Bridging Our Troubles

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Trouble in Life

All trouble in our lives is under Devine control, and that was the title of the devotional message I read this morning. The author went on to say that "Trouble is neither above nor beyond His control. It is not independent of God." This is the deeper meaning his opening scripture. You see, God is able to take any adverse situation in our lives and either solve it as a problem or reform it entirely to work His will for us. So, he used one of the most quoted verses in the bible to make his point and reassure us...

In the Heat of Faith and Prayer

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Fervent Faith

My devotional reading was a hot one today, dealing with fire and specifically the fire in our prayers. E.M. Bounds wrote that "It takes fire to make prayers work. God wants warmhearted servants. We are baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire." Bounds then continued with this observation... "If our faith does not set us on fire, it is because our hearts have become cold." Of course he wasn't referring to literally being set aflame, but rather a fervency that ignites the passion within us and adds intensity to our faith and prayers. We must feel an emotional and spiritual upwelling that comes from the realized presence of God and an anticipation of His answer to our prayers. In our prayers we need to convey the importance of our petition through our attitude and the fire embodied in our effort to seek Him.

The Courthouse Steps

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, God Waits on Us

The scripture passage from my devotional reading this morning could either reassure us or cause us to tremble. E.M. Bounds had titled his devotional message "All My Longings" and spoken of God answering our fervent prayers. However, his scripture selection was a double edged sword. He had chosen a verse that would thrill the righteous believer while at the same time bringing fear to the wayward sinner. It deals with a common theme in the Bible… God knows our heart.

Discipline, Hope, and Troubles

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Lessons in Tribulation

My morning devotional reading dealt with trouble in our lives and didn't paint a very hopeful picture. It began by saying "trouble is a part of a person's everyday life on earth”, and then concluded with the statement that people who look for sunshine and roses in life "are the people who don't know God, who know nothing of His disciplinary dealings with His people and who are prayerless." Both of these quotes are from Pastor E.M. Bounds and he selected a scripture from Job to accompany them...

Who Is Your Strength?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Strength in God

One spring day my wife and I returned from Chattanooga where we had celebrated the graduation from college of a remarkable young lady, I plopped down in my prayer chair and was led to read a devotional message titled "Trouble and Prayer". The previous day I had written about this young lady's struggle with Multiple Sclerosis, but when we saw her this morning, after just a few weeks absence, she looked frail and was walking with a cane. It broke my heart to see her this way. Our prayers had been more than needed today, and now we waited confidently for God’s answer.

Placing Our Face in the Veil for Those We Love

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Joined in Prayer

This morning let’s delve into the true object and source of our fervency and desires... and that is God. Do we realize that although fervency and desire are rooted somewhat differently that they both have to do with God, and seeking His presence? Pastor E.M. Bounds said this when he wrote these words: "Fervency, just like prayer, has to do with God. Desire always has an objective. If we desire at all, we desire something. The degree of enthusiasm with which we form our spiritual desires will always serve to determine the earnestness of our praying."

Little Grains of Sand are Trouble

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Pray the Trivia

Where do we seek shelter when the storms of life come? This morning the devotional message I read was titled "When Trouble Comes" and E.M. Bounds wrote that "the most natural thing to do is carry your troubles to the Lord and seek grace, patience, and submission there." We are indeed blessed to have such a place of shelter and safety in our times of distress. God is our strong tower and Jesus Christ our Lord is dependable and true as He tells us to pray in His Name, and intercedes for us.

The Seed of a Fervent Spirit

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Fervently

A fervent spirit is the precursor to fervent prayer, but it isn't something we can conjure up, it is a gift. Pastor E.M. Bounds describes it like this... "Fervency has its seat in the heart, not the brain or intellect of the mind. Fervency is the pulse and movement of the emotional nature." And he goes on to say that "we can ask God to plant it in our hearts. Then it is ours to nourish and cherish." The apostle Paul speaks of a fervent spirit as well…

The Good; the Bad; and the Righteous

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Christian Troubles

My devotional reading by E.M. Bounds today was titled "Trouble Has No Power" and he said this about life's challenges: "Good and bad alike experience trouble. Trouble is no evidence whatsoever of divine displeasure." As Christians we have heard this many times and from a number of sources, and we know it to be true, but if we are not careful and seek God as we should we might find that the world’s troubles can distract us from our spiritual resolve. If we are not careful then we will allow the world to place itself between us and our prayer closet, and Satan will use our earthly troubles and circumstances in an attempt to encourage fear, and to discourage our deep abiding love and belief in God, and Jesus Christ. Satan has no power over us as believers that we can’t overcome by holding firm to God’s Word, and knowing that His Son Jesus has taken our sin from us, and conquered death. Is our relationship with the divine secure in our faith, and belief in Christ?

Snowflakes, Troubles, and the Spark of Life

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, God and Diversity

Our lives and troubles in life are as varied between us as the variety of snowflakes during a winter snow, and yet The Lord is able to deal with us all uniquely. In our lives we find that the troubles and trials which any individual faces are as varied as the DNA that sets the pattern for their physical bodies. Yet, despite this incredible diversity The Holy Spirit is able to lead each of us to Jesus Christ, and through Him to God, where He loves us the same, even while interacting with us in a personally unique way.

Enthused by Love and Prayer

Richard Forbes
Christian , Enthusiastic Prayer

This morning my devotional reading was about praying with heart and enthusiasm, I was taken to Romans chapter twelve for this lesson and I feel there was great purpose in its selection. In this particular chapter Paul is teaching us how to offer ourselves to God in our various gifts, and how to deal with several emotions. Let’s read as he teaches us to pray fervently in our key verse this morning…

Abundant Forgiveness & the Grocery Bag

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Blessed Forgiveness

In my devotional reading his morning Pastor E.M. Bounds wrote on the subject of forgiveness. The title of his devotional message was "The Abundant Pardon" and it spoke of how important it is to forgive. This made me contemplate the subject as well, and to fathom the depth of this seemingly simple act that can repeatedly trip us up as we travel the way of faith. Let’s look at it further and see how forgiveness can either bless us, or its lack can destroy our relationship with God…

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