“As iron sharpens iron,
so a friend sharpens a friend.”
Proverbs 27:17NLT
I have held this verse close to my heart for 16 years now. It hangs proudly in the center of my dining room and is tucked securely inside my wallet.
This was the first verse my soon-to-be husband gave me while we were dating. He had written it on a piece of paper and folded it up neatly in his pocket. When he saw me between classes, he handed it to me and said, “This verse is what I will strive to do for you. I just want you to know that and I pray you will accept the challenge to do this for me, too.” And he was off to class, leaving me there to unwrap the best gift given to me: A promise.
Sixteen years later (12 of them married),
through every season traveled,
I can tell you he has held up to this promise.
This verse is the perfect definition of a true friend to me. A friend that is honest with you above all else. One who sees your potential even when you’re at your worst. One who never gives up on you and encourages you to keep striving. One who knows you’re worth the effort — the extra energy and friction required to help a friend be their best.
And I want to be a friend like that.
My friends deserve my best.
And so I pray:
Father, thank You so much for blessing me with tremendous friends, near and far. I don’t deserve any of them, but want to give them the friendship they deserve. Help me to see what they need. Show me the ways I can bless them most. Give me the words to share when they need some extra guidance. May I shower them with Your grace as I encourage them on their path to You, Lord. And may I hold Your glory above all else. For in doing so I know our friendship will bloom. And joy will be our shared reward. . . .
How about you? How do you pray for your friends? How do you sharpen them? I’d love to hear.
Thanks for sharing your time with me.
Simply striving,
Nikki
NOTE: You can view all of my Praying Through Proverbs Posts HERE.