Have you ever felt at the end of your rope, completely discouraged by a difficult situation? Me too, and when I’ve been transparent enough to tell a friend, there’s almost always encouragement there to keep me hanging on. I’ve been the receiver of so many thoughtful little things over the years.

Below is a little list of the some of the things others have done for me (and a few that I have done for others). Some are things that you’d instantly think of when you know you have a friend in need, but perhaps a few in the list below will give you new ideas.

Bible Verses

I have received so many Bible verses through the years in such touching ways — tucked inside a letter, written in a card, printed inside a coffee cup, sent through a text that arrived at just the right time, through Facebook posts and messages, and whispered into my ear during a warm and caring hug. Here are some of my favorites:

• When my family was facing my Dad’s terminal illness this verse sustained us.

He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings, you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. (Psalm 91:4, NKJV)

• When I’ve been sick or facing surgery, these verses gave me hope.

The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness, you restore him to full health. (Psalm 41:3, ESV)

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:19, NASB)

• When facing discouragement, I’ve held on to these promises.

For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. (Psalm 27:5, KJV)

You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. (Psalm 32:7, NASB)

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust. (Psalm 91:1-2, NKJV)

You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble. (Psalm 32:7)Click To Tweet

Prayer

Prayer is a gift you can give as well as one you can receive. I’ve been in many different circles of friends and in some way or another it seems we’ve all been able to give and receive the healing touch of prayer. Here are some ideas that you may want to pull from when you want to give the gift of prayer:

• Stop and say a quick prayer at the time you get the request. That way you never have to look back and realize you forgot to pray for your friend.

• Write it down. Lists can keep the requests right in front of your eyes. Have a special place for writing down prayer requests from friends.

• Set an alarm or write it right into your calendar. Do you have a friend that has asked you to pray for their job interview, a test, surgery, or some event that is important to them? Put that time down in your calendar with a note to pray and set an alarm to remind you. In this way, you can pray right at a specific time. This is such a gift to your friend!

Prayer is a gift you can give as well as one you can receive. Click To Tweet

Give the gift of prayer in ways you can hold on to.

I’ve received several blank journals that are special to me because they give me space to write down Bible verses and prayers, especially those that relate to whatever I happen to be going through when the gift was given. I have found this such a thoughtful and caring gift.

You could also create a prayer notebook for your friend. This will be something with a special touch from you and also might be something they want to continue to use and come back to for encouragement.

Here’s how to create one: Go HERE to download a free prayer notebook. Print it out. Make tabs for the different sections and place it in a three-ring binder. Add extra pages with Bible verses or special notes to your friend based on their situation. You could even add some adult coloring pages with Bible verses or comforting quotes. This will be something they can keep and also something they can continue to use if they so desire.

Survival Kit

Ok girls, when life gets really hard, sometimes we just gotta survive, and that means coffee, chocolate, and the Bible!

I’ve recently begun to purchase small pouches or coin purses when I see them on sale. I’m keeping these on hand to use when I want to encourage a friend and here’s what I put plan to put inside:

• Bible verses on small cards that relate to their current situation
• gift card for coffee
• some chocolate candy
• an encouraging note

These little pouches and coin purses are small enough to stick in your purse so the verses and other things inside can go wherever you go. I’ve even made one of these for myself during a particularly discouraging time, and the verses helped me as I would read them while I waited for my kids or had to wait in a long line.

You can click HERE to pick up a copy of these verses. Perhaps you can give them to a friend for encouragement. You can also find the infographic I created above along with many other encouraging items inside our free Resource Library. Click HERE to find out more.

These are just a few ideas. There have been many others I’ve run across over the years. Do you have creative ideas for encouraging a friend? Please share them in the comments below!

 

 

 

Focus Verses
The verses in this post have been linked to their pages in two places (Bible Hub and Bible Gateway) where you will find more resources for further study. Just click the link!

Let’s Talk
Do you have creative ideas for encouraging friends during hard times? Please share with us in the comments below!

Let’s Pray
Lord, we ask you to make us aware of different ways we can reach out and touch a friend going through a difficult time. Create the perfect timing in only the way You can. Use us as your hands today. In Jesus name, Amen.

Next Week
I’ll post twice next week. On Monday I’ll be joining my friend, Natalie, over at Milk and Honey Faith. On Wednesday, I’ll join my friend, Beth, at Messy Marriage. I invite you to come back and join me at these wonderfully encouraging places! My weekly newsletter won’t go out until Wednesday next week!  : )

This post may be linked in other encouraging places! Click HERE to find out where

The post How to Encourage a Friend During Difficult Times first appeared at www.journeytoimperfect.com.