FAITH CAPSULE: Commands in the word of God is doable and it is not impossible to do.

Hosea 4

Listen to Hosea 4:6 as recorded, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”
One that is lack is the evidence of one that is not full.
It is how you are full of knowing God that will determine how far you walk with God or walk before God to avoid and not to become a victim of this wicked world.
To be lack of knowledge is to be set for self-destruction as identified in Hosea 4:6.
To have knowledge is to have an understanding. Having understanding is rooted in listening ability in the word of God. Do you listen to God’s word constantly or casually?
Jesus asked and gave the answer why there is a listening disability: “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.” (John 8: 43) Having understanding is a need to be full and not lack knowledge. In any man’s life, with no UNDERSTANDING is the disability to LISTEN to the WORD of GOD that is written. With no UNDERSTANDING man cannot believe God to do according to His word and become free from self-destruction. By listening to God’s word is to gain understanding and to BE-LIVING by God’s word which is the direction to be having KNOWLEDGE over this wicked world.
Every command in the word of God is doable and it is not impossible to do has requested by God. With understanding in the word of God is to be having a knowing edge over wicked agendas and not to be a victim. There is no choice that is better than having the choice of listening, gaining understanding in the word of God to become full of knowledge and not become a victim of the wicked world.
In the Bible, Jesus repeatedly gave us do-able directions for self-deliverance saying: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
“Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.” (Mark 13:33)
“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)
Just like Jesus said, Paul, the Apostle also called for the importance of prayer:
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saint.” (Ephesians 6:18)
The book of 1 Peter 4:7 also recorded, “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayers.”
How is your prayer life? Are you one that is serious about prayer? Jesus demonstrated the need for prayer life for all man and Paul admonished the need for prayer as stated in
Acts 6:4, “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Prayer for today: Ask God to fill you with understanding in the knowledge of His word.

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.