FAITH CAPSULE:When one is not right with man one cannot be right with God.

Daniel 6

It is written, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:15-18) One that is not filled with the Spirit of God is empty of God. Foolishness, the evidence of pride is one that says there is no God. It is not fitting for an acclaimed believer seeking God and be filled with all kinds of bitterness, empty pride, an unforgiving spirit and all kinds of worldly identities which do not glorify God. It is not possible to be filled with God and be filled with all kinds of ungodly acts. If you are one harboring any of the ungodly acts in your life, something is wrong in your seeking after God. The word of God states, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)The word of God requires all that is in us, not half. In the word of God there is no compromise or reservation but full obedience. Loving God with all of our heart, with all of our soul, and with all of our strength is all that it takes to seek God. When one begins to seek God with all of one’s heart, with all of one’s soul, and with all strength, one will be able to heed Him. Holding on to all kinds of ungodly act is the evidence of not being right with man. Obviously, not being right with man is not being right with God. How then can one seek God when one is not right with God? Daniel, because he was seeking God could not be consumed in the den of the hungry lions. King Darius wanting to found out Daniel’s condition in the den called out, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions…?” (Daniel 6:20) Daniel’s response to the King identifies that being right with man and God is also serving God with all of our being. Daniel responded, “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”(Daniel 6:22) Daniel’s innocent before the king (man) and before God is what it is to serve God with all of your being.
Harboring bitterness and ungodly acts denies seeking after God in truth. It makes no difference how many days a week you are in fellowship. When one is not right with man one cannot be right with God. In seeking God, there is so much to gain.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to take onto any of the wicked way.

FAITH CAPSULE: Prayer life is crucial and it is power to deliver from every jail of life.

Acts 12, 16:16-40

The Bible recorded that Herod the king ordered the arrest of Peter. Acts12:4, “So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.” Peter was in a prison where there was no way out to escape, a sure avenue to death in the hand of King Herod. Just like Peter, Paul and Silas were in a similar situation in the hand of multitudes and magistrates when they were kept in a secured jail. It is written, “Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.  And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.”(Acts 16:22-24) Both Peter and Paul were kept in a secured jail. The intention of their jailer must have been to prevent them from escaping. The jailers were only in position of power forgetting that power belongs to the One and only God. The jailers also forgot that man proposes but God disposes. With prayer, heaven was provoked for the release of Peter, Paul and Silas.
In the case of Peter’s release, “…constantprayer was offered to God for him by the church.”(Acts 12:5) The constant prayer of the church prevailed and Peter’s escape was available. Paul and Silas were awake; they prayed and praised God for their breakthrough. It is written, “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.” Do you have a church to count on for constant prayer on your behalf; for your break through deliverance? Are you taking a pressing charge for your deliverance? The bottom line is that prayer life is crucial and it is power to deliver from every jail of life that is physical, spiritual, financial or emotional. God is still in the business of moving on behalf of His children that knows to wait in times of no way out to escape. The word testifies, “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) With the aid of prayer, man made secured jail could not trap Peter, Paul and Silas. The same God will answer to your deliverance.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the strength of prayer.

FAITH CAPSULE:The understanding behind praising God provokes God’s hand to favor.

Psalm 103

In every area of worshiping God understanding is the key to moving the hand of God for blessing. The Bible states, “…sing praises with understanding.” (Psalm 47:7) Evidently, if worshiping God in praise worship requires understanding every other area of worshiping God also requires understanding. Knowledge, the evidence of understanding is the application of wisdom. Obviously, what ever we do with godly wisdom results to having a knowing edge over confronting issue. Praising the name of God with understanding is same as blessing the name of God with understanding. The Psalmist says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” (Psalm 103:1-2) The Psalmist was blessing (praising) the name of God with understanding for God’s benefits. The understanding behind praising God is what energizes the psalmist and it is what provokes the hand of God to bless. In blessing the name of God for His benefits, the psalmist pointed out the benefits of God that were the driving force for his blessing of God’s name. The psalmist went further to encourage us not to forget the benefits of God.
The Psalmist states the benefits of God: “Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”(Psalm 103:3-5)
Unmistakably, all that keeps us living from time to time through the year is not our strength, not our determination and neither is it our merit but mercy of God. Clearly, the daily benefits of God is all that keeps us going and it demands for our praising Him to be rooted in understanding of His daily benefits. King David testifies in his statement, “Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!” (Psalm 68:19) “What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me?” (Psalm 116:12) 
Remember and meditate the daily benefits of God as listed above: God forgives, God heals, and God redeems us, God crowns and satisfies us. For all His daily benefits, He is worthy of our profound praise worship that is rooted in understanding. With your understanding in praising Him, provoke the move of His hand to favor you.
Prayer for today: In your prayer, memorize and meditate on the word of the psalmist that states, “Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people. Oh, visit me with Your salvation, that I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance.(Psalm 106:4-5)  

FAITH CAPSULE: God’s calling is not your concern it only demands your concentration.

Numbers 20, 1 Samuel 13:1-15

When God calls and sends one out, He will back the called up. In His calling, He makes available what it takes to get to the expected end. Often times, man stumbles when man begins to consciously or unconsciously take God’s calling upon one’s self.It was God Himself who called Moses out to go and lead the children of Israel out of the bondage that lasted over four hundred years. Moses, out of his concern for God reacted to the rebellious act of the children of Israel towards God. Moses took it upon himself to strike the rock instead of speak to the rock for water. God responded to Moses, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” (Numbers 20:12)The same God that was, and is, also sent Samuel to go and anoint Saul as the first King over the children of Israel. God alone knows the end from the beginning. The word testifies, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”(Jeremiah 1:5) What could have gone wrong with both men to have missed the expected end? Saul, being the topic of the subject, was ordained by God for the assignment as King, but he failed in the assignment. 1 Samuel 10:1, “Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: ‘Is it not because the Lord has anointed you commander over His inheritance?’” Saul’s failure not to wait for Samuel the prophet of God (by carrying out a burnt offering and peace offerings before a war against the Philistines) was a failure in the presence of God. Saul had his reasons why he could not have waited for Samuel. Saul’s reasons became concerns for Him to misplace his assignment before God; his concerns placed him on a ground where he should not have been. His concerns became an agent of his termination from God’s assignment. Saul’s concerns compelled him to failure. 1 Samuel 13:12, “Then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord. Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.’” What are your concerns today? Do not misplace focus on God and allow your concerns to hinder you from getting to your expected end. God’s calling is not your concern it only demands your concentration.

Prayer for today: Ask God for help in His assignment for your life because by strength shall no man prevail.

FAITH CAPSULE: Attend to your calling and not pretend in answering to your calling.

Luke 10:25-37

Answering to title is not an evidence of attainment. Inside or outside the church, it is one thing to attend to one’s title and it is another thing to pretend by answering to title. A lawyer wanting to justify himself as one that loves according to the command of God prompted Jesus to give the parable of the good Samaritan. Jesus gave the parable, “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.” (Luke 10: 30-33)
The parable mentioned about a man that was attacked by thieves on his journey and was left wounded, with his property stolen. A priest came by and saw him, but walked away. A Levite arrived at the scene, looked, and passed on the other side. The priest and the Levite (that is the pastor, bishop, apostle, and all manner of titles in the church) failed in their call to care. A certain Samaritan (deeply hated by the Jew), one with no religious title came and made difference by caring for a certain man that fell among thieves. Luke 10:33, “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. As the big men in the church walked away, the supposed sinner, a certain Samaritan, answered the call of God. That is, he had compassion just like Jesus. One should not be a title holder in the church before answering to giving care. What matters is for one to answer. It is possible for one be a priest or Levite and not answer to giving care. A certain Samaritan gave care when he supplied materials, and also paid the bill in full. Can you answer the Lord’s question? Luke 10:36, “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” Serving to please God is not only in religious activity. Serving to please God is in achievement to the glory of God. The business of God is more of getting task done and not about title. As a title holder, meditate on James 4:17, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Serving to please God is not only for the ones with title but also for every acclaimed believer.

Prayer for today: Ask God to lead you in His truth and to teach you.