FAITH CAPSULE: He that goes in the way of God always gets to his destination.

John 14

Purposing in your heart to serve God demands some responsibility and truth be told, some burden bearing. Just as there are no shortcuts to attaining several things in life for example, we all crawl before we walk, likewise, there is no short cut to serving God, there has to be sincere purposefulness and willingness to serve irrespective of the challenges that may come on the way. When in a purposeful service of the Most High, engaging in the practice of short cut will cut you short and the expected splendid end will be terminated with resultant effects. For the Israelites, coming out of the bondage of over four hundred years was not enough reason to be led through a short cut on the way to the Promised Land. The Bible records, “…when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, ‘Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.’  So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 13:17-18) God surely knows the best way and it is not in our place to assume or attempt a way that is considered near (short).
Do you care to know the way? Knowing the way is what it takes to care and know not to go for a short cut. Thomas, a disciple of Jesus was curious about the way to go when he asked Jesus about the way. Jesus responded to Thomas by stating, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life. no one comes to the Father except through Me.”(John 14:6) Today, there are many distractions on the journey of life. Remain steadfast to avoid untimely termination; avoid travelling on the wrong path which at the best only leads to the wrong destination; and without compromise adhere to the signs on the way which are to instruct and guide you. There is an exit time for every man on the life’s highway, do not allow your existence to become corrupted. It is of little or no importance how long it takes to get the journey underway, but it is utmost importance to get the journey on the right path and have God as the pilot. He that goes in the way of God always gets to his destination. Make the right choice today by taking the Way. Jesus, the Word of God is the true way.

Prayer for today: Ask God to instruct, teach and direct you in the way to go in life.

FAITH CAPSULE: A clean heart will grant a believer a stand before God

Psalm 24, 51

The word of God described heart in Jeremiah 17:9-10, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart; I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” What about your heart. Psalm 24:3-4 recorded, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully.” The point being made here is that, the state of man’s heart determines the kind of ground it places man before God. A heart that is desperately wicked does not have a stand before God. A heart that is pure and clean before God is the kind of heart that get God committed when it stands in prayer before God.
The book of 1Kings 17:1 recorded how Elijah got an answer to his prayer the way he wanted it, “And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” Elijah prayed against rain in the face of Ahab by making a statement claiming his stand. Elijah committed God because he does have a stand; he knew he was having a pure and clean heart which God could not decline but cause God to incline to the prayer of Elijah. Evidently, he had all that it takes to ascend into the hill of the Lord when he declared, “…there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”
What is lurking inside your heart? It is your heart that God wants to meet before He commits into your hand great feats. 2Chronicles16:9, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” The eyes of the Lord eyes look for the heart that is loyal to Him. It is important that you give your heart a procedure that will remove every thought that is not right, thoughts that is negative and not faithful to the glory of God.
The prayer of King David in Psalm 51 testified to the need for a heart that is clean and able to stand before God. He prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. A clean heart will grant a believer a stand before God and get God committed to the answering of prayer request.

Prayer for today: Ask God to help create a pure and clean heart in you.

FAITH CAPSULE: In the manual of life are all manner of prescription that works against your enemy.

2 Chronicles 20:1-21

What is staging battle against your existence in any area of life? You can be rest assured that you have a hiding place and a shield for your deliverance. If you hope in the word of God, deliverance and preservation will unfailingly answer for you against all that is battling against your existence in any area of life. Psalmist testified, “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word”. (Psalm 119:114) “Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope.” (Psalm 119:116) The psalmist would not have testified if it was not true. The word of God is power to deliver and to preserve if man will work the works of the word (which is to be living the word).
In the manual of life (the living word of God; the bible) are all manner of prescription that works against any force that has come to battle against your existence. However, if you will search and work it out, the word of God which does not discriminate will answer for you.
Once, Jehoshaphat and his people’s existence were set for disruption but Jehoshaphat prevailed. It is written, “It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” (2 Chronicles 20:1-3) In the verses above, it is clear that Jehoshaphat’s victory was rooted in setting himself apart by seeking God in praying and fasting.
Engaging praying and fasting is waiting on God. It is not possible to wait on God and waste. God is faithful to honor His word and the word testified, “For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.” (Isaiah 64:4) Clearly, going by the verse above, God is a God that acts for those who wait on Him. Jehoshaphat prayed and fasted with understanding as a result, he did not wait to waste. In Jehoshaphat’s prayer, he made his request known by reminding God (putting God to remember). He stated, “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?” (2Chronicles20:6).

Prayer for today: Ask by letting Him know that He alone is your deliverer in the face of wicked world.

FAITH CAPSULE: Persistent payer needs not those who pray and lose heart.

Matthew 15:21-28, Luke 18:1-8

It is written, “Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.’” (Matthew 15:21-22) A woman of Canaan wanted a positive response from Jesus.  “But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she cries out after us.’ But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’” (Matthew 15:23-24) Jesus and His disciples’ response was enough to discourage the woman of Canaan and made her to turn her back to Jesus. Instead of her giving up, however, she pressed further. She persisted to receive by resisting all discouragement. The Bible records, “Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’” (Matthew 15:25) Despite her appeal, Jesus answered her, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” (Matthew 1:26)  Jesus’ answer made her to insist and persist for her miracle. The woman responded to Jesus, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” (Matthew 15:27) There is absolutely no better way to describe persistence than that of this Canaanite woman before Jesus. Jesus eventually answered her, “’O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” (Matthew 15:28)
Great faith is the evidence of unyielding persistence expressing expectation. Are you expecting to get an answer to your prayer request? Jesus is the Master healer. He alone is the One who gives and takes as He pleases. Evidently, there is no place or reason for giving up with Jesus.
Often times, challenges demand crying out but man opts rather to cry silently. Are you crying silently where a challenge calls for crying out? Man does have a need to understand that crying out is not a sign of weakness. The woman of Canaan cried out regardless of the multitudes and eventually got Jesus’ attention.
She was attempted to be quieted but refused to remain quiet.
She called Jesus in an unusual manner calling out, “Son of David”.
She was repeatedly snubbed and eventually got a delayed answer.
The case of the Canaan woman demonstrated that Jesus is the Master who answers to all in an unpredictable manner. He will never fail to answer those who reach out and do not give up in their request.
Often time, man engages prayer with back up plans; looking for help outside of prayer. We are to stay focus on getting an answer like the Canaan woman instead of looking outside of our trust in Jesus.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of strength on your prayer altar.

FAITH CAPSULE: Trust God enough and be a winner for God’s glory.

Psalm 22

Trust is the confident expectation of hope. Trust hangs on hope and hope is the heart beat of faith. Faith is described, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) It is one thing to claim trust it is another thing to actually have trust. Do you trust God enough to hope on His visitation in times of expectation? Trust is easier said than done. How do you trust God you do not see?
Among the ways of trusting God is keeping His testimonies. Psalm 119:2 stated, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!” Keeping the testimonies of God keeps a believer going. The testimonies of God are the works of God. The works of God are the creation of His word and the word of God is the presence of God Himself. It is important to always reflect it that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:1-4)
The word of God is God. The written word of God is what represents God. Your word represents you. It is possible for a stranger, with a written word from you to walk into your child’s a principal’s office to request and get your child as requested in your written word. The written word of God indeed represent God and if enough trust is invested in the word, the word will answer for a believer of the word of God. Trust the word of God to receive, see it as God coming to you and believe His word so shall become of you.
Man should trust God by the testimonies of His work. God promised, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11) Trust in the Lord; wait on Him by seeking Him diligently. Jeremiah 17:7 testified, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” With trust and hope in the Lord comes the boldness and character which makes man a winner in the wicked world. Trust God enough and be a winner for God’s glory. Trust in God brings salvation, deliverance and preservation. Psalm 125:1 buttressed, “Those who trust in the Lord Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.” Endure to trust is to abide forever. He is a faithful God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to bestow upon you the grace to trust Him fully.