All tagged answer

Waiting on the Answer

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Mystery in Prayers

This morning we will revisit the story of the neighbor who would not get immediately out of bed when asked for three loaves. Jesus uses this story of persistent knocking to instruct his apostles on waiting for the Holy Spirit, but it is true also of all our prayers... we are to have perseverance, faith, and humility. Let’s look also at the death and resurrection of Lazarus, and what Mary and Martha expected when they asked Jesus to come, and later when He told them that He would raise him from the dead.

Realizing God’s Answer to Our Persistent Prayer

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Seeing Answered Prayer

Do we have the faith required to persist in prayer, but not the perspective we need to see His answer? Is there depth enough in our belief in prayer, and trust enough in God, that we can continue to pray for an unanswered desire, but lack the understanding of God’s will it requires to see His answer? Pastor E.M. Bounds wrote that "God sees His praying child's faith. He honors this faith that stays and cries by persisting in prayer, so that it is strengthened and enriched. Then He rewards it abundantly." God rewards us in prayer, but we are often expecting it to come in different way than it does.

Prayer Brings Comfort, and More

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Prayer Comforts

"Prayer Brings Comfort" is more than just the title for this morning's devotional message, it is a declaration of the benefit that speaking with God brings. My morning reading in E.M. Bounds puts it this way... "Prayer in times of trouble brings comfort, help, hope, and blessings that, while not making the trouble disappear, enables the saint to handle it better and to submit to the will of God." If we are not careful in prayer we will simply dwell on finding relief from troubles, and miss the greater benefits. Prayer is indeed a time of seeking God's intervention and help in our distresses, but our prayers go beyond removing the discomfort, they have a deeper purpose. Prayer also reaffirms our belief, reinforces our humility before God, and communicates His will to us. Prayer does more than asking for help, it teaches us from whence that help comes.

Not All Prayer is Answered Immediately

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, How to Pray

This morning we are looking at our prayers and their forward facing nature. In my morning reading Pastor E.M. Bounds proposed that although gratitude and thanksgiving are predominately about those things realized, our "prayer deals with things desired, asked for, and expected." He goes on to write "As prayer brings things to us that produce gratitude and thanksgiving, so praise and gratitude promote prayer and encourage more and better praying." I have found this to be true in my prayer life, and I hope you have also.

Is There Hope Where We See None?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Hope in Prayer

We can find ourselves waiting on the answer to a prayer that doesn’t seem to be coming, or at least coming anytime soon. We are suffering, or waiting to be rescued, and yet all we hear is the silence of God. But friends, we can rest assured of two things today; the first is that someone is experiencing this right now (possibly you) as they read these words, and the second is that help is on the way. We might lose hope as we suffer through the pain and fear in our lives, but God is ever faithful and true. When we feel lost or abandoned do we continue to pray? Or maybe we hear ourselves shouting out to the Lord in our frustration rather than finding strength in our anticipation and trust in Him.

Of Saul, Paul, Ananias… Chosen

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Chosen

This morning I contemplate our being chosen by God for a life and relationship with Jesus; even as much as we ourselves choose to live that life and love our Lord. I think about Saul becoming Paul and his more intense selection by Jesus. After Saul had been struck down in the midst of his noon day prayers, and blinded, he was told to go into Jerusalem and wait there for instructions. Are we chosen, are we humbled, or do we obey, and go humbly without struggling to meet Him?

Prayers, eternity, and the miracle is now.

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Answered Prayers

We face trouble, and complex issues in our lives that we don’t know how to handle. Some of these are life threatening, and others frighten us with their enormity, but regardless of their severity, intensity, or size, we fear failure because our problems are beyond our ability, and we feel powerless against them. So, what do we do? We turn to the Lord our God for help; we lift our eyes unto the Lord. We read these words, and say we believe, but Is this how we behave, and if so do we trust, listen, believe, praise, and then expect him to act? Do we know in our hearts that our salvation is at hand… that the miracle is now?

Do we procrastinate in our Faith?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Procrastinating

I don’t know about you but sometimes I am a procrastinator. This morning I proved once again that this is true. Although I typically rise before my phone’s alarm sounds at 3 AM, today I slept until it was ringing, and then I hit the snooze button… not once, but twice. So by delaying I started my morning prayers, my time spent in scripture, devotional reading, and more importantly, I was late when it came to seeking inspiration, and then writing what the Holy Spirit would put on my mind for us to share today. However, as I started my morning with the Lord it dawned on me that this was no accident. But had served His purposes. I was to write about answering God without hesitation, and how He always answers us at the perfect moment… not early, not late, but exactly at the right time. Although we are occasionally inclined to put things off, or as it was for me today, to oversleep; our Father is never late, and fulfills His promises, and does what He says… perfectly every time.

The Power of One Prayer to Save and Deliver Us

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Individual Prayer

When we are facing great danger or eminent threat, who do we turn to for our salvation? Do we think that an army can save us, or the money of the wealthy will purchase peace and safety from our attackers? Perhaps we believe that our deliverance will be in a bottle of pills, or by the skill of a surgeon, but whatever, or whoever we rush to, they are nothing without the hand of God guiding them, and we can expect nothing unless our trust, and faith are in anything other than the Lord. Where does our help really come from, and do we place our confidence in God, or in the actions of those who can guarantee nothing?

Responsive, Obedient, and Speaking God’s Word to a Heart that is breaking

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Doing God’s Will

God knows our hearts, and Jesus knows us too, but unless we are given instructions from Them, or the Holy Spirit, we can’t know these things about one another…. Or can we? There are occasions when we are given insight into a person, or situation that there is no way we could have known. This is not accomplished by mind reading, or deductive reasoning, but through the gift of empathy, or seeing into another’s heart, and we are led to know these things so that we can accomplish the will of God.

Called by God, Seeking Relationship, and Gauging our Perfection

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotional , Answering God’s Call

We are called by the Lord, but once we hear His voice we must respond, begin our search for Him in earnest, and when we find Him we need to knock on His door and enter into a relationship with Him. Stop for a moment today and ask yourself where you are in your journey towards perfecting a relationship with God. Have you just begun the trek by hearing someone call your name in the night? Perhaps you have sought Him and come a little closer... or maybe you are walking through your life in intimate conversation with him. It is always good to take stock of our relationship and judge where we are, and what our next steps will be.