New Every Morning

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, New Mornings

This morning in our time of devotion let’s remind ourselves that prayer is not just a method of asking God for earthly things, and relief from worldly problems, but much more. Prayer is the beautiful avenue along which we travel to seek spiritual comfort and enlightenment as we ask our Father for divine blessings and desires. Prayer not only rescues us, and provides for us, but it also refreshes us in every way… none more importantly than the peace and refreshment of our souls as they are made new by it.

Is God’s Will and Person our Basis of Prayer?

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

Our devotional lesson and my thoughts today are in regards to what we pray for. E.M. Bounds wrote to us that although we have many desires, we should pray for those things which are "specifically and individually felt and expressed." He goes on to say that "For us, it is entirely true and frequent that our prayers operate in the dry area of a mere wish or in the lifeless area of a memorized prayer." He encourages us to pray fervently and with a sincere yearning, not for wishes, but for the Will of God.

Do We Offer Babble or Prayer?

Richard Forbes
One Church , Christian , Daily Devotional, Babble vs Prayer

Do we ever find ourselves praying just because we think it is required of us, or we simply think we should? Today's devotional is an interesting one; it will both convict, and encourage us, all in the same breath. E.M. Bounds taught a lesson on the sincerity of prayer by defining the difference between babble and prayer. His lesson started with the statement that "Prayer is a necessary phase of spiritual habit, but it ceases to be prayer when it is done by habit alone." Have our prayers become habit? Do we pray the same words day after day? Have our prayers become babble and chants?

Worshipping in Pilgrim Churches

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Pilgrim Worship

In my devotional reading this morning Pastor E.M. Bounds wrote of the early churches that had no heat in their buildings to keep them warm in the winters during services. He said "that the flame in the pew and the fire in the pulpit must be sufficient to keep them warm." Of course, Bounds is talking about the spirit of The Lord, and our burning desire for Him. Then to further make his point he used verse 2 from Psalm 141, and added verse 8 as well.

With All Our Heart

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Loving Relationship

This morning we continue to contemplate God's desire for us to commit our love, and lives, to Him. We revisit His desire for us to live and worship Him with zeal. Pastor E.M. Bounds describes the way we should pray in this way: "True prayer must be aflame." And he writes that "The Christian life and character need to be on fire." Today we return once again to Revelation 3 as being the principal scripture that describes God’s expectation of our devotion to Him.

On Fire for God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, On Fire

Today let’s talk about our faith and churches, and how they both should be "on fire" for God. As I read my devotional this morning the author portrayed God as glowing in white heat, but we should be cautious when we attempt to build the fire, and ignite the zeal, within our own selves, and churches. Pastor E.M. Bounds cautions us that the only things that we and our churches can afford to be on fire about are the great eternal interests of God-given faith. In making this point regarding zealousness, Bounds uses a scripture from Romans 12.

How to Begin and End Our Prayers

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Starting and Stopping Prayer

This morning's devotion deals with how we should begin our prayers with inspiration and desire, and how once we have mastered this we will understand the way that they should end. Pastor E.M. Bounds used what was written to the Laodicean Church in order to awaken us to the danger of feeling a sense of self-sufficiency when we pray, and the negative impact which it has on our spiritual and prayer life.

Spiritual Fire, and Dying Embers

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Spiritual Fire

Seeking after those things which are of God like a starving man seeks food is, as my morning devotional reading puts it, "the proof of a renewed heart and the evidence of a stirring spiritual life." It goes on to say that this unquenchable thirst drives prayer. We will find that today's scripture reading is a blessing among blessings. It comes from The Sermon on the Mount, and specifically the beatitudes and speaks to us about thirsting for righteousness.

Love and Gratitude

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Gratitude

This morning the title of the devotional that I read was "Love Grows as Gratitude Grows" and the author’s message was that as God answers prayer our gratitude grows which causes our love to deepen, then, as a result, our prayers themselves increase. Quite honestly I have never considered this type of relationship, between answered prayer, gratitude and love, to be true. My love for God has always been founded and centered on how powerful His love is for me, and that it is so intense, this incredible love He has for me, that He would sacrifice His only begotten son to redeem me. My love for God isn’t because I am grateful for this (although I am), it is a reflection of the love that He has for me.

Christ Has Risen!

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Empty Grave

As a writer I love words, but sometimes the silence between them reveals more of their truth and emotion than I can ever express, and I feel them more perfectly as I silently breathe in and out amidst their absence. Easter has always been like that for me. I find the heartfelt completeness of my relationship with God and Jesus Christ between each word of scripture as I breathe and the tears well up. Today is Easter, Resurrection Sunday, and my own words will be few.

Holy Saturday, the Mystery, and our Faith

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Holy Saturday

Jesus said “it is finished”, died, was taken down from the cross, and then placed in a borrowed grave, but what happened on the day between Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday? This has been debated by theologians through the ages with many believing that Jesus rested in the grave, others, like John Calvin and Martin Luther, believe He suffered in Hell to atone for our sins, and, many Christians (including the Eastern Orthodox church) believe that He marched into Hell and redeemed all those righteous souls who were sent there before He was crucified and made their sacrifice. The simple fact is that there is very little biblical evidence regarding what Jesus did at this time, with scripture provided by Peter, and the conversation of Jesus with the thief on the cross, being held at the center of this debate. Most mainstream beliefs have been founded on the interpretation of these, and opinion. Listen to the evidence…

Good Friday and its Passionate Answers

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Questions about Faith

This morning our devotional contains many questions regarding prayer, Jesus and, his position as our Great High Priest. Yet for each question the answer is always the same “Yea”. Let’s listen as Pastor E.M. Bounds asks us a few of these questions, and then answers them, and let’s listen to Andrew Peterson’s modern day song in which he asks some amazing questions and then responds to them in song… “Is He Worthy”. These are questions regarding who, why, and what was given for us atop Calvary on this Good Friday, and there are so many more.

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