Prayers for those who have lost touch with a loved one Being a Good Friend A dear friend of mine sent me a text message that said, “I’m so glad we can tell each other the good, the bad and the ugly!” We have been friends for many years, and we have learned to share our joys and our failures; especially when life is making things difficult for us. We recognise we are far from perfect, so we share our struggles and rejoice in each other’s successes to make sure we are always able to encourage one another in the Lord. David and Jonathan had a solid friendship too, beginning with the good days of David’s victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 18:1–4). They shared their fears during the bad days of Jonathan’s father’s jealousy (18:6–11; 20:1–2). Finally, they suffered together during the ugly days of Saul’s plans to kill David (20:42). Maintaining close friendships has been incredibly hard during this season of isolation. Yet good friends don’t abandon one another when external circumstances change. Even if you feel disconnected from someone important, you can still reach out with the compassion and companionship David and Jonathon displayed. Distance need not stop us pointing one another to God in the ugly and difficult days. Real friendships are a gift from God because they exemplify the perfect Friend, who remains loyal through the good, the bad and the ugly days. As the Lord reminds us, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Who would you like to reconnect with and encourage? Why not pray for them, and for an opportunity to catch up? God will use and bless your act of friendship. Adapted from the Our Daily Bread article “The Good, the Bad, the Ugly” by Keila Ochoa
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