and left my friends to make new relationships I was struck with how much we relied on each other.
My friends were the ones that I went to when I was sick, needed advice, when they needed a home, etc. We were there for each other.
As I started making it a priority to pray for these people I wondered how their lives would change if I focused on them for a month a time. Praying for them specifically, seeking their sin struggles, and desiring to restore their hearts. How can God use us to help our friends?
He has placed them in our lives and we have the honor to ask God for their protection, guidance, and love. What would happen to our relationships if we spent the whole year praying for each of them at different times? Let’s find out.
Every month we will set out to pray over a new friend. I will send you a reminder for the upcoming month's prayer. I will be praying for your friends too.
To do this month:
Read the story of Ruth. How does that friendship relate to the one God gave you?
Text your friend that you are thankful for them.
Host your friend at yo ur house to spend time with one another.
Prayers:
Thank the Lord for this friend. He has blessed you with a really special bond - thank Him for that.
God choose to give you this friend at a specific time in your life. Consider what that time was and the season you both were in. Share with God how that makes you feel and what you have gained from this friendship He gave you.
Lift up your friend to the Lord. As for protection and blessing on them this week. Pray that the Lord would work in them through grace and knowledge. Pray that love and grace would speak into their lives.
Ask for unity among you and your friend. Ask the Lord to weave you together as you move closer to Him.
To do this month:
Make time this Month with this friend to read your bible together and talk through passages. Being in community is key for the Kingdom of God!
Prayers:
The Lord brought this friend into your life to bring encouragement. Thank Him for the work He has done through this friendship.
Consider how he has used this friendship in difficult seasons. Maybe you were questioning faith, needed accountability, or had a really difficult time. Thank the Lord for his use of this friend and ask that he continue to do good works through this friendship.
Praise God for the gifts and talents of this friend. Ask the Lord for blessing upon this friend and pray that would grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
To do this month:
Do something for your friend this Month that shows gratitude.
Prayers:
Thank the Lord that he has provided a person who supplies wisdom for your life. Thank the Lord for what she has done in your life - joy, encouragement, blessings, etc.
Pray for the Lord to bless her, use her, strengthen her, protect her, comfort her, and refresh her.
Pray that God would teach her something this Month that would strength her knowledge of Jesus and grow in grace toward Jesus.
To do this month:
Let them know you are praying for them.
Prayer:
Lift up your friend to do the Lord. Share with him what you are seeing being done to your friend.
Share your concerns to the Lord.
Pray for peace and ask God to end the warfare.
To do this month:
Send a text to your friend today with a bible verse and a prayer.
Prayer:
Share with the Lord your love for friend. Tell Him how you feel about their lack of continued commitment to Christ.
Ask the Lord how you can be used to help your friend draw into Christ. Pray that God would turn their hearts back to Him. Pray that your friend will call Him Savior again.
Ask the Lord to redeem your friendship.
To do this month:
After thoughtful prayer, bring your Bible to work and pray for opportunities to share.
Get lunch with your friend this week. If you have the means, buy them lunch!
Give a compliment to your friend.
Prayers:
Thank the Lord for your opportunity to be at your place of work and lift up your friend.
The Lord has placed you here for a specific purpose. Ask Him to help you fulfill the purpose for the good of your friend at work.
Ask the Lord to demonstrate grace, friendliness, and joy toward your friend at work. Ask the Lord to help you show life in a godly and friendly manner towards people at work.
Pray that God would place an opportunity where you can share the word at work and confidently follow through with any questions your friend may have.
The Lord knows your friends better than you do. Pray that God would use you to speak life into whatever situation is heavy on their heart.
To do this month:
Visit your friend this week. Pray a prayer over their healing with them.
Prayers:
Lift up your friend to the Lord who has a serious illness. He knows the intricacies of this illness.
Ask the Lord to help you and your friend turn to Him in this time of distress.
Pray that God’s comfort would pour over both of your hearts. Pray for strength in your hearts, calm of your fears, and blessing of hope.
Give your friend to God so that he would love them deeply and mark them with a healing touch.
Pray that God’s power would reach out to your friend and flood healing into the broken body of your friend.
To do this month:
Bring a meal to the new family and serve them while they sit at the table to spend quality time together.
Prayer:
Thank the Lord that this child has been born. Pray over their life that they would know Christ, make Him known, and be blessed from His grace.
Pray for your friend that she would be able to take care of herself during this new season. Pray for her patience, her strong will, her grace, and her love over this child.
Ask the Lord to bless the new family this season.
To do this month:
Ask your friend to a coffee date and listen.
Prayer:
Thank the Lord for this new marriage. Ask that He would bless their time together as a couple as they grow closer to Christ.
Pray for their years to come as a married couple. Pray over them individually so that they can stir each other on toward God.
To do this month:
Do something special for your friend this month.
Prayer:
Thank the Lord for putting this friend in your life. Ask that he would use you in this friendship for your friend.
Pray for healing over your friend during this time.
To do this month:
Have your friend over for dinner and share with them how special your friendship is to you.
Prayers:
Thank God for your sweet friend who is willing to be encouragement in your life.
Ask that God would do something special for your friend this month. Pray that he would answer a specific prayer that you know they have been asking for.
Pray that you could be an encouragement to them during this time. Ask for wisdom from the Lord that he would use you to be the best encouragement for them.
To do this month:
Send an email to your friend encouraging them about this new experience.
Prayer:
Thank God for providing for your friend during this time.
Ask the Lord to provide your friend with friendly co-workers, opportunities to share the gospel, and peace in their new relationships with supervisors.
Pray that God would provide a smooth transition for your friend and that He would help them be confident.