Carrying Friends to God

 

“Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, 

just as in fact you are doing.” 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 

If social media were the scoreboard for friendship, mine might look like I am losing the game of friendship.

No matching T shirts. No annual girls' trip that requires a spreadsheet. If I pack a bag and hit the road, there is a good chance it involves a baseball field or a mission trip. And honestly, I love that. I could do baseball all year, and mission trips fuel my soul.

My life has been full in ways that do not always photograph well. Family. Church. Work. Ballparks. Serving. Faith. Those are the places my friendships were formed, and I would not trade them for anything.

That does not mean other kinds of friendships are not good. They are. It simply means God shaped my relationships inside the life I am already living.

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Mine were made in church hallways while serving shoulder to shoulder. On bleachers cheering and talking life between innings. In classrooms and offices with coworkers who help you survive hard days and laugh through the middle of them while also celebrating life's victories. They were not planned friendships. They were shared life friendships.

Scripture reminds us,

“A friend loves at all times.”     Proverbs 17:17

My family is my ultimate friend circle. And at the center of it all is my husband, my best friend. He holds my deepest secrets, my deepest hurts, and my deepest victories. He hears the prayers before they ever make it into full sentences.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”                Ecclesiastes 4:9 10

So why do we pray for friends?

Because encouragement does not stop at kind words. It continues in prayer. When Scripture tells us to encourage one another and build each other up, prayer becomes one of the most faithful ways we do that.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

We pray for friends because life does not pause just because friendship looks good on the outside. We know what our friends carry. The unseen worries. The long days. The quiet seasons of waiting. Prayer becomes the way we show up when fixing is not possible and advice is not needed.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:18

We pray for friends because prayer keeps us connected when schedules do not. It bridges the gaps between conversations and reminds us that closeness is not measured by frequency. It is measured by faithfulness.

Sometimes our prayers are specific, asking God for wisdom, direction, or peace. Other times they are simple, trusting God to work in ways we cannot see.

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“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.” Colossians 1:9

We pray for friends because we love them. Not to manage their lives or change their stories, but to trust God with them. Prayer releases us from needing to be everything for one another and invites God to do what only He can do.

And sometimes we pray because we remember what it feels like to be the one needing prayer. 

“Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16

One small practice has changed the way I pray for friends.

When someone asks for prayer, it is easy to say praying or send prayer hands emoji. And those responses come from a good place. But when I can, I try to send an actual prayer.

Sometimes it is just a few honest lines in a text. Sometimes it is written right into a comment when someone shares life online. Not polished. Not fancy. Just real words lifting real needs to God.

There is something powerful about seeing your name placed before the Lord.

Prayer slows us down. It turns intention into intercession. It turns a moment of scrolling into a moment of care.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12

Friendship comes in many forms. Some are loud and scheduled. Others are quiet and steady. Some gather often. Others meet in moments.

All of them matter.

And every one of them is worth carrying to God.

An Invitation: Letter to God

Before you close this page, pause for a moment.

Write a letter to God.

Not polished. Not edited. Just honest.

Write the names of the friends you are carrying right now. The ones who come to mind quickly and the ones you have not talked to in a while but still hold space in your heart. Tell God what you see in them. What they are facing. What you are trusting Him to handle. Praise God for trusting you with these friendships. 

This letter does not need structure. It just needs sincerity.

Sometimes writing slows our hearts enough to move us from saying we will pray to actually praying.

And when you are finished, let your words turn into prayer.

A Prayer for Our Friends

God,

Thank You for the friends You have placed in my life.

Thank You for the ones who walk closely beside me and the ones who walk at a distance but are still deeply connected. You see every relationship, every season, and every need far more clearly than I do.

Today, I lift my friends to You.

You know what they are carrying, spoken and unspoken.

Where they need strength, give them endurance.

Where they need wisdom, give them clarity.

Where they need peace, meet them right where they are.

Help me to be faithful in prayer.

Help me encourage and build them up just as You call us to do.

Teach me to carry my friends to You, trusting that You are already at work in their lives.

Thank You for the gift of friendship.

Thank You that no prayer is wasted and no friend is forgotten.

I place them in Your care.

Amen.

Hospitality Begins With GOD

I recently found myself sitting in a young ladies mentoring fellowship Bible study. As I looked around the room, I smiled and quietly giggled to myself. Somewhere along the way, I became the mentor. I am not exactly sure when I grew up or who decided I was qualified, but there I was, signing up to help guide younger women.

When it came time to choose a topic, I signed up to teach HOSPITALITY.

At first, it felt familiar. Hospitality sounds simple enough. Meals. Open homes. Welcoming people in. But the longer I sat with it, the more unsettled I became. I realized I did not want to teach what I thought hospitality was. I wanted to teach what God says hospitality is.

So instead of starting with experience, I went to Scripture. I wanted to approach this as a BIBLICAL THINKER, allowing God’s Word to define the subject rather than cultural assumptions. 

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“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”Romans 12:2

If you have read any of my other blog posts, you know there was a season where I pulled back for a while. I did not feel equipped to teach. God was doing a rebuilding work in me, restoring what I thought had been lost. I share more of that season in my Ezer Awakening: The Warrior Within blog post because it matters here. This lesson was not prepared from confidence, but from dependence on who my Creator is and who He created me to be. 

As I prayed about how to begin, the Lord gently said, go to what you know.

As a former senior English teacher, I slowed down. I annotated Scripture. I studied words. I looked for
meaning and context. I asked what the text was revealing about God before asking what it was asking of me.

And very quickly, one truth became clear.

HOSPITALITY BEGINS WITH GOD.

Before hospitality was ever practiced by God’s people, it was practiced by God Himself. Scripture consistently

That truth is beautifully captured in Aaron’s Blessing.

Aaron’s Blessing

GOD’s Model of Hospitality

Numbers 6:24–26

“The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”

This blessing is not a poetic closing or a hopeful wish. God instructed Aaron to speak these words over His people as a declaration of how He relates to them. 

Deeper Annotation and Meaning

“The LORD bless you and keep you”

To BLESS comes from the Hebrew word barak, meaning God’s active bestowing of favor, provision, and care. God bends toward His people with intention.

To KEEP comes from shamar, meaning to guard and watch over. God does not bless and then step away. What He blesses, He keeps with attentive care.

“The LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you”

When Scripture speaks of God making His FACE SHINE, it communicates favor, warmth, and delight. God’s presence brings light and reassurance.

To be GRACIOUS reflects God’s unearned kindness and faithful love. Grace flows from who God is, not from what we earn.

“The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace”

To LIFT HIS COUNTENANCE speaks of God’s full attention and approval. He is not distant or distracted.

The result is PEACE, or shalom. Wholeness, completeness, restored relationship, and well being. This peace exists even when life does not feel peaceful because it is rooted in God’s presence, not circumstances.

Understanding God’s hospitality reshaped how I read Scripture about the home, relationships, and submission

Submission

Ephesians 5:21–33

Mutual submission and sacrificial love

• “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (v.21)

• Wives are instructed to submit to their husbands as to the Lord (v.22)

• Husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her (v.25)

• The passage emphasizes the unity of husband and wife, stating they become one flesh (v.31)

• Ultimately, it highlights the mystery of the relationship between Christ and the church (v.32)

Colossians 3:18–19

Wives submit; husbands love and do not be harsh

• This passage speaks to the mutual respect, love, and submission that should exist within a Christian marriage

• It reflects the relationship between Christ and the Church

• This teaching does not advocate domination by one spouse over the other

• It promotes a harmonious and loving union where both spouses contribute to the flourishing of the marriage

Application

• Hospitality flows from Godly relationships and order

• Homes reflecting Christ’s love become natural places of BIBLICAL HOSPITALITY

• Guests experience God’s peace through an atmosphere shaped by love and grace

Biblical Thinker

Romans 12:2

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Biblical hospitality begins with how we THINK.

• Knowing God helps us understand who we are, since we are made in His image

• God is a hospitable God who invites, provides, and extends grace

• Renewing our mind aligns our thoughts with God’s truth

• A transformed mind enables us to see others with dignity and worth

Application

• Hospitality begins with a renewed mindset

• Prepare your heart before preparing your home

• Allow Scripture to shape how you welcome others

Obedient Follower

John 13:34–35

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Biblical hospitality is an act of obedience.

• JESUS loved humbly, sacrificially, and personally

• Hospitality reflects obedience to CHRIST’s command to love

• Obedience often interrupts comfort and convenience

Application

• Hospitality is obedience, not performance

• Choose faithfulness over convenience

• Love intentionally, even when it costs you

Gracious Friend

1 Peter 4:9–10

“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

Grace received is grace extended.

• Hospitality reflects love for believers and strangers

• Hospitality is stewardship of God’s grace

• GOD’s grace flows through us to others

Application

• Extend grace beyond your comfort zone

• Serve joyfully with what God has given you

• Practice hospitality without complaint

Fearless Voice

Romans 10:14–17

“How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in?”

Hospitality opens doors for the gospel.

• Faith comes from hearing the message of Christ

• Hospitality creates space for spiritual conversation

• God works through faithful presence and spoken truth

Application

• Pray before gatherings

• Share your faith story naturally

• Offer Scripture and prayer when appropriate

• Trust God with the outcome

Reflection to Biblical Hospitality

How would you respond differently in terms of hospitality if you knew JESUS was coming back tomorrow?

Would your table look different?

Would your schedule slow down?

Would your home feel less about perfection and more about presence?

Would your conversations carry more intention and grace?

Would you open your heart a little wider?

“The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” 1 Peter 4:7–9

Hospitality is not just about opening our homes.

It is about opening our lives.

A Response to God about Biblical Hospitality

A Letter to God

Take a few moments to pause and write a letter to God.

You may want to thank God for the ways He has welcomed you, protected you, and shown you grace. Ask Him to reveal where your heart may be guarded or distracted. Invite Him to renew your mind and soften your spirit.

You might write about

• areas where hospitality feels inconvenient

• relationships where peace feels difficult

• fears that keep you from opening your life to others

• ways you want your home and heart to reflect GOD more fully

Be honest. Be unhurried. Let this letter be a conversation between you and GOD, trusting that He meets you with grace and truth.

Dear GOD,

Thank You for welcoming me first. Thank You for blessing me, keeping me, and turning Your face toward me with grace and peace. I am grateful that I am never unseen or forgotten by You.

Renew my mind, LORD, so that I see others the way You see them. Help me choose presence over perfection and obedience over convenience. Teach me to trust You with my time, my home, and my heart.

Give me a willing spirit to love sacrificially, serve faithfully, and open my life without fear. Let my home and my relationships reflect Your peace, even when circumstances feel unsettled. Use me as a vessel of Your grace so that others may encounter Your love through the way I welcome, listen, and care.

In JESUS’ name,

Amen.