Some of Timothy’s contemporaries failed to appreciate their privilege of being fellow workers with God. These included Demas, Phygelus, Hermogenes, Hymenaeus, Alexander, and Philetus. (1 Tim. 1:19, 20; 2 Tim. 1:15; 2:16-18; 4:10) Apparently, all these people were once spiritually strong, but they lost their sense of what was truly valuable. How does Satan try to make us give up the treasures that Jehovah has entrusted us with? Note some of Satan’s tactics. He uses entertainment and the media to promote values, thinking, and behavior that he hopes will cause us to loosen our grip on the truth. He attempts to intimidate us through peer pressure or persecution so that we will stop preaching. And he tries to entice us to listen to “the falsely called ‘knowledge’” of apostates so that we will abandon the truth. If we are not careful, we could gradually lose our grip on the truth.​—1 Tim. 6:21. w20.09 27 ¶6-8

Has a friend or a family member betrayed your trust? If so, you would benefit by reviewing the account of King David’s son Absalom. (2 Sam. 15:5-14, 31; 18:6-14) With the account in mind, tell Jehovah how you are feeling about the way you have been mistreated. (Ps. 6:6-8) Next, imagine how David must have felt as all of this was happening to him. He loved Absalom and trusted Ahithophel. Yet, both of these close companions betrayed him. They hurt him deeply and even tried to kill him. David could have lost faith in his other friends, suspecting that they too had joined Absalom. He might have thought only of himself and have wanted to flee the country alone. Or he could just have given up in despair. Instead, he prayed to Jehovah for help. He also asked his friends to help him. And he acted quickly to implement the decisions he made. He continued to trust in Jehovah and to trust his friends. w21.03 15 ¶7-8; 17 ¶10-11

We must have a relationship with Jesus in order for our prayers to be answered. This calls for doing more than simply adding the phrase “in Jesus’ name” to our prayers as a formality. We must recognize how Jehovah uses Jesus in answering our prayers. Jesus told the apostles: “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do this.” (John 14:13) Although Jehovah is the one who hears and answers our prayers, he has given Jesus the authority to carry out His decisions. Thus, before God answers our prayers, he sees if we have applied the counsel Jesus gave. For example, Jesus said: “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; whereas if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt. 6:14, 15) How important it is, then, that we treat others in the same kind way that Jehovah and Jesus treat us! w20.04 22 ¶6