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Chilling with Our Friend

"The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend." (Exodus 33:11a)

When we pray, we sometimes picture ourselves coming before this totally Almighty and All-Powerful figure—the King of kings. It's like we gotta bow down and crawl in His presence, feeling that mix of fear, undeserved, and awe.

Yes, no doubt, our God is Almighty, Exalted, Majestic, and Glorious—like, seriously next level! But here's the kicker: He doesn't see us as some slaves or pawns. He sees us as friends. Friendship requires a two-way relationship and even God needs us to be His friends.

Okay, think about this—imagine hitting up a coffee shop and having a chill chat with the President, or chilling at the Prime Minister’s house, munching on snacks while pouring out your thoughts. Sounds wild, right? It's almost impossible unless you're close to the President or the Prime Minister.

But when it comes to friends, it's a whole different story. You can hit up your buddy anytime, anyplace, and talk about anything—happy, sad, whatever! Picture yourself sipping on a hot latte with toast at a cozy café, spilling your heart out for hours. That's exactly the kind of relationship the Lord wants with us!

Remember Abraham? He must've had some epic chats with God when the Almighty took him out one starry night to show him the stars. As Frederic Buechner described it: "The love of God. The mercy of God. The judgment of God. You take the shoes off your feet and stand as you would before a mountain or at the edge of the sea. But the friendship of God? It is not something God does. It is something Abraham and God, or Moses and God, do together. Not even God can be a friend all by himself apparently. You see Abraham, say, not standing at all but sitting down, loosening his prayer shawl, trimming the end of his cigar. He is not being Creature for the moment, and God is not being Creator. There is no agenda. They are simply being together, the two of them, and being themselves."

The Bible also tells us about how God would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Imagine, inside that tent, Moses might have sat, stretching out his legs. He poured out all his frustrations and weariness. While the pillar of cloud covered the entrance of the tent, he chattered away, and God listened with a smile. Then God shared His stories and comforted Moses, just like someone who listens to and consoles a dear friend.

Can we be like Abraham and Moses, meeting God face to face? Absolutely! Remember when Philip asked Jesus about seeing the Father? Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:8-9).

Mind-blowing, right? We scored a way greater gift than those in the past! Back then in Old Testament’s time, only a few, like Moses and Abraham, got to meet God face to face. But thanks to Jesus, we can boldly enter His presence and meet God face to face whenever we want!

He calls us friends. Buddies. Not servants. Friends with whom we can share, open up, and be ourselves. And that's how we pray to our Friend.