American Reformation Church Prayer Journal 100
ARC Prayer Meeting:
This past Sunday at the American Reformation Church we expounded on the book of Proverbs, chapter 1:8-19. We learned from God’s Word the importance of relationships, companionship, friendships, and the impact they can have on our lives for good or for ill.
The Bible never treats companionship as a neutral proposition. Though God knows we desperately need it to survive and thrive as a people, His Word reveals the influence these relationships can have upon our character, our decisions, and ultimately the direction we take in life.
Show me those who influence you and to a certain extent, I’ll show you your future. Those we walk with determines to a certain degree where we will end up in life. The truth is the direction one takes in life determines one’s destination in life.
Obviously, based upon these Biblical realities, this should be a huge priority when it comes to our prayer life in the Lord. We need to seek the Lord in such away that He helps us seek wise, godly friendships and avoid harmful companionships. Proverbs 13:20 makes it clear, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.”
First, we need to prayer for discernment. Discernment in Scripture comes from the Greek, anakrino. It means to distinguish, examine, or separate by diligent search. If you recall, Solomon, one of the main authors of the book of Proverbs, prayed for a discerning heart to make just judgments in life. One of the main purposes of God’s Word in renewing our minds is to discern God’s will for our lives. Philippians 1:9–10 links discernment with mature, informed love.
In practice, Biblical discernment involves testing ideas against Scripture. It seeks the Spirit’s guidance. It exercises wisdom and moral clarity. It evaluates motives, teachings, and influences and chooses what is excellent, and not just merely acceptable.
We must remember in our prayers to God to seek Him for the strength and grace to disconnect from harmful relationships. I know personally the struggle there when I had to separate from the gang life of my youth. Psalms 1:1 reminds us, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.”
At the same time, we should pray for godly companionship. There are friends according to Scripture that can stick closer to us than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). Ultimately, that friend is Jesus Christ our Lord. We need brothers and sisters that fulfill in our lives the admonishment from the book of Proverbs, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17). We need true companions who challenge us to grow in godly character, wisdom, and faith.
We need friends like the ones C.S. Lewis mentioned, “A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.” Amen!
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