Five signs that someone is truly your friend 

Hi everyone, I hope you are all fine by God’s grace.
Today’s post is an introduction to our new series on Friendship (This is what we’ll cover during lent season). 
The following are five signs that someone is truly your friend 
1. They draw you closer to God and not away from Him
Proverbs 1:10 KJV

My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

Those who entice you into sin, are not your true friends. 
Those you ask you to choose to please them and to displease God are not your friends.  
Those who encourage you to sin DO NOT LOVE YOU and ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS.
 2 Timothy 2:22 KJV

Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

True friends draw you closer to God, they seek faith, charity, righteousness and peace with you, (not sin) . 
2.They support you : Through the trials and challenges of life, they’re present to support you. They are by your side, they provide a shoulder for you to lean on and cry when need be. They listen to you when you need it. They cheer you up when you are sad, they’re by your side. They help you when they can, and they don’t disappear when you need them. 
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 KJV

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. [10] For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up

3.They pray for you (Even when the situation sounds desperate, they don’t give up, they insist and pray). 
When Peter was captured and put in jail, the church promptly  prayed for him with insistance and God sent an angel to deliver him. 
Acts 12:5, 7 KJV

Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. [7] And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him , and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

4. They encourage you to be the best of yourself in The Lord. A true friend will encourage you despite what you or others see in you as flaws or weaknesses. This person will see beyond your setbacks and encourage you to step up to be the best version of yourself in The Lord even if no one else around you believes in you (and even if you don’t believe in yourself). 
Paul encourages Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12 KJV

Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

5. They forgive you even when you’ve hurt them really deeply or even when you are wrong. 
A nice example of forgiveness is that of Esau towards Jacob. Jacob had tricked his blind father (Isaac) in order to obtain from him the blessings which he wanted to give Esau. Originally Esau hated his brother for that, but he didn’t keep it in his heart on the long run. We see this because years later when his brother and himself met again, though his brother expected only anger and hatred from him, he surprised him with love, he had forgiven him.
Genesis 33:4 KJV

And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

I hope with these, you will be able to identify  your true friends and praise God for them. Also, I hope that you will be able to free yourself from fake friends, and that you will be able to become a better friend for your loved ones. 
Prayer :
 Lord God Almighty help me be a better friend, help me recognize my true friends, and help me to be a blessing for them, in Jesus Christ’s Name I pray. Amen. 
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God bless you