EXHORTATION
John 15:15 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Friendship with God is the peak of our relationship with Him. When we start out with Him, we see ourselves as servants, trying to obey Him and trying to do everything we are told. However, the call of God to us is not just that we serve Him but that we progress from servanthood to friendship.
It is possible to be a servant all your life and never be a friend of God; however, it is impossible to be a friend of God and not be a servant.
God is more interested in being our friends and vice versa than our serving Him.
Luke 10 :38-42 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. (absorbing every revelation that He shared) But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Mary sat at the feet of Jesus; this shows a high level of intimacy. You only take that posture with someone you have a deep affection and respect for. Martha on the other hand was serving rather than sitting down to enjoy communion with Him.
Jesus commended Mary and rebuked Martha for her attitude towards Him vis a vis serving Him. From this story, it is clear that friendship with God is higher than service to God.
Jesus called His disciples friends not because they served but because they were available for Him to share the truth about God with them. What makes us His friends is our availability to sit at His feet always, to hear His voice and to commune with Him.
Jesus began to call His disciples friends when He found them available for fellowship. Listen to Him, I now call you friends because I have made known all things, I have heard from my father to you. He’s only able to do this because they were there with Him, in His company always. Being with Him was more important than working for Him.
Matt 3: 16-17 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
The words, “This is my beloved son” came before Jesus did any work of preaching and healing. This shows us clearly that it’s our walk/fellowship with God that pleases Him more than our service. If you make out time for God and desire His friendship, you will also be a beloved son.
If you desire friendship with someone, you will express your desire to be friends with them. Today, you will speak to the Lord expressing your desire to be friends with Him.
Lord, I want You to be my friend and I equally ask to be Your friend; I desire intimacy with You to the extent that I can be called the friend of God.
Moses was called a friend of God because Moses was available for communion with God for Him to speak with Moses face to face.
Friendship with God is desirable for all His children. Do you desire to be His friend? Let us pray.
SONG: Great I Am (Paul Wilbur)
PRAYER: FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD
Say the words of this prayer and then proceed to pray in other tongues as we seek friendship with God:
Lord, I desire the intimate knowledge of God; Come, reveal Yourself to me as a friend.
Share the thoughts of Your heart with me
I want to see You and know You intimately
Show me Your glory that I may know You more intimately
That I may be Your friend
I want to know Your heart; I want my heart to beat in sync with Yours Lord
Make me Your friend, dear Lord
Reveal the deep things of the kingdom unto me
Draw me closer to You and keep me running after You in Jesus’ name.
I desire intimacy with You O Lord to the extent that I can be called the friend of God
Draw me closer to you and let us walk together in close fellowship and communion
I choose friendship with God over friendship with the world
I choose friendship with God as having priority over service to Him
I choose to sit at Your feet undistracted to hear Your voice and enjoy being in Your presence,
I want to see into Your heart Lord and abide daily in Your presence
I want to be close to Your heart always in Jesus’ name
VERSE OF THE DAY: Luke 10: 42 (TPT) Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her.”
