A Friend in Need

The sweet smell of incense can make you feel good, but true friendship is better still.

Proverbs 27:9 (CEV)

God provides for all your needs—food and a house and money and clothes and medical care. But what about friends? Does he even care about that?

He definitely does! God designed us to need one another. So he is very invested in who you hang out with on Friday night and how you handle relationships. We need to choose the right people to be surrounded and influenced by. And we need to be a blessing to those we encounter.

There may be someone around you who is lonely and needs a friend. We can show gratitude to God for giving us the good gift of friends by befriending others. In a society where many people struggle with loneliness, we can be God’s warrior in the fight. While we can’t be everything every person needs, we can at least pray for them.

If you are the one who is lonely, keep praying and trusting God. And take a bold step to tell your parent or a caring adult about how you are feeling. Even though they love you very much, they are human and sometimes don’t recognize the tough feelings you are experiencing. Share your thoughts with them and ask for help. God put caring people in your life to help in moments just like these.

SPIRITUAL FITNESS TRAINING

While God wants us to take care of each other, there are times when we can’t be the friend a person needs. Still, we can pray for them. Who are you praying for? Is God telling you to take action to help? Think it through with the below prompts:

• Friends I Thank God For:
• People Who Seem Lonely:
• People I'd Like to Get to Know Better:
• People to Pray For:

INSPIRATION

“It’s almost impossible to live the right life when you have the wrong friends.”

—Craig Groeschel, American pastor and author

KEEP IT GOING

Related passages: These additional verses will help you expand Scriptural knowledge and place on the armor of God’s Word to tackle each day. Swipe to read the passages today.

Proverbs 17:17

Ecclesiastes 4:9–10

John 13:34

John 17:20–21