FAITH CAPSULE: The more you elevate your approach the more it gets to Him.

1 Samuel 1, Mark 10:46-52

Jesus and His disciples with a large crowd were on their way out of Jericho when Bartimaeus the blind man encountered his healing. The Bible recorded, “When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Mark 10:47-48) Bartimaeus’ blindness restricted his movement and he could not flow with the crowd. Bartimaeus limitation prompted him not to be quiet but to call out by shouting on top of his voice. Until he became loud, he could not become a showcase for His glory.Could it be that it is time for you to approach Jesus differently in order to receive your healing miracle? The Psalmist encouraged us in the way he was receiving from Him by saying, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help.” (Psalm 121:1) The crowd’s attempt to keep Bartimaeus quiet kept him louder. As a result of his persistence to be heard, “Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you."Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.” (Mark 10:49-50)How have you adapted to calling on Him in every of His passing moment? Just like the blind seeking miracle, Hannah was also seeking her miracle while going to Shiloh every year. In her going, she must have been quiet to herself in her prayers while enjoying fellowshipping with her husband. One year, however, she did differently when she was provoked of her barrenness by Peninnah, her husband’s wife. “And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the LORD had closed her womb. So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat. (1 Samuel1:7) Instead of the regular fellowshipping that Hannah had always been having in her trip to Shiloh, she did it differently by weeping and not eating. Heaven was provoked on behalf of Hannah and her doing it differently brought forth her miracle. The blind shouted, the Psalmist lifted his eyes and they both gained heaven’s attention. Shouting out loud could not have been possible until they lifted their eyes and saw Jesus passing. How can you gain His attention differently from the way you have been getting it in order to provoke Heaven for your miracle? Lift eyes, lift voice, cry unto Him, abstain from eating, combine all or add more. The more you elevate your approach the more it gets to Him.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to be quiet where you need to be loud and heard.

FAITH CAPSULE: Stay awake stray from sleeping.

Mark 14:32-50

Sleep can only sink a believer once its seeds are planted in the life of a believer. In this world of wickedness there is a need to be awake and be spiritually alert. To be awake and be alert is to be on guard watching and praying. Few scriptural verses emphasized on the need to watch and pray stating, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36) It is written in Ephesians 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” The first book of Peter could not be completed without stating, “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.” (1 Peter 4:7) The only agent that can take a man away from watching and praying is sleep. Jesus warned his disciples of this very problem when they gave into sleep instead of watching as He prayed. This took place while Jesus was praying in the garden when His time of arrest was near. Evidently, a non praying believer is a sleeping believer. The Bible recorded, “Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:37-38) The disciples could not stay up in prayer. The going back and forth of Jesus to keep them awake reveals the importance why believer should constantly engage in watching and praying. Twice, Jesus could not keep them awake, “Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.” (Mark 14:41-42) The words of the Bible are not a mere story but a life sustaining dosage for anyone that will take and use. Many are loosing their battle in the sleep and many are set to loose their battle because they lack control over sleeping. Are you awake watching and praying? If you have given your life to Jesus, know that not watching and praying is not your portion. The world is getting darker and we are to get conversant waiting on the Lord in prayer. As a believer, you have a roll to play because the wicked one’s road leads to you. Jesus played His role for all on the Calvary to give life abundantly. Stay awake stray from sleeping.  

Prayer for today: Deliver me from sorrow sleep and let me not be a victim of the wicked one.

FAITH CAPSULE: God is able to see you through and He will never fail. 

Genesis 48:1-14

Life can be difficult and everything can seem to be impossible, but “with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) Jacob’s most beloved wife died a painful death during a journey. “Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor. Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, “Do not fear; you will have this son also.” And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin.So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). (Genesis 35:16-19)Rachel was the favorite wife of Jacob; she was the mother of Joseph, the most beloved of all the children of Jacob. Joseph was sold to slavery and later framed by brothers as if wild animals devoured him. It was pain and agony to Jacob thinking and accepting there would be no way of seeing Joseph again. Jacob was a first hand witness to how life is full of ups and downs. Have you lost anything or anyone so dear and you have thought there is no hope? It is important that we be careful of negative confession. In the midst of all kinds of agonizing challenges in our way, we can always and it is better to be confessing positives. Jacob thought it was over until he was able to see Joseph. He then testified, “And Israel said to Joseph, “I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!” (Genesis 48:11) Have you been giving up to all that has been giving you up to pain, groaning, and mockery? It is not time for you to give up, but it is rather time for you not to give up because when there is life there is hope. God is not a partial God, but a faithful and merciful God. Jacob did not only see Joseph, but he eventually saw Joseph and the children of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh). The word of God encourages, “…and concerning the works of My hands, you command Me.”(Isaiah 45:11) God is true to His word if you will remind Him about Jacob prevailing, you will be able to command Him concerning the need for your miracle. Again, if you will cast your entire care and burden on Him, He is able to see you through and He will never fail. Jacob saw through by seeing Joseph and you will also see-through in Jesus name.

Prayer for today: Ask God, Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You have towards your people. Oh, visit me with Your salvation that I may see the benefit of the chosen ones.

FAITH CAPSULE:A mind that is set on God will not be a stranger to peace.

Colossians 3:1-17

Believing God is not only in the confession with the mouth. Believing God is behaving the word of God. Among the ways of word-behaving believers is seeking and set minds on things that are above. Paul pointed out, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2) As a believer, what you seek and set your mind on is what will make you up in the journey of life. In all your seeking,“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”  (Matthew 6:33) The word of God is true and never fails. When you seek the kingdom of heaven first, not second and without any other agenda, the result will be true to God’s word. When we seek Him, it should be with all diligence with all that He has given us. God did not ask from us what we cannot offer. God knows what we are capable of giving Him.Deuteronomy 4:29, “…seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Have you in deed and in truth given your life to Him? Seek Him with all diligence and He will bring to pass all that He promised. What about setting your mind? Remember, it is about setting and seeking and neither can be separated from one another. It is not possible to seek and not set; neither is it possible to set and not seek Him. A mind that is set on God will always wait and look up to God for all answers. A mind that is set on God will not be a stranger to peace. It is the setting of minds on things from above that will upset the world of wickedness from having its place in the life of any believer who chooses to seek and set it all on Him. What a believer seek or set is where the mind is. If your mind is on the kingdom of God, you will live heaven on earth and if it is on the kingdom of this world, you will have no choice but to reap from where you seek and set. It is written, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3)The position of a believer is seeking and setting of the mind on things that are above. As a believer in the word of God, there is only one place we should constantly dwell and that is seeking and setting our all on the Lord.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to constantly seek and set it all on Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do not count on your reasoning to lead you but count on His revealed way.

Exodus 33

When Moses was leading the children of Israel on their way to the Promised Land, it was not by his own reasoning but in the way of God. Human reasoning will fail but the way of God will prevail. The way of God is God. At a point during the journey to the Promised Land, Moses was asking God to show him His way, “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.”(Exodus 33:13) God’s response to Moses request for God’s way stated, “And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14) Evidently, the way of God is God’s presence. God’s presence is God. Jesus also stated when He referred to Himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”(John 14:6) In the way of the Lord there is direction, victory, peace, power and there is no failure. When the way of the Lord is not revealed, the journey is bound to be a failure. Moses was seeing the way of God and he could not fail in leading the children of Israel at every juncture where there was no way. The word of God declared in Psalm 103:7 “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.” He was close to God in all his steps while the children of Israel were far from the Lord in all of their steps. The children of Israel were walking in complaint and in rebellion and could only see where and when Moses has completed assignments. Returning unto God will turn on the ways of the Lord. It is written, “Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD and He will have mercy on Him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6-7)The word of God is revelation that reveals and shows the way of God. It is good to be seeing His acts or witnessing His acts, but it is not enough until you begin to see His way. It is time that you begin to position yourself in the word of God so that His way will become a revelation to you. God is not a partial God if He can show His way unto Moses, He will show it to you. Do not count on your reasoning to lead you but count on His revealed way.

Prayer for today: Ask God to show you His way as you continue to navigate the journey of life.