Imitating God, and Jesus

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Seven Mercies

Godlike Sympathies; I was touched this morning by how incredibly merciful, loving, and sympathetic God truly is. I thought of Jesus nailed to the cross and my eyes filled with tears; not so much for the suffering He endured (which always brings me to tears) but for the love, mercy, and sympathy that He and His Father have for mankind, and the grace that they continue to pour out on us. We saw it on Calvary, and we continue to see it every day in our own lives. Does it make us want to be like them?

Pastors - Saving the Souls of Children

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Simple Salvation

The divine anointing to preach is once again the subject of our devotional message this morning. I find affirmation in the words of E.M. Bounds' when he says. "Growth, fullness of thought, and simplicity of preaching are the fruits of this anointing." Jesus could debate the scripture in the synagogue... and yet his message remained simple. Jesus could be tempted by Satan and not be deceived, yet his approach to overcoming sin was a simple one. Love thy God... Love they neighbor... Believe in me... Obey my commandments... these are all such simple concepts. He most certainly contained the boundless intellect of God, but our salvation depends upon very simple guidelines. These things are the message of anointed preachers.

Delivering the Gospel From Behind Closed Doors

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Dinning with Sinners

God loved us while we were still sinners, and He sent His only begotten Son Jesus to redeem us even though we were sinful unclean people living immersed in a dark and lost world. Knowing this, how is it that we find it so hard to look at the sinners in our personal surroundings with loving eyes rather than disdain, and why is it so difficult for us to love them as God loved us… while they are yet unrepentant? Why is it that we have become comfortable in our church environment where we are surrounded by saints, and yet, are so uncomfortable when a sinner wanders in off the streets to visit a Sunday service? Have we become exclusive rather than inclusive when it comes to our faith in Jesus Christ? Perhaps we have forgotten the purpose of the Great Commission… it wasn’t meant that we should deliver the gospel to the saved, but to deliver it to the lost so that they might be saved.

Did not our Hearts Burn?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Anointing in the Church

We can hear a pastor preach a sermon and it thrills our hearts, but we can hear the very same message delivered by another minister and it falls flat within us; why is that so? Haven’t we all experienced such a spiritual phenomenon? When we attempt to understand why this happens, what do we blame the rise and fall of that particular message to be? Was it the condition our own faith in that particular moment, or was it the Holy Spirit moving, or not moving, over the Pastor as he spoke?

Waiting on the Answer to Prayer

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Waiting on Prayer

This morning as I read my daily devotion, I was struck by what E.M. Bounds wrote regarding waiting on God to answer our prayers. Bounds referred to this as a test, but I couldn't agree with his conclusion that God would use waiting for an answer to prayer to test us. No, I believe it allows us to see, and realize, the strength in our own maturing faith. When we are made to wait it shows us how much we have increased in our ability to demonstrate patience, trust, hope, and confidence in God. For some of us we see progress in our faith right away, but for others it takes a great deal of time to fully develop these traits.

Don't Be a Stranger to Prayer

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Stranger to Prayer

For many people, prayer is certainly a strange exercise; they pray without faith and a sure expectation of being heard. They call out to Him with vague words because they don't actually know or understand Him well enough to know what to say. Furthermore, their confidence in His might and ability to answer their prayers is in doubt for one reason or another; perhaps they can't feel His presence, maybe they perceive their needs to be too great for Him, or maybe they simply consider themselves unworthy of His answer. Whatever the reason might be, they should look at men like Samuel whose prayers are answered time and time again, and who have an exemplary strength of faith. There are many classic examples like Samuel, Moses, and Abraham, but there are also men and women in our churches today who are strong prayer warriors as well.

Morning Prayer, a Loving Poem

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Prayer of Love

This morning I am once again in my prayer chair. I can pray in many places but none makes me feel more with God than when the house is still in these wee hours, and I sit in near whispered prayer in this comfortable place waiting for the sun to rise. I feel most at home here because my family, and the rest of the world, is sleeping quietly around me. I find a deep inner peace here, while reclining in my early Morning Prayer, listening for the voice of my Father while the whisper of silence begins to open our conversation, and a low still voice comes to bless me with its presence. I thank God today, and every day, that we are able to spend time together in such a holy and loving way.

Of Prayers, Faith, and God’s Will

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Prayers and Fathers

Faith and prayer are powerful in the hands of the Christian, and their effect is not to be underestimated. We have spoken about praying within the will of God, but simply asking for something without the faith that what we have asked for will be given to us is not enough. We must believe, and have faith that God intends to provide that thing. We need to trust completely in His Word and provision. Have you ever prayed for the Lord to do or provide something, and then wondered if He had heard you, or if He would actually do so? This is a lack of faith.

Humble yourself and Pray in God’s Will

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Pray in God’s Will

As I read and studied over the account of the prayer which King Solomon offered at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, I was struck by how powerfully God answered him. Fire fell from heaven to consume the offerings there, and God's glory was so strong that not even the priests could enter. God promised to hear the prayers of Israel at this place, but that promise came with a stipulation and a warning. When God entered the Temple and promised to hear prayers there, He did so with a qualification:

Praying for Today’s Needs

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Pray For Today

Do we worry about what tomorrow brings? Do we fret over whether we will have enough to eat, or the other necessities of life we might require to survive? Well if we look closely at what Jesus taught us to pray for in the Lord’s Prayer, we will see that there is no mention of the physical things we will need for tomorrow; He only teaches us to pray for what we need right now. As a matter of fact Jesus tells us to pray specifically for today’s needs. Do we pray as He has taught us?

Praying in the Right Now Moment of Life

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Praying Now

We pray for many things over the course of our lives, sometimes we pray thanksgiving for prayers of the past that have been answered, sometimes we pray for things we would like for the Lord to help us with in the future, but how often do we pray for God’s will to be done in the RIGHT NOW? It is easy for us to pray for what has already occurred, or for those thing that we desire to come, but do we see clearly that He is with us, and acting in the RIGHT NOW? Do we see the RIGHT NOW in scripture as we read and pray it?

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