FAITH CAPSULE: Engaging prayer laboriously not lazily is practicing prayer with labor.

Daniel 6

John the Baptism, 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. The book of Luke 3:21-22 documented, “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You, I am well pleased.” Prayer will open heaven if one will understand engaging prayer laboriously as a lifestyle.
Communicating by faith is also praying by faith (Speaking by faith) to God for the manifestation of expectation.
Once, Jesus communicated by faith when a fig tree withered. His disciples reacted with curiosity when they asked Jesus: “…how did the fig tree wither away so soon?” (Matthew 21:20) Jesus responded to His disciple’s question: “…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 Jesus’ communication of faith (prayer of faith) a fig tree withered. Engage God with the prayer of faith to receive undeniable proof of answer from God.
Prayer is labor which answers for deliverance and preservation in this wicked world. Prayer is labor with a custom approach. David’s prayer of labor for his deliverance and preservation which is custom is recorded: “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) David’s testimony points out that prayer labor happens with a custom approach which is the way of living life before God prayerfully, to be receiving from God.
Daniel is another one with a lifestyle of prayer labor of custom. Daniel’s 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” (Daniel 6:10). Daniel’s deliverance from an untimely death in the den of lions was the result of his prayer of labor with custom before God.  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). Engaging prayer laboriously not lazily is practicing prayer with labor.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s hand to draw you prayerfully to His presence.

FAITH CAPSULE: Communication or your speech before God is communicating with God.

1 Kings 8:22-61  

Prayer is a personal communication or petition addressed to God.
Communicating before or with God can be in verbal or non-verbal.
It is done in the form of supplication, adoration, praise, contrition (sincere remorse) or Thanksgiving. Prayer with no understanding will lack to have the reason why or what praying to get an expected answer.
Prayer is also a devotion which can be done either public or private.
Bishop David Oyedepo of the Winners’ Fellowship once stated that “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. Job, in the time of his suffering, patience, and prayer (communication with God) was continual. The Bible encourages us, “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 which is the evidence of not ignoring 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 or is it to gain the attention of a man?
Jesus, our Lord, and savior was not exempted from earnest praying. He was at praying ground when His betrayals came to arrest him. Luke 22:44 recorded Jesus’ earnest prayer in labor: “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? Jesus prayed in sweating like great drops of blood falling, the evidence of laborious prayer. Are you one that is expecting to engage prayer differently from God’s way and 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 one with prayer’s protection from enemies accessible. Job’s constant prayer over his household answered as hedges which denied Satan’s access for his evil. The Bible recorded Satan’s complain 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 of God’s protection. 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 from God for the strength to increase you on your prayer altar.

FAITH CAPSULE: Give self to His word of deliverance and preservation.

2 Chronicles 18: 28-34, Mark 10:46-52

How are you looking up to God in your time of challenge? With self-deception, King Ahab failed himself while Bartimaeus sought God to avoid failure.
The Case of Ahab:
At the time of war, Ahab the King of Israel invited Jehoshaphat the King of Judah to join forces against Ramoth Gilead. When it was time to go to war, Ahab rejected true prophesy of Micaiah’s against going to war. Ahab listened to deceiving prophecy of his chosen by speaking Jehoshaphat, “…I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes.” So, the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.” (2 Chronicles 18:29)
King Ahab despised the truth from God’s prophet to disguised himself at war. Proverbs 13:13 warned against despising God’s word: “He who despises the word will be destroyed, But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.” King Ahab’s plan at war turned out against his plan. King Jehoshaphat did not disguise but depended on God. As the battle intensified Jehoshaphat was surrounded by the enemies as recorded: “…when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “It is the king of Israel!” Therefore, they surrounded him to attack; but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him, and God diverted them from him.” (2Chronicles 18:31)
There is no way for salvation in life when one is despising the word of God and not know to be calling on God as savior. In a time of challenges cry out to God and give self to His word of deliverance and preservation.
The case of Bartimaeus:
Bartimaeus’ challenges called for Jesus’ attention when he cried out to Jesus. At the time of Jesus’ movement to a different location, Bartimaeus was at the right location where to cry out loud for mercy. It could be that it is time for you to identify your challenge which demands a loud cry to God. At your crying out, know to ignore the multitude that surrounds you. Today, cry out loud to Jesus for divine intervention.
In your crying out, call Him as you know Him not as you know about Him. Bartimaeus demonstrated that he did not just know about Jesus, but he called out as one that knows Him. The ignorance of the crowd that followed Jesus attempted to stop Bartimaeus from calling out. Bartimaeus’ knowledge of Jesus’ identity which was not common granted him the attention of Jesus. Bartimaeus cried out as stated: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Do you know Him enough to call Him to a standstill and have Him attend to you? In the calling of Bartimaeus, “…Jesus stood still and commanded Him to be called” (Mark 10:49) The Blind man received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. (Mark 11:52) Jehoshaphat did not disguise but cried out loud and was saved.

Prayer for today: Ask God to open you understand and know to live right for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: To lack, the fear of God will extend an invitation of visitation for the enemy into one’s life.

Job1, 2:1-10

The word of God described Job, “…blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yokes of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.” (Job 1:1-3) Job was a man of God. He was straight with God, but he was not sure of his children’s walk with God. Job’s not knowing his children’s walks with God, he sanctifies his children. Job was rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings according to the number of his children as stated: “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” (Job 1:4-5)
After Satan was allowed by God to attack Job, he lost his properties, he lost all his children and his health was attacked. By virtue of all his adversities, he deplores his birth by cursing the day of his birth. On top of it all, Job gave a testimony, “For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes.” (Job 3:25-26) What could have been the fear of Job which eventually came upon him? Was it the fear of not having the destruction of properties? Could it have been the fear of not to have all his children die all together? The bottom line of it is that, Job was nursing fear and what he feared eventually found him.
Fear is not of God; fear is the initiation of Satan’s visitation. Whenever fear rises in the life of man faith will sink. Fear and faith do not complement each other. What could have happened to Job to be exercising great fear? Not knowing the extent of God’s protective covering over the affairs of our life or over the areas of our concern will possibly expose us to fear and not faith. Clearly, God is not pleased without faith. Unfortunately, Satan knew the extent of God’s covering over Job when he mentioned that God has made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side. (Job 1:10). When God makes you impenetrable, do not make yourself penetrable for Satan. With a lack of understanding of what God can do is having a place in a man’s life, Satan will take a position in man’s life with pain. Psalmist states, “A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49:20) It is important to know that God is mindful of us, He visits us, and He crowns us with glory and honor. (Psalm 8:4-5)
Give self to the word of God to know and understand that God delivers and preserves.

Prayer for today: Ask for faith to be established in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE:Today, let the yesterday remain in the past.

Psalm 118, Luke 17:11-19

Last month is in the past but the current month is present. Seeing a new month is a privilege of God for you but not a right for you to boast of knowing how to live life. To be alive from last months to the present month; from yesterday until today is evidence that God is moving you forward. However, a failure not to see or acknowledge that God is moving you forward is taking the position of an ingrate before God. An ingrate is ungrateful one before God.
The grace of seeing a new day demands to turn before God. It is the grace of God that has brought you this far. Today, give thanks to God instead of thinking thanks which does not demonstrate a grateful heart before God. It is true that God awaits the attitude of thanksgiving. Once, Jesus healed ten lepers but only one of the ten lepers re-visited Jesus with a grateful heart of thanks to giving thanks. Jesus responded to the one with thanksgiving as stated: “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:15-19)
Revisiting God continually with a grateful heart of thanksgiving for yesterday will perfect your today.
Have you been living comfortably in the past months more than the present month?  If you will focus on God, it is possible to make a way where there is no way. Today, let the yesterday remain in the past. It is important to know that there is no permanent condition, God is able to reverse irreversible for all man. Give glory to God for your life today.
In all, the only thing which God cannot do is: GOD CANNOT FAIL. Know, understand by remembering that your life today is not because of your merit but because of His mercy. Psalm 117:1-2 admonished, “Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us and the truth of the LORD endures forever.” The mercy of God was in place for Lot and his family for their deliverance from destruction. Lot’s wife failed to embrace God’s mercy because she investigated (looked back) her past, she despised God’s instruction.
Are you looking forward but not looking into the past?
Give attention to the truth, know that your past month is not current. Your life today is a journey of relocation to move forward. Moving forward demands setting sight on the word of God which is able to bring one to the expected end journey.

Prayer for today: Ask by giving thanks to God for yesterday and tomorrow.