Friends Are Blessings & What We Can Do For Them

As most of you know, i've been dealing with physical pain & lack of mobility for awhile now. But do you know that i am very thankful for this affliction? I am! I'm thankful, that i have learned how many people really do care for me & are praying for me. I've always known that i have been blessed by a wonderful circle of friends that have always been a great support system & i thank God for them every day. But i never realized, until recently, how large that circle has grown. I can never thank God enough for so many blessings!

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Reflecting on all this today, it made me think of how we pray for our friends. Very often, i just say thank You & ask for God's blessings on them. There's nothing wrong with that. Often, we don't know what's really going on with our friends & that's fine too. God knows. But yesterday, i read something that was placed on my heart to share with you today.

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In Colossians, Chapter 1, Paul sends a powerful prayer for his fellow Christians. Now, i don't know how many times i have read this passage. And i'm sure that i am not the only one who may read some scripture & then just go on. But today, i'm asking you today to read this prayer as i did yesterday & i have broken it down just that way.

"...Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you & asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom & understanding.

"And we pray this in order that you may have a life worthy of the Lord & may please Him in every way:

"bearing fruit in every good work,

"growing in the knowledge of God,

"being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance & patience,

"and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

"For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness & brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves

"in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Colossians 1:9-12 (NIV)

I hope that you felt the power of this prayer as i did.

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Yes, we can always go to Jesus in our time of need & in our friends' time of need. We ARE connected to the One who has authority over ALL things....knows ALL things...loves us UNCONDITIONALLY. He wants to hear our hearts' desires, & bless us with His wisdom & strength to walk in His ways. And He wants that for your friends too! Just as you do. Think about someone whose eternal life you are concerned about. Then, using Paul's powerful example, daily pray & petition God to work in that person's life. There are several people that i have been concerned about their eternal life. So, i am vowing to do this - to intercede for some dear friends. And in faith, i KNOW that i'm going to watch & see how God changes their lives & experience the blessings of His good works.