Guided Gratitude: Friends
Welcome to Day 3 of our Guided Gratitude series leading up to Thanksgiving Day!
Within the Bible, have you noticed whenever someone wrote a letter or began a conversation, they started with “Dear Friend”?
Throughout the old and new testaments you will read scriptures that talk about friends and how we should treat one another. Jesus even shares this with his disciples:
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)
Jesus is showing us that having a friend is someone that we can share ourselves with. We understand that friendships mean a lot to us. Whether we have one or one hundred friends, it is important to reflect on our friendships and make sure that we stay connected with each other.
Daily Gratitude Prompt
Start by saying "Today, I am grateful for friends.” This might be easy for some of you and hard for others. Which group can you relate to? Do you look at your friends as a good thing or a struggle?
If your answer is a good thing:
Think about what you can do to lend a hand to those that need a friend? How can you continue to sharpen each other (Proverbs 27:17)?
If your answer is a struggle:
Start with what you have today. Think about your current friends - could you reach out to them more? Focus on the characteristics that you enjoy about your current friends and how they inspire/influence you.
Daily Gratitude Scripture
Verse 1: Proverbs 27:9 NIV
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.
Verse 2: Proverbs 27:17 NIV
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
Gratitude in Practice: Meditate on these scriptures today. Dive deeper by researching the original translation or re-writing them over and over (this is called “scripture writing”).
Daily Gratitude Prayer
Lord, hear my prayer.
Thank you for the friends that I have. Help me to strengthen those friendships through wisdom and love. Guide my friendships to bring you honor and to build a community that will lend a helping hand to whoever needs a friend.
Amen
