A friend loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17).
Our Father and our God, as we count our blessings and lift our gratitude list in praise, we remember our friends. Thank You for the gift of friendship. We think of the special friends who have been part of our journey since childhood, and those who have blessed our lives in later seasons and stages.
We think of the many ways our friends come alongside us through all the ups and downs of life—in the joys and the sorrows, the laughter and the tears. Thank you for their loyal presence, their encouraging words, and their wise counsel. Thank You for their listening ears, their steady hands, and their strong shoulders. Thank You for their kind honesty, their unwavering support and their fervent prayers.
Father, most of all, thank You for setting us the ultimate example of friendship in Jesus who declared, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13), and then promptly laid down His life for all humanity. We lift our gratitude to You for His sacrifice that made a way for us to come to You.
And thank You for friends, who, though not literally called to sacrifice their lives, selflessly give of their time and support, often at great cost and sacrifice. Help us not to take them for granted, or to mishandle their grace, but instead to walk with them in true friendship and in love.
Lord, we are truly grateful for the benefit of friendship!
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