A Month to Appreciate Friends

  

Dear Friend, praise the name of the Lord. It is my hope that you and your entire household are well and that this year has continued to be a blessed year for you. My wife and I are thankful to God for what He has been and continues to be in our lives.

  

Friend, this month let us purpose to appreciate our friends.

 

In Proverbs 17:17 the Bible declares that “A friend loves at all times…..”

 

Set this month aside to appreciate your friends. This month, purpose to appreciate them in one way or another. Appreciate them while they are still here on earth and not when they are no longer with you. If your friend has left this earth, let his or her family know how much your friend meant to you by appreciating them.

 

This month my wife and I would like to acknowledge and appreciate a dear friend who we loved very much Pastor Geoff Davies. Any of you may have read his articles on www.Torchbearers-for-Christ.org under the caption “A word from Pastor Davies”. The articles carried conveyed profound messages and from reading them you could glean the heart of a man who loved the Lord and the Scriptures. They included such topics as ‘’Coping with Discouragement”, “God’s Happy Man” and “The Great Gain of Godliness”. We will miss reading those wonderful articles that were so full of wisdom. This wonderful man went to be with the Lord on Saturday, 20 April 2013 after 94 glorious years. He was a godly man and a firebrand for the Lord.

   

Friend, in life, one makes different types of friends. There are “Seasonal friends” – those who appear in your life for a season and then disappear. There are “Dream Killer friends” – those who pretend to be your friend but in their heart their intent is to destroy God’s dream for your life. Be careful of these kind of friends. Joseph learnt the hard way when he found out that his own brothers were plotting to destroy his dream. Then there are those known as “Fair-weather Friends” who befriend you for the sole purpose of what they can get out of you. You need to beware of these too. A final group of friends we call “God-Ordained friends”. These are sincere and truthful friends who do not love you for what you have or what you will give them but for who you are. hey are pure in their love and are not envious. In the Bible, we see some examples such as Jonathan and David, Elisha and Elijah, Paul and Barnabas. This month, purpose to appreciate these God-Ordained friends that God has brought into your life. 

  

How to appreciate your friends:-

  

  

Pray that God Almighty will show them His mercy and grant them uncommon favor with God and with men. Decree Psalm 5:12 over them “Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” Also Psalm 30:5 “…but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

  

Pray that God will bless them with the dew of heaven (Deuteronomy 33:13) and that He will enlarge them, increase their ministry, their business, the work of their hands, their families etc.

  

Pray that God will bring pure, faithful friends their way and deliver them from hypocritical friends. Pray that God will meet all their spoken and unspoken needs according to His riches in glory. (Philippians 4:19)

   

   

In Matthew 25 Jesus states “..'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’.” Never forget that whatever you do for anyone in need and more so for those of the Body of Christ you are essentially doing it for Jesus Christ.

   

This month, allow God to use you to be a blessing to those that have been good to you. One thing about giving is that you touch the heart of God because He also gave. God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten son! May the Almighty God grant to you the Spirit of a giver this month as you appreciate the friends God has used to be a blessing in your life.

   

   

Have you noted that three quarters of the New Testament are the letters of Paul to Friends and the Churches which God had allowed him to plant. The point that I am trying to make here is that whatever you put down in writing is likely to have a greater impact than what you say which may someday be forgotten. Therefore, I urge you to write a note or a card to your friend, or journalize your prayer if you can’t write to that dear one. If possible send an email or give that friend or loved one a phone call

   

   

May God help us to be true and faithful friends at all times and in all seasons. May we remain consistent to our friends in both the good times and in bad times. May God give us the anointing of being a Jonathan to the Davids in our lives or the Elisha to our Elijahs or the Ruth to our Naomis.

   

Finally, my wife and I would like to thank you for being our friends and a constant source of encouragement throughout the years of this ministry. May God bless you and may He make His face to shine upon you. May you eat the dew of heaven. May you eat the good of the land and may God reward you and bless you for every prayer that you have said for your friends. Amen.

    

We love you and will always cherish you dearly.

   

Your friend,

   

Bro. Chester