A Prayer About Friendship

When I want to be more open to those I care about

HOLY SPIRIT,

I am so grateful for my friends. I’m afraid, however, that I am not always the kind of friend that I should be. Some of these relationships have drifted to the superficial. That is, my friends and I like each other and spend time together; but I don’t share from my heart, and I am afraid to speak truth. At times I let petty disagreements over issues such as politics, favorite teams, or movies come between us. Friendship should transcend those differences, but I magnify them. I want to be a better friend. Jesus said that we should love each other, and his kind of love thinks of the other person first and not my own agenda or preferences. Friendship also involves confrontation—one person telling the other hard truths about morality, ethics, and other life choices. I confess that I have not been open to those conversations and have, rather, been defensive and irritated. Spirit, I want to change, to be the right kind of friend. Please continue to convict me of my callous indifference and pride. Help me to love.

[Jesus said,] “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:12-13