AUGUST 20, Psalm 55:17

“Mom, I don’t think I want to be best friends with Olivia anymore!” Kristin announced as she came in from school. “In fact, I don’t know if I want to be friends with her at all.” Mom looked up from the dishes she was preparing for dinner. “Really?” she asked. “When did you decide that, Kristin?”

“Today. You just won’t believe how she acted!” Kristin helped herself to an apple from the fruit bowl and plopped down on a chair. “Olivia hardly talked to me all day,” added Kristin. “During the recess, she played ball with some other kids. Then when we had free time in class, she worked on a special project all by herself. During the whole time at lunch, she talked to the new girl in our class.”

“Maybe something was bothering her,” observed Mom. “You two have been friends for a long time, and I hope you won’t let one day ruin your friendship.” At family devotions that evening, Kristin read the Bible passage, but then she had a request. “Can I be excused from our prayer time tonight?” She put her Bible on a shelf and stood up.

Dad frowned. “What’s the problem?” he asked. “I’m really tired,” replied Kristin. “Besides, I have a test tomorrow, so I need to get my sleep.” Mom looked up from her Bible. “Remember what you told me about Olivia today?” she asked. Kristin nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “Do you think I should stop being friends with her?”

“What I think,” said Mom, “is that if you skip prayer time, you’ll be acting pretty much like Olivia did. You were unhappy because she didn’t seem to want to talk to you, right?”

“Well, yeah-but what does that have to do with praying?” asked Kristin. “Since you trusted in God, He’s the very best friend you can have, and He likes you to spend time with Him, talking to Him each day,” explained Mom. “Prayer is one way you do that. Don’t you think He must feel disappointed when you don’t want to pray-pretty much like you felt about Olivia?”

Slowly, Kristin nodded, and she sat down again for their prayer time.

Thought: Do you have a good friend with whom you like to talk every day? God wants to be that kind of friend to you.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, it is such a precious lesson that I have today that I must pray more. When I say I love You, I must show my love by my action and that must include prayer! This I ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.