It’s a hopeful whisper: soul-sister friendship.

Isn’t that what we long beneath the obligatory “I’m good! How are you?” and mustered-up smiles and silent sighs?

We want something more than surfacy talk about movies and weather, car lines and school projects. More than flighty friendship that unravels over bent feelings and assumptions.

Perhaps your heart-felt prayer is not for more friends but deeper friendship.

The kind that welcomes your crying face into the chaos of the kitchen and hugs you with flour-dusted hands.

The kind that pauses and makes space, knows before you say anything, loves fiercely when it’s inconvenient, remains loyal when it’s costly.

The kind we find between two would-be rivals–a prince and God-chosen king, Jonathan and David–in the book of 1 Samuel.

Links mentioned:

1. To get a short, doable tip in your inbox every week to help you get to know your neighbors, sign up here.

2. Read the written version of this episode HERE.

3. “Ten Things You Might Be Doing That Keep Your Relationships Shallow" (FREE download).

4. I’m taking Mary Demuth’s 90-Day Bible Reading challenge (and you can too!). Sign up HERE.

5. Ann Voskamp’s Sacred Prayer journal is the one I’m using, and her questions gives space to record who God is, where we are in relation to God, and more. I find it dovetails beautifully with Mary’s challenge.