All tagged children

Prayers of the Children

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Blessed Children

Nine years ago in the year 2015, during a lesson that I was teaching on Psalm 29 I shared with the class that my spiritual mentor, Jack Hughes, had once told me that if he was ever sick he would like to have little children pray for him. He had brought tears to my eyes when he originally shared this with me, and the thought of him saying it still brings tears to me today. Isaiah told us that God takes a special interest in teaching our children, and Jesus told his disciples not to keep the children from coming to Him, and that heaven was their inheritance. They are indeed a special gift, and a blessing to us. Don’t the prayers of children warm our hearts and cause us to give thanks to the Lord?

Prayer, Faith, Clergy, and Mothers

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Raising Children

This morning we will consider the role of mothers, and the clergy, as it relates to raising children in prayer and faith. We know that this is a pastor’s primary calling, and this is confirmed by reading what Pastor E.M. Bounds wrote on the subject "The work of the ministry is to change unbelieving sinners into praying, believing saints." But Bounds goes on to say that "By faith we are saved, and by faith we stay saved. Prayer introduces us to a life of faith.", and often that introduction begins in a mother’s arms. Our Bible verses today drive this fact home by pointing out that faith is indeed a gift born of grace, and that the disciples prayed with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus.

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.

Praying is not Simply Child’s Play

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Children’s Prayers

This morning our devotional message deals with fervent prayer, and the strength it takes to pray in this way. Children pray with an amazing degree of faithfulness, innocence, and trust which seems to flow so easily from them, but adults strain and groan in their prayer closets as they bring the challenges of their lives before the Lord, and wrestle with fear and trembling over their faith and salvation.

Are We Children of God, or Wrath?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Child of God

As Christian’s we like to refer to ourselves as the children of God, but before we first believed we were something quite different. The Bible refers to those who live in the flesh and carry out the desires of the body and mind as being children of wrath. And, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that even as Christians there are still those times when we find ourselves slipping away from righteousness and back towards wrath. Yes, even after we have come to believe we can find ourselves behaving less like children of God and more like the children of wrath once again. So, let’s ask ourselves a very important question today, “Which of these children are we right now?”

Of Children, and the Perfection of Praise

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Children

When we look at our children, what do we see, and how do we see it? We look on them with our eyes, and see their physical characteristics, we observe their actions, and come to know their character by studying them with our minds. We go further, and see their heart through the eyes of our own, and come to know their love as it mixes with ours and grows, but there is one other way we should look at our children... one that many neglect, we should see them spiritually.

The Role of God’s Army and the Meek they defend

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , God’s Army

As disciples, what is our role in the Garden of Gethsemane? Are we one of the eight who are told to wait outside? Are we one of the three who go further into the garden with Jesus to protect and watch over Him? Or, are we one of the many who are left in the city with no apparent role to play? Whatever our role is, it is important. As Christian soldiers the three with Jesus are front line troops who will be the first into battle, the eight are held in reserve and are there if needed to reinforce the three, and those in the city are the reason why the others go into battle in the first place. Which of these are we? What is our role?

Our Adoption as the Children of God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Adoption

I once heard a man who had just lost both of his parents make this statement in the midst of his grief, “now I am an orphan”, and I thought to myself “for those who believe in God that will never be true.” Jesus Christ came to redeem us from sin, and to abide in us, but He came to do much more than simply introduce us to His Father, He came so that we would be adopted by Him… in Jesus we have become more than orphans that our Lord has charitably taken in… we have become His true sons and daughters; the sons and daughters of a loving God, and made His in every way.

Jesus, the fulfilled law, and becoming children in the New Jerusalem

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Grace or Law

Do we live in the fear of failing to adhere to the old written law, or have we grasped hold of the new message of Christ, that is... we are to live in the hope and love of God by serving Him in the way of the Spirit? Woe are we who depend on our own abilities by attempting to follow the letters of the law rather than by partaking of God’s grace through Jesus Christ who has fulfilled the law, and through whom we are now the children of God.

Becoming the Children of God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Children of God

As true believers in Christ, are we prepared to not only live forever, but to live as the children of God? Can we even imagine the joy that will spring forth as God pours His love out upon us as His sons and daughters? In that moment it will be announced that we have received Jesus as our savior, and the Holy Spirit as our comforter, but even more, that we have overcome sin and death through Jesus. We will then receive what we had only dared to hope for... our acceptance as the children of God.