Prayer for children suffering from friendship
Laura Bailey
Bible Reading:
“Walking with the wise man will become wise, for the fool’s companions will harm you.” – Proverbs 13:20 niv
Read or listen to the following:
I spotted my daughter coming down the aisle of the school. Still, as she slinks into the car, her arms crossed and the scowl locked in, and I gently asked, “How was your day?” I asked again, thinking that she probably didn’t listen to me. “It’s okay!” she groaned. Knowing that she would eventually share about her day, I gave her some space and quietly got into the house. As she unpacked the book bag, I saw tears fall from her face.
I approached her and offered her a plate of cookies as a peace offering. I asked, “Are you ready to talk about it now?” Through a muffled sob, she shared about being removed from the group project, forgotten at the lunch table and ignored during the break. Unfortunately, this was not the first time I had this conversation with my daughter. The girls at school were one day best friends, writing sweet notes, creating rooms at the table, cheering for each other, pretending to be the next one. This year it seemed to feature a whimsical friendship.
As I was holding my daughter, her wounds eventually turned to frustration. “Why do they do that? I’m not going to be friends with them anymore!” she announced. The relationship is generally complicated, but the girls are tired, it’s tired.
I remember the roller coaster of adolescent relationships. Especially when hormones are furious, people are trying to understand themselves, and it is difficult to learn to navigate relationships when life is constantly changing. I knew there was a high chance of tomorrow, but everything would return to normal, sin was soon forgotten. This is not what my daughter struggled with friendship.
Proverb 13:20 says, “Walking with the wise man will become wise, for the fellow fools will do harm.” In my daughter’s case, most friendships stemmed from immaturity. But learning when to leave the situation is a lesson I hope she learns soon, as you will ultimately cause harm. Friends have a strong influence on us. Therefore, we must choose our friends wisely.
Every relationship experiences ups and downs. They are “silly” and should not be cut out of our lives simply because someone hurts our feelings, says unkind words, or inviting us to events. Instead, one of the best tools we can teach children is identification. The Bible says that we should give grace and we should forgive immediately (Ephesians 4:31-32), but we do not say that we must be friends with everyone. We must understand that friendship is appropriate, but it causes attacks.
In my daughter’s case, we discussed how she could handle the situation better, as she wasn’t negligent in the girls’ drama that day. We talked about choosing to show forgiveness and the love of Christ. I shared the importance of choosing her and our friends wisely, and how she can be a good friend with others. The relationship is messy. Unfortunately, the older we get, the more complicated they become, but the struggle is worth it, as two are better than one (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
Let’s pray:
Thank you Heavenly Father for the gift of friendship. From the beginning of creation, you saw that it was not good for a man to be alone, and made him a companion. Lord, you have created a relationship to bring joy to your children, but even so, in a fallen world, they experience the effects of sin. So sometimes we are hurt by those we love, trust, admire and admire. In all circumstances, give us the power to forgive “our trespassing, because we will forgive those who oppose us” (Matthew 6:12). Lord, give us identification when dealing with others. Know when you are going to leave people. Help us when we seek peace, spread our grace and show love to others. Friendship is a real blessing. Can you treat me like that? In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Photo credit ©Getty Images/Lacheevi
Laura Bailey is an author and biblical teacher who encourages women to understand what they believe, why it matters, and how to apply biblical truths to their lives. Her recent book, embracing eternity here and now, explores how the timeless truths of the Church can help us today live a more peaceful, purposeful and abundant life.
She lives in northern South Carolina with her husband and three young girls. She is the director of the Ministry of Women at her church. Her passion is to teach the Bible to women and equip them to live in an eternal perspective. Invite Laura to speak at the next event or learn more: www.laurarabailey.com Connect via Facebook and Instagram.
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