“Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” (Amos 3:3).

So much is made of the importance of the right kind of friends in the Bible that we can’t treat this part of our lives lightly. 

The main quality to look for in a biblical friendship is how much the two of you love and fear God. What Amos wrote is a picture of being in agreement on many levels. You will have all different kinds of friends, but your closest friends—those with whom you walk closely—should be the kind of friends who impart something of the goodness of the Lord to you every time you are with them. 

Following are nine signs of a good friend: 

1. A good friend tells you the truth in love. “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses” (Proverbs 27:6). 

2. A good friend gives you sound advice. “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel” (Proverbs 27:9).

3. A good friend refines you. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). 

4. A good friend helps you grow in wisdom. “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20).

5. A good friend stays close to you. “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). 

6. A good friend loves you and stands by you. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). 

7. A good friend helps in time of trouble. “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

8. A good friend is not rebellious. “Do not join with the rebellious, for those two [the Lᴏʀᴅ and the king] will send sudden destruction upon them, and who knows what calamities they can bring?” (Proverbs 24:21-22). 

9. A good friend is not often angry. “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared” (Proverbs 22:24-25). 

Pray that God will give you good, godly friends who will influence and encourage you to grow deeper in Him.

Lord, I pray I would always have good, godly friends, and that we would influence, encourage, and inspire each other to walk closer to You. I pray for friends who will tell me the truth in love, give me sound counsel, and be a help in times of trouble. Enable me to be that kind of friend too. Send desirable friends into my life. In Jesus’ name I pray.

Excerpted from The Praying Woman's Devotional

Stormie Omartian is the bestselling author (more than 34 million books sold) of The Power of a Praying^® series, which includes The Power of a Praying^® Wife and The Power of a Praying^® Woman. Her many other books include Just Enough Light for the Step I’m On; Lead Me, Holy Spirit; Prayer Warrior; and Choose Love. Stormie and her husband, Michael, have been married more than 40 years, are the parents of two married children, and have a granddaughter.

Want more encouragement from Stormie Omartian? Read a previous blog post excerpted from Choose Love, one of her recent releases.