So I just wanted to continue some of my thoughts from the previous post. I mentioned in there how a true friend of the Bridegroom will inevitably become a friend of the bride. In being a friend of the bride, serving her through prayer is the most beneficial thing you could do for her. I think of that verse in Ephesians where it says how Jesus cleanses us and washes us with the water of His word. I feel like through prayer, you’re partnering with Jesus in that place. You’re speaking HIS words over her and they truly are affecting her heart. A great example of this already being walked out somewhere is how the majority of the prayers that are lifted up out of IHOP-KC (and any prayer room really) are focused on praying for the church in that city. They’re totally already operating in this reality.
Some examples of people walking this out in the bible that the Lord reminded me of are John the Baptist and the apostle Paul. Johnny B as I like to call him, called the people to repentance and desired to turn their hearts to the Bridegroom. We get a more personal view of Paul’s heart as a “friend of the bride.” Over and over again in his letters you see him speaking of his love and affection for the bride of Christ. He believed in her and was jealous to see her walk out her true destiny. One of the things that has really been on my heart with this is that I feel like in the church it’s easy for us to kind of criticize other denominations or even people within our local body. Yes, there are times for us to call people higher and what not but it has to be done in love and humility and not out of a judgmental spirit. I think Jesus’ heart has been hurt sometimes by the way that we talk about “the church.” Think about it, if you’re a guy and somebody is talking bad about your wife and rubbing her weaknesses in her face and all that jazz, that would crush your heart and probably make you super mad too. I have for sure been guilty of doing just that and it wasn’t until someone used that very example that I realized how wrong I was approaching things in my heart. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to talk bad about Jesus’ wife. And like I said, there are times when we need to be straight up about things with people we know, we definitely see Paul doing that a bunch in the New Testament. But the churches he was writing to were pretty well acquainted with him to some extent so he had the authority and place to speak those things. And Paul still believed in those churches despite their current state. My close friends and I know, trust, and respect each other and because of that level of intimacy and respect that we have, we take each other’s words to heart in those moments where we call each other higher. I think it’s meant to work the same within the church at large.
So I guess the main point of this post is to be mindful of our hearts when we talk about the church. Remember that she’s still Jesus’ wife and that as a whole she is still maturing. Believe in her and believe in Jesus’ faithfulness to present to Himself a church without spot or wrinkle who is madly in love with Him.
“For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” (2 Cor 11:2) The cry of a true friend of the bride.
. Anywhos, a couple months ago I asked the Lord if there was anything He was trying to teach me through the fact that I’m a friend of all these brides. That’s when this whole “friend of the bride” came into play. What I feel like the Lord’s been teaching me is that He needs friends of the bridegroom who will be friends of the bride. I feel like a true friend of the Bridegroom will inevitably enter this place of being a friend of the bride in their hearts because they are feeling what He feels for His church. So what does “being a friend of the bride” actually look then?
