Prayer | TFRC | The Faith Resource Community

6/03/23 We Don’t Understand

As a man who understood so little for so long regarding the spiritual impact my actions had, all I can do now is fall before the Lord in repentance as He reveals them to me. Don’t get me wrong; I know I’m forgiven, and each day I’m reminded of the wonder of the cross and the shed blood of Jesus. Those truths give me the privilege of relying on Christ every day.

My point is: in observing the actions of the world and even the church, it’s painfully noticeable that few of us men understand the spiritual significance of our words and actions until they are revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. As men, does it register, for example, that adultery in any form rips apart the spirit of those we sin against, including us? Do we understand that placing anything before our marriage and our children causes untold spiritual damage to the inner beings of those we steward? It rarely crosses our minds that our sons, and especially our daughters, can spend years attempting to fill gaping voids because of our careless words, thoughtless actions, or lack of involvement in their lives. Because it’s rarely seen for what it is, and the consequences of our foolishness add up little by little in most cases, it’s often too late to repair the damage without a powerful move of God once we realize what we’ve done.

It’s time for men to dig in with God and ask Him to show us the corresponding consequences of our thoughts, words, and actions - good and bad. It’s time to assess what’s happening in the spiritual realm when we move through our lives doing this and saying that, often unaware of the spiritual damage we do to those near us. God is always looking to restore families in both large and small ways.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

6/02/23 Do Your Homework

"You need to guard your heart, but you also need to exercise more discernment than you have shown. The deceptions around you are insidious. You go to movies, read books, and promote beliefs that say they are from Me. I have nothing to do with most of them. You are less discerning than the world and you are being deceived. My plumb line of truth has not been moved. I don’t dilute My Word. I don’t compromise truth. I don’t mask My presentations. Do your homework. Protect your faith and your family. Guard your heart.”

2 Chr. 16:9 NIV

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him...”

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

5) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

6) in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Isaiah 30:21 NIV

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying “This is the way; walk in it.”

Mark 4:24 AMP

And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you – and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.

The world is getting darker and we as Christians need to become wiser. We need to protect our hearts and the hearts of those who have little discernment themselves. We will be held accountable for our actions one day.

Start today. From this day forward, do a thorough check of whatever is being heralded as the latest important Christian offering to which many are swarming and even some churches are backing. Check out the lives of the writer or the producer and find out the god to whom they pray before you send your children to see or read what they are presenting. Above all, do not allow the undiscerning to discern what is right for you and your loved ones. Listen to what the Holy Spirit says to your heart.

Give me Your wisdom, Lord,

Jim Corbett

6/02/23 Foolishness

In my teens, I had this car. It was relatively unremarkable, but I used it to show my bravado and came close to hurting myself due to my stupidity every time I got behind the wheel. I loved to look under the hood at its three carbs with chrome pots. Over the life of the car, I replaced two engines, three transmissions, and two rear ends. I burned through three sets of tires and the favor of several neighbors within a matter of a couple years. I can only look back on that period of my life and shake my head in wonder at the idiocy displayed in those days.

I guess that was the beginning of my pattern of foolishness before the Lord got hold of my heart and showed me its real value. Looking back, there are so many things I would’ve done differently if only I’d known better. Country singer Roy Clark recorded a song called “Yesterday When I Was Young.” In it, he laments over his foolish approach to life. Boy, I can identify with that song!

In the song, however, the singer unfortunately has no answers and no forgiveness. I’m so grateful that I do in Jesus. My Lord erased my past with its hopeless future and designed a new bright plan for my life. His love has built a hedge around me to protect me from my own foolishness. His power is available to me whenever I begin to travel blindly through the gears of my life. I praise Him for it! So does my family!

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

6/01/23 First and Foremost

“You need a vision. You need to either seek Me to gain My purpose for your life, or until you find out what that is, you should join with someone who is heading in My direction for his or her life. There is never a time for My children to be doing nothing to further My kingdom. Even if I call you to prayer, pray for someone on the cutting edge of My work. If you will not totally dedicate yourself to finding My purpose for your life, support those who are doing My work. So many of you are consumed with fulfilling your own needs that you forget about My needs. First and foremost, spend quality time with Me. Then do something that I care about or help those who are doing so.”

Jeremiah 2:13 NIV

“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

Matthew 5:13 AMP

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality) how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.

Matthew 16:24-25 AMP

24) Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].

25) For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting].

Luke 6:45-46 AMP

45) The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks.

46) Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not [practice] what I tell you?

A while back, I realized that the only real purpose for any of us to be here is to gain, maintain, and function in and through a relationship with our Father in heaven; and then find His will for our lives. Anything else is fleeting and more than likely of no eternal consequence. I also understood how serious our accountability is for the days He has given us. We will answer for them.

Everybody can do something. A cup of cold water is simple to give. A kind word costs nothing. A sincere prayer never wastes time. The next time you are doing something for yourself, compare it to how much you are doing for the Lord. The next time you are spending His money on yourself - I don’t mean the necessities or survival money, but self-consuming money - compare it to how much you really are supporting His work. This is real stuff, this relationship with God stuff. How seriously are you taking it?

Make me really serious about fulfilling Your needs and Your desires, Lord,

Jim Corbett

6/01/23 Silent Movie

When I was in my teens (and dirt was a new thing,) a local radio personality devoted one entire afternoon of programming time to sharing a silent movie with his audience. Think of that, a silent movie on the radio. As foolish as the idea sounds and is, this guy gave a narrative of certain scenes in the movie between songs. What is even more peculiar is he captured my attention throughout the three-hour show. I couldn’t wait for his next input, which - by the way - was very funny.

As I reflect back, there probably was no real silent movie being played. In reality, the man just took license and came up with a plan that captured the attention of his listeners by using a unique approach. What I was hearing had no bearing on reality.

Now that I know the Lord and observe how we, as men, respond to each day’s challenges, I see a definite parallel to that man’s program. The enemy of our marriages and families is making up stories filled with lies and make-believe, and handing them to us, our wives, and our children. He then tells us there is a reality to what he is saying, when God calls all of his plans imaginations. To God, they are not funny!

God has a plan laid out very clearly for us in His Word. There is no make-believe. There are no silent movies that someone else has to interpret, because He has given us His Holy Spirit. His plan has nothing hidden. We can count on it to help us overcome all the silent movies of the enemy.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

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