As A Friend

As a Friend

The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Exodus 33:11

WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT FELL ON BELIEVERS at Pentecost, they were filled with boldness in their testimonies and prayers. That wasn’t entirely new; a few prophets, priests, and kings were also bold in their words with people and God. But ever since the curtain in the Temple was torn, all who believe have been invited into the kind of relationship that was exceptional in Old Testament history. People like Abraham and Moses stood out for their friendship with God, while Jesus applied friendship to all who have been joined to him in life. And with that friendship comes an entrance into the throne room of God to have bold, personal, powerful conversations with him (Hebrews 4:16). By our union with Jesus, we are all now insiders.

This isn’t just a conceptual issue. Most Christians who are steeped in Scripture could express the points above. But expressing a theology isn’t the same as being on fire with the power of God. Why are we permitted to pray boldly as friends of the King? Because we’ve gazed into his eyes. We’ve heard his words. We’ve engaged in two-way conversations, not just one-way requests. We’ve spent time in his presence, grown deep in the relationship, and cultivated intimacy. When he speaks, we recognize his voice, and we acknowledge him as faithful and true. We don’t even question whether something is possible for him, and we no longer fear his will because we know his heart. We have not so much entered into faith as faith has entered into us. Jesus is in us; what greater faith could we possibly need?

This is why prayer, faith, and a relationship with God can never end with intellectual concepts and theological positions. We may talk about cultivating faith, but the actual process is more a matter of being with God as a friend. Faith and boldness grow in those conversations, whether we’re aware of it or not. Doubts fall by the wayside. Why? Because our hearts are his, and his heart is ours, and somewhere along the way the two have merged. We breathe the will of God in and then out again. Our hearts, fully alive and burning for him, have been transformed to believe.

Prayer is the overflowing of the heart in the presence of God.