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Iron sharpens iron,
    and one man sharpens another.
Prov. 27:17
Lee and I sometimes say we are raising two only children. We have two boys, of course, but because of James's limited verbal ability and the fact the boys are interested in very different things (James still likes to play with cars and trains, David likes to play xbox), they don't interact a whole lot. When I was growing up, Syble and I had more opportunities to connect than David and James do, but we also had our own routines and interests and they didn't overlap much.

I know every family and every sibling dynamic is different, but I think we can all agree on the importance of praying for the friendships our typical children have and will have. Our kids who do not have typical sibling relationships or multiple siblings will rely even more on the friends they have, even into adulthood.

That's why I spend so much time talking to David about what characteristics to look for in friends. Our verse today says iron sharpens iron, and I remind him of that as I tell him we become like the five people we spend the most time with. Are they Christians? Do they attend church? Do they get in trouble at school? Are they respectful to their parents? I want him to have lots of friends with lots of interests, but I want his closest friends to be growing in their faith and be a good influence on him.

<<First Name>>, join me in prayer today for the friendships our children have now and the ones they will develop in the future. 
God, we read about friendships in the Bible, like between David and Jonathan and Mary and Elizabeth. We know how important it is to surround ourselves with others who point us to You and remind us of the love and grace You have for us. Today I want to pray specifically for ____'s friendships. Help him/her to make wise decisions when building these friendships. May they "consider how to stir up one another to love and good works," as Hebrews 10:24 says. And God, please work in ___'s life to keep him/her from stumbling and following others into making choices that do not honor You. More than popularity, I want godliness in ___'s life. Help me to be wise on what to say to encourage strong, godly friendships. In Jesus's name I pray, amen. 
With Your Child:
This season of social distancing may be a good time to talk with your child/teen about friendship. What friends do they miss the most? How are they communicating with them? Are they the kind of friends that are sharpening each other, encouraging each other to grow in godliness? God may use these circumstances to shift relationships, and we can pray for positive results for our kids/teens.

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