FAITH CAPSULE: Prayer never fails to open the door.

Daniel 6

To pray before God demands to understand and to embrace the answer from God with understanding.
The answer to prayer before God is not rooted in forcing God to answer as one pleases.
Answer to prayer before God is: YES, WAIT, or NO
Do you know better than your creator?
God is God, the unchanging changer, and God alone reverses the irreversible.
The earnest prayer of Jesus (Luke 22:44) and Elijah prayer (James 5:17-18) testifies that praying with earnest is labor that will provoke an answer from God.
Prayer will open heaven if one will understand engaging prayer laboriously as a lifestyle.
At the location of water baptism, with people getting baptized, there was no record of baptism backed with prayer. However, when Jesus came for His baptism, He prayed, and heaven opened. Luke 3:21-22 records, “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.”
Earnestly, will you engage prayer as your way of life?
Prayer is labor that answers for deliverance and preservation in this wicked world. 
Prayer is labor with a custom approach. David testifies labor prayer for his deliverance and preservation that is custom: “As for me, I will call upon God, and the LORD shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.” (Psalm 55:16-17) 
Praying with labor, with a custom, will not fail to gain and retain the presence of God.
Daniel is another one with a lifestyle of praying with the labor of custom. Daniel 6:10 records the testimony of his deliverance and preservation recorded: “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” 
Labor can be a custom way of seeking the intervention of God. Daniel needed the intervention of God when he engaged a prayer as his custom and could not die before his time.
Do you have a schedule of attending to God prayerfully? 
Study the word of God to understand the power of praying before God as a lifestyle. Take note that, “Whatever things were written before was written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4) 
With understanding, engage with the prayer of faith as demonstrated by Jesus.
Once, Jesus demonstrated prayer faith when He spoke to a fig tree to be withered. His disciples reacted with curiosity when they asked Jesus: “…how did the fig tree wither away so soon?” (Matthew 21:20) Jesus responds, “…Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:21-22).
With understanding, engage prayer laboriously, not lazily is practicing prayer with labor.

Prayer for today: Ask to be enabled with consistent prayer.

FAITH CAPSULE: What is prayer mean to you?

Psalm 139

How is your prayer before God?
Prayer is a personal communication that is a petition addressed to God. 
Communicating with God can be verbal or non-verbal.
Prayer is in the form of supplication, adoration, praise, contrition (sincere remorse), or thanksgiving. 
Prayer by meditating before God should be with understanding. 
Prayer is also a devotion that can be done either public or private.
Bishop David Oyedepo of the Winners Fellowship once describes prayer as: “Prayer is like a labor room where undeniable proofs are given birth to.” 
Prayer is indeed labor and, when it is actively engaged, it delivers undeniable miracles. 
Prayer with patience will answer as the antidote for suffering.
At the time of the suffering of Job, prayer with patience (communication with God) was continual. 
The Bible encourages all, “Is anyone suffering let him pray” (James 5:13). Give self to prayer as a way of lifestyle with continual communication with God in every moment of life, the evidence of not ignoring the nearness of God to all man.
Prayer always demands earnest engagement (serious intention, purpose, or effort). 
The seriousness, which prayer demands is evident in the testimony of how Elijah prayed for rain. James 5:17-18 “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” Elijah prayed earnestly (he prayed with seriousness and purpose).  
Is your prayer with seriousness to gain the attention of a man?
Jesus, our Lord, and savior was not exempted from earnest praying. He was on a praying ground when His betrayals came to arrest him. Luke 22:44 records earnest prayer in the labor of Jesus: “And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” 
Are you striving to pray laboriously or to pray lazily? 
The prayer of Jesus was in sweat like drops of blood falling, the evidence of laborious prayer. 
Are you expecting to engage in prayer differently from the way of God to get a result? 
Prayer that is labor is seeking God diligently to be rewarded by God. (Hebrews 11:6). 
Prayer is labor that builds up before God with answers as hedges like a wall for protection gained to be unaccessible for enemies.
For example, the constant prayer of Job over his household answered as hedges which denies the accessibility of Satan for his evil act. 
The Bible records the complaint of Satan before God, after failure not to do evil for Job: “Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.” (Job 1:10) With the prayer of labor that is continual, build-up hedges the protection of God. 
Just like King David, let prayer be your lifestyle and be known by God for hedges of protection. (Psalm 139:5)

Prayer for today: Ask to be enabled to increase strength and understanding in prayer.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do you know to understand God in His Word?

Psalm 34

The Word of God is God. John 1:1 confirms that the Word of God is God, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. “
Do you know to understand God in His Word?
Indeed, one with no understanding of the Word of God cannot observe to see God in His Word to fear God, to live life in obedience to God.
The evidence of no understanding of God does not hear the Word of God.
John 8:47, “He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” Search yourself to know if you are of God.
Do you understand God to seek Him?
Psalmist buttresses: “The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one.” (Psalm 14:2-3) To fear God is studying Him to understand and know His Word, the key to all that matters in living life.
With understands, knowledge and wisdom will have a place in the life of one.
Firstly, “…But knowledge is easy to him who understands.” (Proverbs 14:6) One with the understanding of God will always have a knowing edge over challenges, and a peace that surpasses all understanding becomes the identity.
Secondly, “Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding…” (Proverbs 14:33) 
Wisdom is the instruction of God. 1Corinthians 1:30 states, “But of Him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God…” The wisdom of God in the heart of man is Jesus in the life of man. Meditate on the Word of God Day and night to remain in the presence of God.
God identifies David as one after the heart of God. David, a man after the heart of God, teaches the fear of the Lord when he states, “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.” (Psalm 34:11) David knows what it is to have an ear to hear and fear God that kept him in his challenges.
DO YOU FEAR GOD?
Psalm 34:13-14 identifies four points in one who fears God: 
1. Keep your tongue from evil,
2. Keep your lips from speaking deceit, 
3. Depart from evil and do good,
4. Seek peace and pursue it. 
In this wicked world, one should meditate on what it means to fear God. In the journey of life, Abraham served God because he feared God. Hebrews 11:8 testifies, “By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Just like Abraham, fear God, give yourself to obey His Word, gain to retain the presence of God.

Prayer for today: Ask to be enabled to listen and gain understanding to seek God.

FAITH CAPSULE: One that fears God walk in His ways, love, and serve God diligently.

Deuteronomy 10

By faith is to be-living (believe) the word of God for the glory of God. Be-living by the word of God is not by the mouth. What does God want from all? 
Deuteronomy 10:12 identifies answers: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” 
One that fears God walk in His ways, love, and serve God diligently.
Do you fear God? 
Seek God diligently with all heart and with all soul to walk in His ways. God spoke to the Israelites, “They shall be My people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.” (Jeremiah 32:38-40) 
God wants from all is to fear Him.
God is a good God. It is a must to fear God living life for His glory.
To fear will love God to be obedient to His word. 1 Samuel 12:14 admonishes, “If you fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the Lord your God.” Have the desire that the fear of God will reign and rule your life. 
Do you have faith? 
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) Without faith, it is not possible to fear or love God.
Do not just have faith but be a faith-full believer.
Claiming to know about faith does not make one faithful.
Get to know to understand as a faithful one. 
Pray with a desire to be what God calls all man to be when He made you.
What does God want from all?  Psalm 139:14 of David testifies, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”
One that fears God walk in His ways, love, and serve God diligently is with boldness and character in the ways of life.
Be faithful with fear and love to live as fearfully and wonderfully creation of God. 
Today, come out of self-deception pay attention by listening to the word of God. Live life for the glory of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God in His mercy to enable you to fear Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Know to seek God diligently, not just seeking Him in your ways.

1 Samuel 17

Among ways to seek God diligently is by keeping His testimonies, to declare Him not to deny Him in the journey of life.
First, to seek God diligently is by giving self to keeping His testimonies. Deuteronomy 6:17 buttresses, “You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you.”
All should be given to the testimonies of God to be blessed by God just like David. 
Know to give self to the testimonies of God to gain His attention and be blessed as promised in Psalm 119:2, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!”
The testimony of God over the life of David provoked the blessing of God with the victory he had over Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:45-47 documented, “Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
Second, to seek God diligently is to declare for God and not to deny Him.
In life, regardless of the challenge, do not deny God but declare His as your Lord and savior. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, the three friends of Daniel, declare God as a God of deliverance. The three friends could not deny serving God but rejected not serving gods or worship the gold image of Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar, with anger, threatened to send the three friends of Daniel into burning fiery fire. The three friends responded to the threat of Nebuchadnezzar, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18) In the burning fiery furnace, the deliverance of God answered for the friends of Daniel.
In this wicked world, listen to the word of God that is the key to live life for the glory of God. 
Know to seek God diligently in His word, worship God and not worry.

Prayer for today: Ask that God will enable you to seek Him diligently in all ways of life.