1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: And he said, my presence shall go with thee, and 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:11,400 Speaker 1: I will give thee rest. Exodus thirty three fourteen. Thank 3 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: you Lord, that your burden is easy and your yoke 4 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: is light. When your presence goes with me, you do 5 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: the heavy lifting, and I can learn from you. If 6 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: I quiet my anxious thoughts and realize you are with me, 7 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: I don't have to worry. I can enjoy the experience 8 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:35,160 Speaker 1: and the wisdom of your ways. Forgive me for being 9 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,599 Speaker 1: so self conscious. I miss your presence with me and 10 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:43,879 Speaker 1: am ruled by fear instead of excitement. My past blinds 11 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,200 Speaker 1: me to your truth, and it is difficult to fully 12 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,559 Speaker 1: apprehend the fact that you are with me. Thank you 13 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: for your patience as I grow in the mysteries of 14 00:00:54,200 --> 00:01:05,040 Speaker 1: your kingdom ways. Amen. Thank you for listening to pray 15 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:09,759 Speaker 1: dot COM's nightly prayer to experience a pocket of peace 16 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 1: before you go to sleep. Stay tuned for our free 17 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: meditative prayer after this quick word from our sponsors SAT. 18 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:28,960 Speaker 2: Welcome to your meditative prayer on new friendships. To get 19 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 2: the most out of your spiritual journey, usepray dot com 20 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:38,119 Speaker 2: every day and make prayer a priority in your life. 21 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 2: Our goal for today's meditative prayer is new friendships. Making 22 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 2: new friends can sometimes feel overwhelming. Take a moment to 23 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 2: find a comfortable place where you can relax, close your 24 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 2: eyes and take a couple of deep breaths. As you 25 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 2: open your heart and prepare to receive God's word, invite 26 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 2: His Holy Spirit to come and minister to you. We 27 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 2: will be meditating on First Samuel chapter eighteen, verse three 28 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 2: from the King James version. Then Jonathan and David made 29 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 2: a covenant because he loved him as his own soul. 30 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 2: Now take a moment to pour out your adoration to 31 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 2: God for the gift of fellowship. God, I worship you 32 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 2: for your abundant blessings upon my life. I praise you 33 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 2: for creating me with the capacity and the ability to 34 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 2: experience friendship. Holy Spirit, I thank you for enabling and 35 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 2: empowering me to love others as I love myself. Friendship 36 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 2: is a covenant. Covenants are an important and continuous theme 37 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 2: throughout the Bible. A covenant is a pact, an agreement 38 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 2: between two parties with the understanding that neither side shall 39 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 2: break whatever is agreed upon. To establish a friendship is 40 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 2: to enter into a covenant with another person when you 41 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 2: pledge to be a friend to someone, you are promising 42 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 2: to love that person as you love yourself. One of 43 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 2: the most beautiful and inspirational examples of lasting friendship in 44 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 2: the Bible is that of Jonathan and King David. David 45 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 2: had been chosen by God to replace Saul as king 46 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 2: over Israel and a Saul's son. Jonathan should have hated David, 47 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 2: but Jonathan recognized God's calling upon David's life and chose 48 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 2: to be his friend. Jonathan and David's relationship proved that 49 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 2: friendship does not require conducive conditions, only a desire and 50 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 2: determination to love for our Although they had every reason 51 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 2: to act with animosity, they chose friendship instead. Jonathan and 52 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 2: King David's friendship transcended kingdoms, customs, culture, and time. They 53 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 2: demonstrated that friendship is a covenant to be honored out 54 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 2: of love and not measured by convenience. Jonathan and King 55 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 2: David followed God's law and loved each other as they 56 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 2: loved their own selves. You must never forget that friendship 57 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 2: is not a burden. It is a blessing given by God. 58 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 2: For a God given friendship is an opportunity to bless 59 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 2: others and to be blessed. Perhaps you've been struggling in 60 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 2: your friendships. Perhaps you currently find yourself without any God 61 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 2: given friends. This is your chance to present yourself before 62 00:04:54,160 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 2: the Lord. Take this opportunity to confess your sins to him. 63 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:04,359 Speaker 2: Share with him what is hindering you from experiencing the 64 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:11,039 Speaker 2: blessing of God given friendships. Take a moment now to 65 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 2: dwell on God's blessing of friendship over you. Thank Him 66 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 2: for the blessing of godly friends who enrich your life. 67 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:24,479 Speaker 2: Thank Him for the blessing of relationships that support you 68 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 2: in times of need. Thank Him for the blessing of 69 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:31,919 Speaker 2: friends who encourage you to grow in your relationship with 70 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 2: God and to persevere in your walk with the Lord. 71 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 2: Thank God for the people in your life who, through faith, 72 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 2: minister God's love over you and provide you with the 73 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 2: opportunity to do the same for them. Do not forget 74 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 2: God is present and he is listening to you. Reach 75 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 2: out to the Lord in prayer and ask him to 76 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:02,359 Speaker 2: minister over you. Ask God for discernment over whom you 77 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:07,039 Speaker 2: should enter into covenant with. Ask Him to place the 78 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:11,159 Speaker 2: right people in your life. Ask God to bless you 79 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 2: with the gift of friendship. Ask him to experience a 80 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:22,600 Speaker 2: friendship like that of Jonathan and King David. Remember, friendship 81 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 2: is a covenant. Jonathan made a covenant with David because 82 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 2: he loved David as much as himself. God created you 83 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 2: with the capacity for friendship. To experience the joy that 84 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 2: comes from having fellowship with others. Make a commitment to 85 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 2: cherish and to honor the friendships God has given you. 86 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:50,719 Speaker 2: Choose to love others as you love yourself. For this 87 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 2: day and all days to come, choose to be a 88 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 2: blessing unto others, and in doing so, be blessed yourself. 89 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 2: Thank you for completing today's meditative prayer on pray dot com. 90 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 2: By incorporating this healthy habit as a daily practice, you 91 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 2: are making prayer a priority and strengthening your walk with God.