WALK OR RUN< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

2Kings < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>18:20-46, 19:1-3

Elijah has just demonstrated the power of God by overcoming the Prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. He embarrassed them when they could not call their god to life. He called His God and God showed up on his behalf. Having embarrassed the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, he caused the prophets of Baal to be seized and executed at the Brook of Kishon. All of ElijahÕs exploits were the effect of GodÕs intervention because God was on ElijahÕs side. When Jezebel heard what  ElijahÕs did to the prophets of Baal, she threatened to kill Elijah. 1Kings 19:3, ÒAnd when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.Ó One would have expected Elijah to continue to walk in the power of God. Elijah did not walk, he ran. Have you been running where you are supposed to be walking? This same Elijah had experienced the hand of God earlier when he was supposed to be walking; the hand of God came upon him and put him ahead. 1Kings 18:46, ÒThen the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezebel.Ó God is a consistent God and he will not leave you nor forsake you. Have you been running where you are to be walking or are you the one walking where you are to be running? Elijah ran because of the queen, not because the Lord asked him to run. His divine intervention, the kind that worked for Elijah is enough for you not to run out of His divine schedule. His hand is a miracle and His hand will come on you and you will gird up your loins and run ahead on every ground that you have been running behind. Let God arise and every wicked work will be scattered.

SLEEP NOT< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Judges 16

Time and time again he could not be brought down by forces of the wicked. Once, a lion caught up with him by surprise and he was able to tear up the lion like a young goat (Judges14:5-6). The spirit of God never stops to locate and deliver him from trouble. Samson was a mighty man of God. He was above all that attempted to take his life because the hand of God was upon him, and also because he was awake and alive. Despite all that God has deposited in his life, he overthrew himself by revealing what was to be kept secret to Delilah. Samson should have seen the warning signs when he started to deal with Delilah, whose name means lustful. Lust and temptation are birds of the same feather. All that will take for Samson to die before his time is to enter into a sleep that will bring forth temptation. Indeed, he entered into sleep after revealing the source of what God had deposited in his life. Judges 16:20, ÒAnd she said, ÔThe Philistines are upon you, Samson! So he awoke from the sleep, and said, ÔI will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free! But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.ÕÓ A lulled sleep sent the power in Samson away, thus delivering him into the hand of his enemy. What kind of sleep are you sleeping? Whatever it is that is taking away prayer time from you is a sleep. SamsonÕs lulled sleep was his self exile from the presence of God. It is time for you to become alive in your prayer time.

SORROW SLEEP< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 22:39-46

When a believer cannot substitute sleep time for a prayer time at a place and time of prayer, it can be regarded as sleeping because of sorrow. Jesus demanded from His disciples at the place and time of prayer to stay up and pray. What He said to them is still speaking now to believers. Luke 22: 39-40, ÒComing out, He went to the < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, ÔPray that you may not enter into temptation.ÕÓ Are you a prayer-less or prayer-full believer? If you are indeed a prayer-less believer, you have allowed temptation to become your constant companion. Jesus wants to know why you sleep in place of prayer. Luke 22:46, ÒThen He said to them ÔWhy do you sleep? rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.ÕÓ There is a place for prayer and the place of prayer is not a place to sleep. Among the places of prayer, as Jesus Himself has mentioned, is where two or three gather together. Matthew 18:20, ÒFor where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.Ó Watch out from sorrow sleeping, it can terminate a miracle. Sorrow sleeping will substitute the blessings of the sleeper with temptation. Your frequent falling into temptations are directly rooted in too much sleeping. That is, your time is limited in the word, and a limited time in the word will result to powerless prayer. Luke 22:45, ÒWhen He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found then sleeping from sorrow.Ó It is possible for you to be awake and active but sleeping in sorrow because your prayer life is not where it should be.

ATTRACTION< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Mark < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>11:12-14, 1 Peter 1:13-21

Whenever your attractiveness fails to interact with the Creator, the reaction of the Creator will activate His action against you. The fig tree must have been the only tree around that was mouth watering. Its leaves were an indication that its fruit was mouth filling and stomach embracing. It was not true in the spirit, neither was it true in the physical when productivity was required of the fig tree. Jesus created the fig tree for a purpose. The fig tree was not created for eye-pleasing. It was not created for looking good in the congregation of trees, neither was it created for just attraction and crowd pleasing. Mark 11:13, ÒAnd seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the seasons for figs.Ó All of JesusÕ action, reaction, moves and words are communication for the people at His time and for the ones that were to come later before His second coming. How much attention are you paying to the word of God? He was not just displaying His power when He approached the unfruitful fig tree by virtue of the invitation of the fig tree through its leaves; Jesus was communicating a message through the demonstration of power. Christianity is not just about adornment and Sunday-noise-making. Christianity is about Jesus reality, and Jesus reality is fruitfulness. Do not let your adornment be merely outward by the arrangement of hair, the wearing of gold, or putting on fine apparel. Avoid being side attractions; all that Jesus wants to see in you is fruitfulness. Ask Him to deliver you from religion into Jesus reality.

NOT A DECORATION< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Genesis 24

What you wait for has been committed into the hand of God. You are now waiting, and you do not know how long it will take for the answer to get to your hand. In your waiting, do not go to sleep. Always look for a place and a time to separate yourself unto God. Isaac was waiting for a wife. A servant of Abraham has been sent on a mission to look for a wife for Isaac. Now, Isaac has to wait for the wife. In his waiting, Genesis 24:62-63, ÒNow Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the south. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field and in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming.Ó He left his residential area; he distanced himself in another direction to meditate. He must have realized that his destiny was about to be elevated by becoming one with someone that he has never seen. He needed a divine intervention, he was not just taking a walk; it was not accidental. He separated himself during a particular time of the day and he entered into mediation. In his meditation, he was not looking down; he was looking up because he was expectant. The Bible said, ÒAnd there, the camels were coming.Ó The vehicle of answer, the camel that was carrying his ordained wife, showed up. Your story will be changed. Challenges may be around but it will never able to round you up, and you will always be an overcomer in all your ways. Stop carrying the Bible around, it is not for decoration, it is for demonstrating the power of God.  Put to practice the word of God and there will be a practical demonstration of His power in your life.