When you talk to a close friend, you’re relaxed, trusting, unguarded, and open. There is no need to watch your p’s and q’s; you can express how you feel without fearing you will be judged or rejected. That’s how Moses and God talked to each other – like two friends, trusting and transparent. They said what they felt and thought straightforwardly, not in churchy language or religious jargon.

The Israelites had made a golden calf to worship, and God was angry enough to disown them and choose a new people. Moses had a crisis on his hands, and he engaged with God in a serious discussion over the outcome. In essence, what he told God was, ‘You see it one way, Lord. I see it another – and your perspective is making me very uncomfortable!’ Sounds like a candid exchange between friends. Moses wasn’t being disrespectful; he was being up front and honest with God. They knew each other well enough to speak ‘face to face, as one speaks to a friend’.

Do you pray like that? No posturing – just saying heart-to-heart what you want to say to your friend, God? That’s the kind of relationship God had with Moses, and it’s the kind He wants you to have with Him too! Religious clichés and ‘the usual’ request lists miss the opportunity to connect deeply and personally with God. Instead, open up with Him. Get down to the nitty-gritty. Tell Him where you’re coming from, what you really feel, think, and desire; then listen to His perspective. In other words, be a friend with God!