1 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: And he said, my presence shall go with thee, and 2 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:11,399 Speaker 1: I will give thee rest. Exodus thirty three fourteen. Thank 3 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: you Lord, that your burden is easy and your yoke 4 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: is light. When your presence goes with me, you do 5 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 1: the heavy lifting, and I can learn from you. If 6 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:27,319 Speaker 1: I quiet my anxious thoughts and realize you are with me, 7 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: I don't have to worry. I can enjoy the experience 8 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: and the wisdom of your ways. Forgive me for being 9 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:38,559 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 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:47,160 Speaker 1: me to your truth, and it is difficult to fully 12 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:50,519 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 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: your kingdom ways. Amen. 15 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to pray dot COM's nightly prayer 16 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 2: to experience a pocket of peace before you go to sleep. 17 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 2: Stay tuned for our free meditative prayer after this quick 18 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:21,319 Speaker 2: word from our sponsors. 19 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 3: Welcome to your meditative prayer on new friendships. To get 20 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 3: the most out of your spiritual journey, usepray dot com 21 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 3: every day and make prayer a priority in your life. 22 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:43,479 Speaker 3: Our goal for today's meditative prayer is new friendships. Making 23 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 3: new friends can sometimes feel overwhelming. Take a moment to 24 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 3: find a comfortable place where you can relax, close your 25 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 3: eyes and take a couple of deep breaths. As you 26 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 3: open your heart and prepare to receive God's word, invite 27 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 3: His Holy Spirit to come and minister to you. We 28 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 3: will be meditating on First Samuel chapter eighteen, verse three 29 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:19,119 Speaker 3: from the King James version. Then Jonathan and David made 30 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 3: a covenant because he loved him as his own soul. 31 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 3: Now take a moment to pour out your adoration to 32 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:34,079 Speaker 3: God for the gift of fellowship. God, I worship you 33 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:38,920 Speaker 3: for your abundant blessings upon my life. I praise you 34 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 3: for creating me with the capacity and the ability to 35 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 3: experience friendship. Holy Spirit, I thank you for enabling and 36 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 3: empowering me to love others as I love myself. Friendship 37 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 3: is a covenant. Covenants are an important and continuous theme 38 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 3: throughout the Bible. A covenant is a pact, an agreement 39 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 3: between two parties with the understanding that neither side shall 40 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:12,920 Speaker 3: break whatever is agreed upon. To establish a friendship is 41 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 3: to enter into a covenant with another person. When you 42 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 3: pledge to be a friend to someone, you are promising 43 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:25,359 Speaker 3: to love that person as you love yourself. One of 44 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 3: the most beautiful and inspirational examples of lasting friendship in 45 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 3: the Bible is that of Jonathan and King David. David 46 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 3: had been chosen by God to replace Saul as king 47 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 3: over Israel and a Saul's son. Jonathan should have hated David, 48 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 3: but Jonathan recognized God's calling upon David's life and chose 49 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 3: to be his friend. Jonathan and David's relationship proved that 50 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 3: friendship does not require conducive conditions, only a desire and 51 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 3: determination to love for our Although they had every reason 52 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 3: to act with animosity, they chose friendship instead. Jonathan and 53 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 3: King David's friendship transcended kingdoms, customs, culture, and time. They 54 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 3: demonstrated that friendship is a covenant to be honored out 55 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 3: of love and not measured by convenience. Jonathan and King 56 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,840 Speaker 3: David followed God's law and loved each other as they 57 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 3: loved their own selves. You must never forget that friendship 58 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 3: is not a burden. It is a blessing given by God. 59 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 3: For a God given friendship is an opportunity to bless others. 60 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 3: And to be blessed. Perhaps you've been struggling in your friendships. 61 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 3: Perhaps you currently find yourself without any God given friends. 62 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 3: This is your chance to present yourself before the Lord. 63 00:04:56,320 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 3: Take this opportunity to confess your sins to him. Share 64 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 3: with him what is hindering you from experiencing the blessing 65 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 3: of God given friendships. Take a moment now to dwell 66 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 3: on God's blessing of friendship over you. Thank Him for 67 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 3: the blessing of godly friends who enrich your life. Thank 68 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 3: Him for the blessing of relationships that support you in 69 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 3: times of need. Thank Him for the blessing of friends 70 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 3: who encourage you to grow in your relationship with God 71 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 3: and to persevere in your walk with the Lord. Thank 72 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 3: God for the people in your life who, through faith, 73 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,919 Speaker 3: minister God's love over you and provide you with the 74 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 3: opportunity to do the same for them. Do not forget 75 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:54,479 Speaker 3: God is present and he is listening to you. Reach 76 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 3: out to the Lord in prayer and ask him to 77 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 3: minister over you. Ask God for discernment over whom you 78 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 3: should enter into covenant with. Ask Him to place the 79 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 3: right people in your life. Ask God to bless you 80 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 3: with the gift of friendship. Ask him to experience a 81 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 3: friendship like that of Jonathan and King David. Remember, friendship 82 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:27,279 Speaker 3: is a covenant. Jonathan made a covenant with David because 83 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:31,599 Speaker 3: he loved David as much as himself. God created you 84 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 3: with the capacity for friendship. To experience the joy that 85 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 3: comes from having fellowship with others. Make a commitment to 86 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,919 Speaker 3: cherish and to honor the friendships God has given you. 87 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 3: Choose to love others as you love yourself. For this 88 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 3: day and all days to come, choose to be a 89 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 3: blessing unto others, and in doing so, be blessed yourself. 90 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 3: Thank you for completing today's meditative prayer on pray dot com. 91 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 3: By incorporating this healthy habit as a daily practice, you 92 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 3: are making prayer a priority and strengthening your walk with God.