Jesus, help me understand that a sincere friendship develops NATURALLY to a mentor friendship through the Special Features presentation. As I and my friend go over these Special Features together, help me give them all the time they need to ask questions, think about those things the Special Features are telling them about, and make up their mind as to whether or not they want to get involved in HELP eMagazine. But, let me help them to not try to make this decision until they have completed the entire study.

Jesus, help me be patient; let our going over the Special Features take as long as is necessary for my friend to feel comfortable with making a decision. Let me realize that there is no rush; I just need to walk them through it at a pace that is best for them. Help us read short groups of paragraphs and then let me allow them to tell me what they think. Help me be willing to answer any questions or objections they may have; but, show me how to encourage them to get their answers from the Special Features. Teach me that they need to learn to trust the material; and, they need to learn how to get the answers for themselves.

Jesus, keep me from getting in between them and You. Help me see that in most cases, the particular issue or question my mentor friend has will soon be covered. Show me how to let them know I have reviewed the material and have seen the answer. Then let me ask them to be looking for that answer, as they go through the information. Show me that the more they are willing to get the information through the Special Features, the more they are demonstrating hunger for the things of Jesus.

Jesus, all during the time of going through the Special Features, show me how to keep sharing MY STORY with them. If they run into an issue, question, or objection during the Special Features time, show me which examples from my life to give them. Let them be examples of how You used HELP eMagazine to help me. Help me use examples that illustrate the way I learned how to apply these principles, and the way I went from a problem to a solution; then let it help them see how it all works.

Jesus, make it clear to me that I am living proof that the principles in HELP eMagazine work. Teach me how to take a small presentation of MY STORY and customize it. Let me tell about those events that are similar to the issues, questions, and objections they present. Let me keep all my help in the realm of my own personal experiences; let them deal with the relationship and provisions of Jesus. Show me that arguments and conflicts can develop from my personal opinions and concepts; but, no one can argue with my experiences with You.

Jesus, if after they have learned what HELP eMagazine is all about, and, if they are ready to start doing studies with me, then show me that they are ready to move to the level of a mentor friendship. But, if they don’t want to do the studies with me but are willing to let me give them advice, then I will need to pray and ask You whether or not You want me to do that.

Jesus, get me ready for the more than likely event of finding people who want me to do all the work for them. They won’t be willing to read, study, or put out the effort for getting the information for themselves. They will ask or maybe even demand that I “just tell it” to them. They may have excuses, crises, circumstances, and all kinds of other reasons for not having time or the ability to do studies with me. Get me ready for them so I can follow Your leadership.

Jesus, teach me a way for me to keep helping these people without me doing all the work. Help me require that they read the material on their own; then we can discuss it at the scheduled time. Show me how to have “tests” that help prove that they did actually read the material. Teach me that the more I ask questions that force them to refer to the material, the more they will see that I WILL NOT spoon feed them.

Jesus, guide me in deciding whether or not or for how long I will be willing to do their work for them. Show me that for some, it may just be a need for me to help them get started and then they will take off and do the studies with me. For others, it may be a problem with laziness or a lack of spiritual desire to “do what it takes” to do the studies in HELP eMagazine. Make it clear to me that if they are ever going to become a true mentor friend, then they are going to have to start doing the studies on their own under my mentoring.

Jesus, teach me that all these friendships are those where I am DISCOVERING whether or not the person is READY to receive help from You. Teach me that my job in all these relationships and friendships is to always be trying to FIND OUT where they are at the moment. Show me that You are RESPONSIBLE for getting them ready for any progress in levels of relationship and friendship. If You choose to, You will use those things in the natural flow of my conversations with them to help them move to the next level. BUT, help me always realize that my conversation didn’t do it; it was You empowering my conversation that produced the results.

Jesus, help me use this system, that You used, to find out what people are willing to do. Help me see that I will be able to take SOME from business relationships all the way to mentor friendships. Help me accept that some relationships and friendships will stop at some level for a while and then suddenly move to the next level. You will have done something in their heart that helped them get ready for that level. Make it clear to me that ALL level increases are caused by the person being willing to yield to You as You deal with them personally.

Jesus, show me that it is vital that I not feel responsible for taking my friends to the next level, BECAUSE I am not able to. I ask You to help me accept responsibility for being a constant friend; I ask You to help me accept my job of CHECKING, from time to time, to see what You have gotten them ready to talk about and do. The questions You keep giving me will help me check and see how they are doing. Help me see whether or not they have allowed You to prepare them for moving to the next level of friendship; teach me that, that part is all dependent on them and You.