All tagged Prayer

Are We Afraid in the Night, or at Rest?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Rest , Restoration

We sweat and toil in the light of day, and pray for the Lord’s hand to be upon us. We are heartbroken as we look down on the graves of our loved ones, and pray for God’s gentle embrace. We suffer the pain of wounds, or the discomfort of illness, and pray for our Father’s healing touch. Every day brings some concern, suffering, or trial, that leads us to pray, but for every hard day there comes a gentle night of rest… a time of peace, and the revelation of God’s wonder. We can’t see the stars and moon until the sun has set, and we can’t hear the song of night until the raucous uproar of day has subsided. Do we lift up our daily prayers and remain confident in them to bring us rest? God separates our days of tribulations with nights of stillness, and peace.

God’s Will, Hand, And cleft in the rock, as He answers our Prayers

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Answered Prayer

Are you frustrated with God’s response to your prayers? Do you ask something of Him repeatedly, and feel like it is falling on deaf ears? Well there are two reasons that come immediately to mind which could cause us to feel this way. The first is that we consider God obligated to obey our request, and the second is that we give Him our solution rather than simply presenting Him with the problem. Both of these are rooted in our greatest pitfall... praying outside the will of God. 

Morning Prayer, and causing the Dawn to know its place

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Morning Prayer

How we begin our day is just as important as how we live it out; as a matter of fact it sets the tone for all that is to come. When we open our eyes in the morning, and immediately immerse ourselves in yesterday’s problems, then we can expect anxiety, and nothing more than to begin where we left off. However, if we open our eyes, and begin our day in the presence of the Lord, in prayer, and giving ourselves to him as a living sacrifice then we are at peace. In this way our day begins anew, and we watch for Him to move within it. 

Denying God, and our Faith in Jesus, before the Fallen World

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, Changed Life

How many times have we denied Jesus? Some of us may have denied him with our mouths by saying we have never known Him, but more likely we do so by allowing our actions to speak for us. Or just maybe, we have denied Him by our silence. It is easy to worship and praise God in the midst of saints, but are we tempted to deny Him while in a group of men and women who do not believe, or who gravitate towards what the world offers?

Prayer, Fishing, and Receiving the Peace of God

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, Peace, Prayer, Quiet

Where do we turn to find comfort, rest, and peace of mind in our lives? To regain the peace that the world works so hard to rob from us we need to find the quiet places, and times, when we can take in a deep breath from God, and exhale the foul air of strife, and stress that the dark one tries so hard to blow into our lungs. Jesus teaches us much on this subject, and if we reorder our lives we can find that selfsame peace. 

Joy, and Happiness, in Worship, and in the face of Tribulation

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, Joy, Happiness

Did you wake up happy today? Did you enter into your prayer closet with joy, or do you feel like you should be eternally solemn before God? On Sundays do we enter into the sanctuary with a stern disposition, and worship God with a pompous air? Do the circumstances in our lives seek to crush our spirit? God gives us many things but of them He most certainly wants us to receive His joy, and yes, happiness!

COVID-19, Feeling out of sorts, and Finding Hope in Prayer

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, Hope, Prayer

Are you feeling out of sorts in this time of COVID-19? You say that you aren’t depressed, and you aren’t anxious, yet you Still feel differently? You say that your energy is gone, you just can’t seem to get started in the morning, and even the good news you hear in life doesn’t seem to be enough? Well, I was listening to a good friend talk about feeling this way yesterday, and it dawned on me that what She was describing was quite simply hopelessness. She was feeling an ebb in her ability to hope, but remember; we serve the God of hope! So I ask that each of us consider this question… “When was the last time I prayed for hope?“

Praying that the Lame in Sin will walk... with God

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, Praying, God’s Calling

If you are reading this then I want you to know that I am praying for you today. Whether you realize it or not God has called out to you, and is urging you to come to His Son Jesus. Perhaps you don’t think this is true, or maybe you feel that you are so sinful that He would never do such a thing, but He has. As unworthy as you might see yourself He sees your heart, and your good bones, for what you will become, and knows that you will come to glorify Jesus, and knows that He will glorify you in return. Today I pray for you to realize your worthiness, and honor Him.

Are our Prayers just empty Shells?

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, Confidence, Prayer

Where do we go for relief in our times of distress? Who comes to help us when we are in trouble? When we are in need of rescue, who is it that charges to our aid? Although most Christians say that it is Jesus Christ, or our Father God, do our actions betray our words? When we find ourselves in a challenging situation and we quickly say a prayer, that is good, but if we then turn straightway to our friends and family without waiting for God to respond then what have we really accomplished in faith?

Praying for Faith in the face of Coronavirus

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, Faith, Belief, Prayer

Have we prayed for our faith today, and if so, how about the faith of another? Jesus prayed for the faith of Peter when Satan asked for permission to sift him Like wheat, then He went on to tell him that he would deny him three times before the cock crowed. What would have happened to Peter without the prayer of Jesus? What would happen to us, and those we know without our prayers for strengthened faith?

We are not alone in our trials; praying together as one

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, Intercession, Joint Prayer

Last night a message popped up on my phone, and the husband of a couple that Ann and I hold very dear was asking for prayer. He had just taken his wife to the hospital with the symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. I read the text message aloud to Ann, and then we began to pray together for her, and them. Have you ever been tested by such events in your life, and how did you react to them? Did your trial cause you to dig deep into your faith, or was your faith and prayer just a side note, or perhaps an afterthought?

Coronavirus - Praying, Listening, and then Praying again, and again, and again

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, Healing Prayer, Miracles

Has your life been impacted in some way by the Coronavirus epidemic, or the attempts being made by governments to combat it? Perhaps you are watching as it is making life hard for someone you love, know, or are aquatinted with. Regardless of whether it strikes close to home, or is far away, we can’t escape the feeling it leaves us with. When we are in trouble, hurting, afflicted, or watching the suffering in someone dear to us, we are tempted to separate ourselves, and then, as the silence of God continues, a sense of helplessness, and loneliness sets in. As Christians we are never alone; nor without help, even when our prayers are met with silence God is with us always... this is our promise, and our firm belief.

God’s Will, God’s Glory, and our Humility

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, God’s Will, God’s Glory

Did you preach a wonderful sermon this week, or do something amazing for your church? Have you been given accolades for your teaching ability, or praised for a miracle that God performed following your intercession in prayer? Perhaps you were recognized for years of service to your congregation, and puffed out your chest in satisfaction. Well, If we claim the glory for any of these things publicly, or even privately in the depths of our heart, then whose will were we serving if not our own? Our service to God should be performed by humbly Seeking and doing God’s will, then stepping back and yielding all glory to Him.

Finding Relationship in our Seclusion, Focus in our Fasting

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, Hungering, Relationship

Do you ever separate yourself spiritually from your physical life and become immersed in your faith? Fasting is one of those denials of self that when used properly will heighten our spiritual concentration by placing our body under subjugation to God in a very real way. By causing ourselves to suffer in this way we feel a constant reminder to pray and worship... it focuses us heart, soul, mind, and strength, on our God. This is one of the few acts we perform that brings all of these to bear at once.

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