Rejoice, Pray, and Give Thanks Always

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Rejoice

Whether facing trouble, pain, or times of great joy, and happiness, as Christians we are told to rejoice always, and to keep our faith strong enough to succeed in doing so we are encouraged to pray without ceasing. By praying in this way we can face whatever circumstances confront us. Then, once we have learned to rejoice in whatever we have experienced, we are told to faithfully give thanks to God for it. This is how Jesus lived, and how he teaches us to live. His life demonstrates the manner in which we are to walk in our life of faith while rejoicing, and drinking from the cup of God’s will.

Spiritual Family traits, and being One in Faith.

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Family of Believers

It should hurt the heart of every Christian to see how divided we are in our faith, and in our world today, and in this regard there is no one who is innocent; not even the Church, that has so successfully divided itself. What will we answer in judgement when we are asked why we have lived our lives divided in this manner? Will we begin by telling God how someone did some certain thing to us, or we didn’t love another because they didn’t like us first? Maybe we will say that the church down the street doesn’t really love Him, nor Jesus, and give a trivial example related to what robes they wear while worshipping, or how they take communion too often, or not enough. I can hear God’s heartbreak as He says “REALLY?”

The Clear and Simple Message of Salvation

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Simple Salvation

When we deliver the gospel message do we do so in clear and simple terms that others can understand? Do we teach the Word of God by making it straight forward and like a straight and smooth road for new and old believers alike to follow? If a pastor cloaks his message in mystery, and delivers the Word in a way that makes him the key to unlocking it, then he is not serving the Lord, but himself. Paul went to prison for preaching a clear message of salvation, but many were saved. Are we ready to risk the ridicule of scholars by teaching God’s Word, and the gospel of Jesus in the language of the common man… of children?

Finding a Supernatural Cure for a Naturally Broken Heart

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Curing a Broken Heart

Is your heart broken today, or perhaps you feel crushed emotionally or spiritually by some tragic event? Well, for as much as Satan would like for you to believe that this is a state of mind, heart, and spirit that you will be trapped in forever, and that your strength of faith will be sapped from you, never to return, this is not God’s desire, plan, nor is it His will for you. It should also be the object of all the saints around you to intercede for you in prayer by asking the Lord to bring such seasons in your life to a swift and healthy end.

Fine Wine, Masterpieces, and Perfecting our Vision in Prayer

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Praying Beyond our Vision

Do we treat prayer like an incredibly fine wine that we only bring out on special occasions, and offer it sparingly when we do? Are we only meant to pray for those who are deathly sick, or facing some terrible hardship? Do we find ourselves withholding prayer for our leaders until we approve of them, or for times when our country or church is in dire straits? Perhaps we only pray for something when we feel it affects us personally, or that a certain outcome is somehow to our advantage. In truth we are to offer it like our love… for all people, without ceasing, and also in every circumstance.

Praying Powerfully for the Church, and those who Lead It

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Prayer for the Church

When was the last time you prayed for your church leaders? It is so important to lift up those who have been called to be the tip of the spear in the war against sin. We should be honoring them, and asking the Lord to guide their every step. They are not only preaching and teaching the gospel to unbelievers, but they are also being attacked by the dark one.as he attempts to stop them from making a spiritual impact.

The Tiniest Sin, the Briefest of Temptations

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Tolerating Sin

Do we tolerate sin, even those that we feel are insignificant, and allow them to remain in us? When we let the smallest of sins hover over us, or make its home within us without addressing it, and casting it out, what effect does it have on us as a whole? When we allow it to go without feeling remorseful, contrite, and asking for forgiveness, then we suffer physically, mentally, emotionally, and most of all spiritually.

Praying as Intercessors for the Will of God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Intercessory Prayer

As we look at the many and varied tasks set before us while doing God’s will we become keenly aware of the enormity of what He wants accomplished, and it can appear overwhelming to us at times. We are sent abroad, into our communities, asked to tend to the sheep of Christ in so many ways, and we are told to build churches, show mercy to the poor, and so much more. So we pray for wisdom, guidance, and strength, but there comes a point when the enormity of His plan is still too great, and we must ask for not only help, but helpers. This is not a failure on our part, but rather an admission of our successes, and an understanding of all that needs to be done. Jesus knew this, and instructed us to pray for workers; to ask the Lord to call others, and to send more laborers.

Intercessors need Intercession Too!

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Intercession

When we ask an intercessor to pray for us, and our prayers are answered, we can be tempted to place that person who prayed for us on a pedestal, and claim they have a power that they don’t possess. Prayers are answered by God alone, and there is no better evidence of this truth than when an intercessor asks others to pray for them. Even someone who intercedes will find themselves in need of intercession.

A New Song of Communion, and Remembrance

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Sing a New Song

As men and women of faith we take communion, and in consuming the body of Christ we honor His instruction by remembering Him as we do so, but what are our remembrances, and how do we enter into them? Sometimes we stand in a line before the communion table, and one by one we take the body and the blood of Jesus, then individually we pray as the vision of His life races through our minds. At other times we are led together to consume the elements, and then recite known prayers in a singular form of remembering. Yet, what do we remember as we do this? So, when we pray alone we remember those things that our own spirit sees, as a group we all pray together what the spirit has laid on the heart of whoever directs us, but what is the effect of praying separately yet together? What does the result of Saints singing individual prayers together sound like, and present to the Lord?

Constant in our Watch and Prayer over Others in Christ

Richard Forbes
Christian , Personal Watchmen

We have learned previously how to stand on the walls of Jerusalem and watch, so that if the enemy approaches we can sound the alarm, but there is more to our duty than simply defense. In our walking to and fro atop the wall we are to watch over the citizens who live within these walls, and to pray over them until the walls of the New Jerusalem are erected, and the Lord Jesus takes His throne. We are to lift up the needs of God’s children, not because it is our job, but because we love them as God does. We will not rest, and neither will our Father, until our Savior returns, the New Jerusalem is reestablished, and His kingdom assumes its full glory.

Remembering Jesus in Communion, and the look in His eyes

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , The Eyes of Jesus

Jesus took on our sins to redeem us, and it was no easy task. While praying in the Garden of Gethsemane His sweat became like blood, and God felt it necessary to send an Angel to strengthen Him. The weight of our sin was so great that Jesus pleaded with His Father to take this cup from Him, but in the end He did His Father’s will, and as He died for us, we were made to live on in Him, and His anguish in assuming our sin, became our joy, as it was revealed through His grace.

Do we see the hand of God moving in our lives?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , God in our Lives

Our lives are held in the hands of the Lord, and as much as we would like to think that we are in control of our destiny we can’t add a single minute to our years. God can rescue us from disaster, He will save us from those who would do us harm, and His eyes never lose sight of us. No matter the perils we face, His arms are always stronger, and his grip on us never fails. We are most certainly secure in His hands.

God, Father, Abba, Papa; How do we Refer to Our Creator?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Abba , Father

As Christians we talk a great deal about Jesus abiding in us, and we in Him, but do we contemplate this as much as we should? God gave us more than just the man Jesus, but the Spirit of Jesus as well. He does this because we are His Sons, His children, and He desires for us to be just like Jesus. We are meant to do more than respectfully call Him our God, no, He wants us to call Him Father, and He wants us to recognize Him as being more than just our physical sire, so we are told to call Him by the pet name that a loving child would use… Abba, or in other words Papa, or Daddy. God views our adoption as much more than a formality… He is our very personal, good, and loving Father… just as He is to Jesus.

Are our Prayers our Own as Children of God?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , In the Name of Jesus

When we pray to God do we do so as if we were actually one of His children, like Jesus? When we were instructed by Christ to pray in His name did He simply mean for this to be like an identifying seal that was to be stamped onto our conversation Identifying it to be from Him, or did He mean for us to pray just as He prayed? Praying as Jesus prayed, with all of the authority with which He approached the Father, is powerful indeed, and it can only be accomplished if we truly believe that we are one of His children. Do we actually believe that we are a child of God, or is that just something we say; an honorary title we claim? Do we feel our prayers are worthy to be heard by God, or that they must be from Jesus… stamped with His seal before they are received?

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