A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. (Proverbs 17:17)
Father,
I pray that these children quickly come to understand loyalty. I pray they become the kind of people others will count on in difficult times. That they will stick by friends' sides even when the popular thing or the politically astute thing to do would be to abandon and maintain distance.
Certainly it is right and good to hold friends accountable who are struggling with sin and it may be appropriate to exercise tough love. There may be times in which the nature of a friends behavior may require keeping a distance. But even in those cases, I pray that these children do not give up on their friends that struggle.
Give these children not only the courage to defend their friends and siblings, but also the words to say in those times - both the words to effectively defend, but also to comfort them in the midst of such adversity. Give them also, though, the wisdom to discern when to defend their friends and when to confront them in their behavior.
Amen
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