Daniel an excellent friend.

Good day beautiful people,

I hope that this post meets you well? So…..we all know how important it is to have the right people around you and to have healthy relationships in your life. We should never underestimate the effects which those closest to us have on us. Those around us can either influence us to do good or evil, even the Bible states that bad company corrupts good character. We cannot live life as isolated beings, no man is an island. We were created to interact with others and to form meaningful relationships.

Today’s post has been inspired by the book of Daniel. Having read through the book of Daniel this year I am even more inspired by his great qualities and godly characteristics. He is definitely a great role model that we can learn from. From the life of Daniel we can discover what qualities we should be looking out for when it comes to building healthy friendships.

1)Don’t forget your friends during your moments of success

Daniel 2:48-49 ~ “Then the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men. At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.”

^^^Daniel did not abandon his friends when he was elevated to a position of power and authority. Daniel did not climb up a ladder then take it away so no one else can climb up. It was like Daniel took a ladder upwards saw an escalator route and ensured his friends got the escalator up!

2)Find a friend you can pray with

It’s so important for you to surround yourself with people who you can trust enough to share your concerns with. Individuals who will not mock you for your weakness or stomp you down when you fall! You can tell them secrets and know that they will not slander your name but will cover you with prayers.

Daniel 2:14-18 ~ “When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion. He asked Arioch, “Why has the king issued such a harsh decree?” So Arioch told him all that had happened. Daniel went at once to see the king and requested more time to tell the king what the dream meant. Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon.”

^^^During his time of trouble Daniel knew he had friends he could count on!!! He was comfortable enough to ask his friends to join him in prayer during a very distressing time were their very lives were at risk! These men were not ashamed of their God they had strong faith in Jehovah.

Now, it’s important to remember that not only should we desire to have a friend like Daniel, we should also aspire to be an excellent friend that others can count on.

Proverbs 17:17 ~ “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.”

Proverbs 27:17 ~ “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”

Some ways in which we can become better friends

⁃ Be generous: Be generous with your time, finances and resources! Please remember it’s important to give out of what you do have not out of what you don’t have.

⁃ Treat your friend: Treat others with love and kindness! Surprise your friend by cooking a dessert/meal. Pay your friend a surprise visit. Maybe get them a mini gift on your trip away, as it’s a sweet gesture that shows them that they’re in your thoughts. Organise a games night or a day trip within your local community.

⁃ Communication: communicate, communicate, communicate, communication is key. I cannot say this enough, it seems that as people grow older they become so busy to the point that not only do they see their friends less, some individuals may become too busy to even send a text. This is not ideal. Make time for those you care about. A short message of encouragement has the ability to put a smile on other people’s faces. Make the effort to check in on your friends.

⁃ Be approachable/dependable: Show up for your friends during their time of need. Don’t abandon them in their time of trouble, be the person they feel safe enough to share their concerns with.

^^^This list is not exhaustive and do bear in mind that if you’re a Christian and have Christian friends a good quality believing friend should draw you closer to Christ. You should feel comfortable to pray with your close believing friends, don’t hide your struggles and ask for help if you need it!!!

James 5:16 ~ “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”

Thanks for reading today’s short post, it’s a very busy time of the year and I hope you all continue to put Christ at the centre of it all, and in the busyness of life you remember Immanuel God with us. Stay safe.

Love from

Christian Lady After God’s Own Heart 💜