All tagged pray

God’s Word, and the Divine Breath of Prayer

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Pray the Word

Today let’s concentrate on prayer as the divine pattern for our relationship with God. As I read my devotional message this morning Pastor E.M. Bounds dealt with this subject using these words: "No standard of religion is worth a moment's consideration when it neglects prayer... A life of prayer is the divine rule. This is the pattern, just as our Lord is the one Example that we must follow. Prayer is required for a spiritual life... Our goal should be set not by the opinions of people, not by what they say, but by what the scripture says."

God’s Will; The Template of Life

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

When we pray we often ask for things we need, but do we also seek God's will for us in prayer. It is so tempting to determine our own way or to follow blindly the path that others have blazed, but our ways and those of others will be found lacking if they aren't guided by the will of God throughout our lives. We should place Jesus, and God's will for us, before all else. Our faith in God's will and the gospel of Jesus should be all consuming, and ever on our minds.

What Are You Doing Here, Elijah?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Preparing to Pray

This morning we will contemplate the time we spend with the Lord. Although we aren't judged by the number of minutes that we pray, we should still spend a great deal of quality time walking, and talking, with God over the course of our day. Our prayers are the answer to the question that God asked Elijah… “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Has He asked us the same question? Have we ever wrapped our faces in our cloak and stood at the entrance to our prayer closet listening?

Praying the Gospel of Jesus

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Pray the Gospel

Prayer as a tool for spreading the gospel continues to be our thought this morning, and Pastor E.M. Bounds observes that "The gospel moves altogether too slowly..." and suggests prayer as the cure for this lumbering pace when he says "Prayer, more prayer and better prayer will do the deed." He goes on to write; "This means of grace will give swiftness, splendor, and divinity to the gospel." We live in a world filled with wickedness and unbelievers. Some know who Jesus is by name but have never heard the gospel, while others may be entirely ignorant of God, Jesus, and faith. Our task at hand is to deliver that message and allow these poor souls to make a spiritual decision based on biblical facts and not their own conclusions… then to help them on their spiritual way.

Walking the Prayerful Way

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Prayer and Praying

Prayer is indeed central to our lives as Christians, and should be included in every breath we take. It is the essence of our relationship with the Lord, and the vehicle by which we touch Him, and he touches us as well. The apostle Paul tells us in his letter to the Thessalonians just how often we should pray, and a bit about what should and shouldn’t be included in our prayers.

God Hears and Answers Our Prayers

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, God Answers

Specific answers to prayer was the topic of the devotional message I read this morning. Pastor E.M. Bounds said this regarding the subject: "God the Father and Jesus Christ, His Son, are both strongly committed by the truth of the Word and by the integrity of their character to answer prayer." In both the Old and New Testaments we are assured and reassured that our prayers will be heard and answered, and in Psalms we have more prayers than in any other book in the bible. Specifically there are 72 prayers included in it; and there are also instructions regarding how we should pray them, and reassurance that they will be answered.

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.

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.

Trusting from Deep within the Heart

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Trusting in God

This morning, the day after I wrote about my encounter with the stock clerk at Publix, I couldn't sleep and rose early to pray. I was drawn out of bed for a very specific prayer... On the day before I had written about a man I met at Publix whose nine year old son was in a life or death battle against cancer. Now, on this the morning after, my prayers are focused on this boy and his family, and this led me to pray about the trust I have that God heals.

Praying For Our Body, Mind, Soul, and Strength

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Pray For All We Are

This morning we will study a subject that often perplexes those who are spiritual. My devotional reading today addressed the question "why is it important to pray for my bodily health and worldly matters?" E.M. Bounds reasoned that these things, albeit lower than the spiritual, have much to do with our religion. He went on to say that worldly matters, and our health, affect how we think and this makes them subjects of prayer. Through the years I have prayed for healing many times; not just my own healing but also that of others. Although I can't remember an instance in the Bible where Jesus prayed for His own healing, He healed the bodies of others so there is precedent for this.

Did not our Hearts Burn?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Anointing in the Church

We can hear a pastor preach a sermon and it thrills our hearts, but we can hear the very same message delivered by another minister and it falls flat within us; why is that so? Haven’t we all experienced such a spiritual phenomenon? When we attempt to understand why this happens, what do we blame the rise and fall of that particular message to be? Was it the condition our own faith in that particular moment, or was it the Holy Spirit moving, or not moving, over the Pastor as he spoke?

Don't Be a Stranger to Prayer

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Stranger to Prayer

For many people, prayer is certainly a strange exercise; they pray without faith and a sure expectation of being heard. They call out to Him with vague words because they don't actually know or understand Him well enough to know what to say. Furthermore, their confidence in His might and ability to answer their prayers is in doubt for one reason or another; perhaps they can't feel His presence, maybe they perceive their needs to be too great for Him, or maybe they simply consider themselves unworthy of His answer. Whatever the reason might be, they should look at men like Samuel whose prayers are answered time and time again, and who have an exemplary strength of faith. There are many classic examples like Samuel, Moses, and Abraham, but there are also men and women in our churches today who are strong prayer warriors as well.

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