Friendship with God

"No longer do I call you servants… but I have called you friends." – John 15:15

Reflections on Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest

Oswald Chambers presents friendship with God as a journey of increasing intimacy. True friendship with Him is not merely sensing His presence in fleeting moments of prayer, but walking in such harmony with Him that our desires align with His will. This kind of relationship brings freedom and delight—where we no longer struggle to discern His will, but move with confidence, knowing that unless He redirects us, we are walking in His purposes.

Yet, there are challenges. Abraham, in Genesis 18, was in deep communion with God, but he hesitated—he stopped interceding for Sodom before God had given a final word. Why? There was a limit to how much he dared to press into the heart of God. Chambers suggests that our stopping short in prayer reflects a lack of deeper intimacy.

The purpose of prayer, then, is not simply to get things from God, but to know Him more deeply. As we grow in this friendship, we learn to delight in Him, and in doing so, He aligns the desires of our hearts with His own.

Personalized Journal Entry – The Holy Spirit’s Voice Through Scripture

You are not a distant servant, hesitantly approaching the throne. You are a friend. A beloved child. I have drawn you near, not to withhold, but to reveal. As Abraham walked with God and heard His plans, so I have given you My mind, My thoughts, My Spirit, so that you may know My heart. The mystery of My will is no longer hidden from you, for in Christ, I have made it known.

Walk in the confidence of our friendship. Do not fear that you will miss My will if your heart abides in Me. If I have not spoken otherwise, move forward in peace. I am not the author of confusion, but of clarity and rest. As you delight in Me, you will find your desires shifting—aligning effortlessly with My purposes, for I am at work in you, willing and doing according to My good pleasure.

But there is more to this friendship than simply knowing My plans. I call you to deeper intimacy, where your prayers are not constrained by doubt or hesitancy. Come boldly, with full assurance of faith. Do not stop short in your asking, thinking you have reached the boundary of My willingness to give. If you ask according to My will, know that I hear you. And if I hear you, then know that you have what you have asked.

Abraham stopped pleading for Sodom, not because I turned away, but because he could not yet comprehend the depth of My mercy. Will you hesitate, or will you press deeper? Let your prayers be a pursuit of My heart, not merely My hand. Seek Me, not just what I give. For to know Me is the greatest delight, and in that delight, all things fall into place.

(Scriptures woven in: John 15:15, 1 Corinthians 2:16, Ephesians 1:9, Philippians 2:13, 1 Corinthians 14:33, Psalm 37:4, 1 John 5:14-15, Genesis 18:25-33, Hebrews 4:16, Matthew 6:33)

Prayer of Confidence

Father, I rest in the privilege of friendship with You. You have not hidden Yourself, nor made Your will a puzzle for me to solve. In Christ, I have Your mind and Your Spirit. I trust that as I walk with You, my steps are ordered, and my desires are shaped by Your delight.

I refuse to shrink back in hesitation or doubt, for You invite me to boldness in prayer. When You place a burden on my heart, it is not to frustrate me, but to draw me deeper into Your purposes. So I press in, not to demand, but to know You more fully. You are my delight, and in that delight, I rest.

Thank You for calling me not just Your servant, but Your friend. I trust You, and I walk forward in confidence.

Amen.

Image Intent:
A close-up of two hands clasped in a firm handshake or a warm embrace between friends, symbolizing deep trust and intimate friendship.