When you think about friendship, who comes to mind? Let’s use this awesome photo my friend Joanne shared on social media as a jumping off place to celebrate the dear friends in our lives. I’ll go first. 

This picture reminds me of my friend Jean. She and I have hunted the squirrel of publication together. For years we saw it, far above our heads, close enough to smell. We made a pact. If it made a move in her direction, I’d do everything I could to chase it her way. If it ran toward me, she’d do the same. Either way, we decided, that critter wasn’t getting away. God has used our partnership to help us both become published authors. (Stay tuned for more about her amazing Bible study on Habakkuk coming soon!)

It also makes me think of my friend Charlotte. She and I stood together at the foot of the tree of higher education and watched our baby girls begin to climb. We challenged each other to pray for them every day. From our commitment, a mom’s prayer group was born. Today, eleven years later, we continue to pray for God to work in our adult children’s lives. 

This picture captures what I love about my husband, David. Total opposites, but partners for life, we work, play, and pray together. Notice the wagging tails. He makes sure I don’t forget to play. Notice the focused gazes. I make sure he doesn’t forget to work. With him, life’s chase is work and fun, all at the same time. 

It also reminds me of my friend Maryann. Together we’ve bumbled our way through homeschooling, child rearing, and now grandparenting. She has the great ideas. I figure out how to make them work. Together we’re a strike force. Apart, well, let’s just say we struggle. She’s also a lightning rod for bizarre events and dramatic answers to prayer. If this picture was a true representation of Maryann’s propensity to attract the unexpected, the next frame would show an armadillo, not a squirrel, dropping out of the tree. 

And then there’s my friend Mandy. When she and I partner up, I know the plan will be strategic and well-executed. She’s committed to excellence and integrity. And I know that if we have to pray that varmint out of the tree, she’ll be ready, day or night. 

Finally, this image captures my friend Heather. If there were speech bubbles above the dog’s heads, hers would say, “We can do this. God will help us. We thought it was a squirrel, and it turned out to be a cheetah, but with God on our side, we’ve got this.” Heather was the first to believe in me as a Christian speaker and invited me to speak about prayer to her church’s women’s ministry. 

If you have a gift-from-God friend, why not call her or send her a message today? Tell her how much she means to you and how thankful you are that she’s your buddy. Then plan the next adventure. 

Together. 

If you don’t have a friend like this, why not reach out to become this type of friend? I bet there’s someone in your circle who’s craving a friend as much as you are.

“A sweet friendship refreshes the soul”

Proverbs 27:9 MSG

Does Your Prayer Life Need Refreshing?

We know Bible reading and prayer are vital parts of our faith, but what happens when our prayer lives become stagnant and our quiet times grow stale? We need something more than just familiar verses and the command to pray. In Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise, Lori Hatcher shares relevant, five-minute devotions that spotlight unusual prayer verses in the Bible.

Each devotion ends with a Power Point (a spiritual truth to empower your faith) and a Praise Prompt (a short prayer designed to magnify God and make your faith soar). The Live It Out section challenges you to apply what you’ve learned right now for immediate change.

If you’re tired of your all-too-quiet quiet time, Refresh Your Prayers is the answer.

The UNcommon Book on Prayer – Unusual Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise

Available now at Amazon.com.

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*Thank you, Joanne, for sharing this amazing photo!