Silas
Beloved of All
Your honesty before the Lord is precious and He hears the desire of your heart to see Jesus known and glorified among your friends. That longing to introduce others to Him is the same heart that was shown when a new follower of Jesus made a feast and invited his own circle of friends, most of them outsiders to religious people, so they could meet Jesus. The religious leaders criticized Him for eating with such people, because in that culture to eat together meant to share life and become identified with one another, and they would never do that with those they considered sinners. Yet Jesus willingly drew near to sinners for the very purpose of bringing them to repentance and forgiveness, and Scripture is clear that He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
It is also understandable that you have felt difficulty in choosing to spend time with Him even while you want to. Even Jesus, with the constant pressure of multitudes and needs around Him, withdrew into quiet places to pray. Strength to walk faithfully does not come from our own resolve. The Scripture speaks of being continually filled with the Spirit, not a single moment but an ongoing dependence, and of redeeming the time by learning what is pleasing to the Lord and then doing it. Your faithfulness in praying, learning Scripture and gathering with believers is not wasted, and God sees it. When a year does not turn out as we envisioned, it is good to remember that His wisdom and understanding are far above ours. He is not a man that we can contend with on our own terms. His plans and His thoughts are higher than ours, and His way is to work for our good and His glory even when we cannot yet see how.
You asked for prayer to forgive a friend who has hurt you, and that you are not talking now. That pain is real. The proverbs say that faithful are the wounds of a friend, that even honest words between friends can hurt but are meant to heal, and that a friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity. There is also a friend who sticks closer than a brother, the Lord Jesus Himself, who is our example in forgiveness. Sin is ultimately against God and only God can forgive sin, as David prayed, have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Because we have been forgiven so much by Him, He calls us to forgive others. Forgiveness does not always mean the relationship is immediately restored or that hurt is ignored, but it does mean releasing the debt to God and choosing not to hold the offense with bitterness.
Your desire to avoid gossip and drama and to represent Christ well is wise. Scripture exhorts us to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather to let our lives show the fruit of light in goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is acceptable to the Lord. A critical or fault finding spirit quickly colors everything and harms both friendships and our witness, while the sweetness of a friend's hearty counsel and honest conversation, like iron sharpening iron, builds up and makes us sharper in our walk. To have friends we must show ourselves friendly, and that friendliness is shown in not carrying tales, in speaking truth in love, and in seeking peace.
Praying for you that the Lord would strengthen you in His might and not your own, that He would give you a renewed desire and discipline to meet with Him in prayer and in His Word, and that His continual filling would bear fruit in your life. Praying that He would open doors in His perfect way and timing for your friends to hear and see who Jesus is, and that He would be glorified in your circle as only He can save. And praying that He would give you grace to forgive as you have been forgiven, to guard your lips from gossip, to walk in wisdom, and to know deeply the friendship of Jesus who loves at all times.
May the Lord fill your mouth with joy as you trust His higher plans, and may He make you a faithful witness of His mercy to those around you.
It is also understandable that you have felt difficulty in choosing to spend time with Him even while you want to. Even Jesus, with the constant pressure of multitudes and needs around Him, withdrew into quiet places to pray. Strength to walk faithfully does not come from our own resolve. The Scripture speaks of being continually filled with the Spirit, not a single moment but an ongoing dependence, and of redeeming the time by learning what is pleasing to the Lord and then doing it. Your faithfulness in praying, learning Scripture and gathering with believers is not wasted, and God sees it. When a year does not turn out as we envisioned, it is good to remember that His wisdom and understanding are far above ours. He is not a man that we can contend with on our own terms. His plans and His thoughts are higher than ours, and His way is to work for our good and His glory even when we cannot yet see how.
You asked for prayer to forgive a friend who has hurt you, and that you are not talking now. That pain is real. The proverbs say that faithful are the wounds of a friend, that even honest words between friends can hurt but are meant to heal, and that a friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity. There is also a friend who sticks closer than a brother, the Lord Jesus Himself, who is our example in forgiveness. Sin is ultimately against God and only God can forgive sin, as David prayed, have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Because we have been forgiven so much by Him, He calls us to forgive others. Forgiveness does not always mean the relationship is immediately restored or that hurt is ignored, but it does mean releasing the debt to God and choosing not to hold the offense with bitterness.
Your desire to avoid gossip and drama and to represent Christ well is wise. Scripture exhorts us to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather to let our lives show the fruit of light in goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is acceptable to the Lord. A critical or fault finding spirit quickly colors everything and harms both friendships and our witness, while the sweetness of a friend's hearty counsel and honest conversation, like iron sharpening iron, builds up and makes us sharper in our walk. To have friends we must show ourselves friendly, and that friendliness is shown in not carrying tales, in speaking truth in love, and in seeking peace.
Praying for you that the Lord would strengthen you in His might and not your own, that He would give you a renewed desire and discipline to meet with Him in prayer and in His Word, and that His continual filling would bear fruit in your life. Praying that He would open doors in His perfect way and timing for your friends to hear and see who Jesus is, and that He would be glorified in your circle as only He can save. And praying that He would give you grace to forgive as you have been forgiven, to guard your lips from gossip, to walk in wisdom, and to know deeply the friendship of Jesus who loves at all times.
May the Lord fill your mouth with joy as you trust His higher plans, and may He make you a faithful witness of His mercy to those around you.
