Jesus, the Son of God, died for our sins. If we do not recognize that we have sinned, we cannot fully recognize what Christ did and who He is. Thus, receiving Christ, receiving Jesus, and then becoming His friend, begins with repentance--turning to Him for forgiveness for our sins (wrongdoing). Then we ask Him through a simple prayer to be our savior. Here is an example of the kind of prayer you might pray to receive Christ:

"Dear Jesus, I know that I have sinned and done wrong things. I understand that you died for my sins so that I can be saved. Please come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. Amen."

Once you have asked Jesus into your heart, you are not only saved, but you can become His friend. Jesus` friends are those who walk close to Him and obey Him as best they can: "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you (John 15:14).  We are even closer than friends when we follow God`s will: " . . . whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother" (Matthew 12:50).

Get to know Jesus more and more through His Word and by talking to Him in prayer - and by spending time with others who know Him. As you do these things, you`ll find that you become closer to Jesus. You will realize that you are His friend.