Father, Son, Holy Spirit,

You who are in perfect community

and have been since eternity past.

You see my loneliness.

Sometimes it is the loneliness of having no one around.

Sometimes it is the loneliness of being around others who don’t truly know me.

Sometimes I doubt that they even want to know me.

I need to know you, Jesus, as the friend who is closer than a brother or sister.

I need to know You as the God who sees me, like how you saw Hagar and Ishmael when they were sent away by Abraham and Sarah.

I see the vision for what community could be in Your word: Adam and Eve with you in the garden, David and Jonathan’s friendship, the deep communion of the Acts church.

But I also know the dysfunction our humanity brings: Cain’s jealousy of Abel, the Israelites’ complaining to Moses, the disciples’ abandonment and betrayal of Jesus.

Allow me to live in the tension of a beautiful vision and a broken world.

Let me have hope amidst realistic expectations.

Help me to lean into relationship with others, even when it is not reciprocated.

Help me not judge new friends based on how old friends have treated me.

Help me have compassion and hospitality for others, even in times I am not experiencing that myself.

I need your wisdom to know when to persevere in making friends and when to search for new ones.

May I not give up too easily, nor force something that isn’t there.

Please bring good friends into my life.

Help me to be a good friend to others.

Friends who can be vulnerable.

Friends who laugh.

Friends who carry each other’s burdens.

Friends on mission together.

Please bring me into a community that cares for me and where I can care for others.

Give me patience to wait for such a group to grow.

And whether You bring me such people or not,

I know that, ultimately, you, Jesus,

are my truest friend and my closest companion.

Thank you for calling me your friend!

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

When it doesn’t feel like that is true in my heart, please help it to be.