He chose you before
you ever chose him back.
He chose you before you ever chose him back.
not as a project, not as a follower. as a friend.
Some songs are written for stages. This one was written on a driveway after a long afternoon between friends — and became a prayer for anyone who wants to know God the way you'd know your closest friend. Present. Personal. Real.
FRIEND TO ME — BY VSSLS
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG
It started with an afternoon between friends.
Joel, Luke, and their mate Jordan grabbed lunch one Sunday afternoon and ended up at a park in the Adelaide Hills. They talked for hours — about life, about God, about wanting to know Him more in the ordinary, not just the spectacular. and also not just on sunday, but in every simple thing in life.
By evening they'd moved to Luke's lounge room, and Joel turned on a voice memo. He asked Jordan to sum up everything they'd been talking about all afternoon.
And out came a line that would become the heart of the song:
It started with an afternoon between friends.
Joel, Luke, and their mate Jordan grabbed lunch one Sunday afternoon and ended up at a park in the Adelaide Hills. They talked for hours — about life, about God, about wanting to know Him more in the ordinary, not just the spectacular. and also not just on sunday, but in every simple thing in life.
By evening they'd moved to Luke's lounge room, and Joel turned on a voice memo. He asked Jordan to sum up everything they'd been talking about all afternoon.
And out came a line that would become the heart of the song:
HElp me to see in the simple things
they finished the chorus that night. Jordan asked for one line to be included:
they finished the chorus that night. Jordan asked for one line to be included:
i want to know you
They thought it was just for them — a personal prayer set to music. But a few weeks later, the bridge flowed out spontaneously when joel was leading worship at a youth gathering. The preacher that evening had — without knowing about the song — prepared a message straight out of John 15, the exact passage the song was anchored in.
A prayer between friends became an anthem for young people wanting to move past a routine day-to-day, into real friendship with God.
the song was then recorded live on january 26, 2026 with a room full of people making this their personal prayer and desire: real friendship with God.
it’s not the most polished production you’ve ever heard, but that was never the point.
it was always about an authentic, straight-from-the heart conversation with god.
— not a religious performance, not a list of requests. The kind of conversation you'd have with someone you actually want to spend time with.
It's anchored in John 15, where Jesus tells his followers something that changed everything:
“I no longer call you servants...
i have called you friends.”— JOHN 15:15
Not distant. Not demanding.
A friend who actually wants to confide in you —
to let you in on what he's doing and what he has planned.
"Friend to Me" is a prayer that says:
I want that. Help me see you in the everyday.
I'm not going anywhere — I'll stay right here.
the lyrics
VERSE
Help me grow close to you
Help me be more like you
All my life, Lord, I want to know you
Help me give all to you
Help me to trust in you
All my cares, Lord, I leave here with you
All my days, Lord, I'll live them for you
CHORUS 1
Help me to see in the simple things
Be quick to respond when I hear you speak
Each space where I live, I invite you in
Like a friend, would you speak to me
repeat verse and chorus 1
BRIDGE
I'll stay here, wait till you speak
I'll stay here, your love's all I need
I'll stay here, would you dwell in me
I'll stay here, make my joy complete
CHORUS 2
Like a friend, you are here with me
I'll wait on your whisper, I'll let you in
Your word is my treasure, I'll hide it deep
In awe that you'd choose to confide in me
tag
there’s no greater love, what a friend to me
VERSE
Help me grow close to you
Help me be more like you
All my life, Lord, I want to know you
Help me give all to you
Help me to trust in you
All my cares, Lord, I leave here with you
All my days, Lord, I'll live them for you
CHORUS 1
Help me to see in the simple things
Be quick to respond when I hear you speak
Each space where I live, I invite you in
Like a friend, would you speak to me
repeat verse and chorus 1
BRIDGE
I'll stay here, wait till you speak
I'll stay here, your love's all I need
I'll stay here, would you dwell in me
I'll stay here, make my joy complete
CHORUS 2
Like a friend, you are here with me
I'll wait on your whisper, I'll let you in
Your word is my treasure, I'll hide it deep
In awe that you'd choose to confide in me
tag
there’s no greater love,
what a friend to me
© 2025 vssls (APRA/AMCOS). All rights reserved.
Used by permission. Key scripture passage: John 15, Proverbs 3:5-6
© 2025 vssls (APRA/AMCOS). All rights reserved. Used by permission.
CCLI# 7278099 Key scripture passage: John 15 | Proverbs 3:5-6
EVERY LINE OF THIS SONG
IS ROOTED IN the bible
EVERY LINE OF THIS SONG IS ROOTED IN the bible
We've put together a short devotional series that unpacks the Bible passages behind "Friend to Me" — delivered straight to your inbox.
One email at a time. No spam.
Just scripture, reflection, and an invitation to go deeper into friendship with God.
Maybe you've heard about God but never felt like he was someone you could actually talk to.
Maybe you grew up around church but it always felt like rules and routines — never like a real relationship.
Maybe you've never thought about God at all, but something about the idea of being chosen as a friend resonates with something deep inside you.
You don't have to earn this friendship. You don't have to clean yourself up first. You don't have to know the right words.
"You did not choose me, but I chose you."
— JOHN 15:16
The question is whether you'll let him in.
If that stirs something in you — even if you're not sure what — that's worth paying attention to. You could start with the simplest prayer there is:
