FAITH CAPSULE: Regardless of the magnitude of your challenge, trun to God by giving thanks.

Psalm 34

Have you been written off or your challenge has chained you down? Regardless of the magnitude of your challenge, turn to God by giving thanks. Lazarus was pronounced dead and placed in the cave by the time Jesus got to his cave. Stone was rolled against Lazarus’ possibility to return from dead to life. For Lazarus hope was shattered, mourning and grieve took over Lazarus’ family and friends. Above all, there was no medical practitioner recorded to be on ground because it was finished for Lazarus. Jesus, the Commanding commander gave a command that the stone be removed for hope to be restored. It is written, “So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me. When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.” (John 11:41-44) Among the actions of Jesus for Lazarus to come back to life were: Jesus looked up for divine intervention. He was setup example for us to know and to always look up when all hope is lost. Jesus looked up and gave thanks to God. Jesus did not look to man; He did not look up to complain but He looked up to giving thanks for all God has done by hearing Him; He gave thanks with expectation for what was yet at hand. Jesus’ gave thanks knowing that God always hear Him. In all situation know to give God heart-full of  thanks.
In the face of any challenge a true believer should never look anywhere except to look up with expectation unto the Almighty God, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent God. Believer that is true to the core should look up to the only One who is “…the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy (Isaiah 57:15). Whenever deception, delay, denial, or destruction, knocks or shows up unexpectedly He is always there waiting to act for those who look up to Him. Many giants in the hand of God repeatedly looked up to Him for direction, deliverance and preservation during their life journey. Looking up to God should not be just at times of challenges, but also at the time of lifting His Holy name high. It is recorded in, Psalm 34:5, “They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.”  Is there any confronting shameful situation that is set against you? What is your challenge? In waiting for the Lord God of Israel, He will acknowledge you when your eyes are set on Him. The book of Micah 7:7 buttressed, “Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me.”  Do not look away from God at all time but begin to look up to God for His divine intervention.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of continual thanks giving, looking to Him alone.

FAITH CAPSULE: Outside of God is unable to rest on the promises of God; the evidence of not able to wait patiently for God.

Psalm 37, Luke 15:11-32

One that is not able to wait on God will act by waiting outside of God. Rushing for solution, experiencing extended frustration and unwarranted struggle are the identities of waiting outside of God. As an acclaimed believer, have you positioned yourself in a situation of not waiting for God’s intervention? Psalmist encouraged us, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14) It is important to know to wait on God the true helper of man and shield that does not disappoint. Psalm 37:7 confirmed the need to wait on God, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.” Evidently, ones that cannot rest on the promises of God cannot wait patiently for God to act on their behalf. For example, waiting on God for eight months with no answer is not enough excuse to stop waiting on God through the coming months.
Why not wait for God? The parable of the prodigal (the lost son), clearly demonstrated that the prodigal son entered a state of lack because he could not wait for God’s appointed time. It was the younger of two sons who could not wait for the portion of the inheritance that would have fallen to Him. There was so much for him to receive in waiting but nothing to receive when waiting was bypassed. Have you bypassed your ground of waiting for a needless rush? Not being able to wait is to abide in waste. The prodigal son got his portion of the inheritance and took a journey to a far country and wasted his inheritance.
Jesus’ parable is not a play write-up; it is to place His written word in the life of believers. Evidently in life, waiting for appointed time can be painful but would eventually be gainful for those who persevere in waiting. Younger son that was inability to wait set himself to be wasted. It is written, “And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land and he began to be in want.” (Luke 15: 13-14) Anyone that walks outside of God’s timing walks into self-destruction. Indeed, no one ever complained of falling, failing or faltered in the place of waiting on God. Listen to what the word of God says, “Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.” (Psalm 37:34) The word of God does not lie; His word cannot be broken. God will wait for those that will wait on Him. Wait on God to secure your destiny.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of enablement to wait on God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Embrace present season by allowing the past to remain in the past.  

Genesis 19

Last month is past but the current month is present. Seeing a new month is a privilege of God for man but not a right for man to claim. To be alive from last months to present month; from yesterday to this today is an evidence that God is moving man forward. However, a failure not to see or acknowledge that God is moving man forward is taking a positioning as an ingrate one before God. An ingrate is ungrateful one before God.
Have you been living life more comfortable in the past months more than present month?
Think of it, relocation from a comfort season is challenging but a new season is refreshing if a believer sees God as One that is in absolute control. Embrace present season by allowing the past to remain in the past. Glorify God so that He may be glorified in the life He has given you. God is great to be glorified. He is perfect to perform. One thing which God cannot do is: HE CANNOT FAIL.  Know, understand by remembering that your life today is not because of merit but because of His mercy. Psalm 117 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.” Mercy of God was in place for Lot and his family, but Lot’s wife failed to see the mercy of God in her journey of relocation. As an acclaimed believer, do you see God in your journey of relocation? Those who live by faith will see in faith and will move by faith knowing that the truth of the Lord endures forever. The truth of God is in His word. He gave His word to warn Lot as stated, “…Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.” (Genesis 19:17)
Take note, pay attention to the truth and know that last month is past, but the current month is present. An escape from self-destruction in the journey of relocation demands absolute setting sight on the word of God. His word is His command that can be challenging for man to embrace. God’s command was obviously challenging for Lot’s wife to obey because she could not look away from her comfort zone which was her past. The Bible recorded that Lot’s wife looked back behind him and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:26) Could it be that your relocation is God’s way of re-positioning you for better? What is it in your past that cannot be forgotten? What is it that is causing you not to see God as one that orders your step?
Give all the glory to God for where you are today. Continually remember that last month is past, but the current month is present.

Prayer for today: Ask for mercy of God to be evidence in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Communicating negative confession will eventually terminate life.

Genesis 11:1-9, Numbers 14

Keeping heart with diligence is the way to keep mouth shut from negative confession. The word warned, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) A heart that is well kept will void a negative thought. When there is no negative thought confessing negative shall not be in place. Negative confession is setting self for sudden death. Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Are you one that knows to communicate negative in the place of every challenge? Be warned because what you speak to yourself shall come to pass.
Through the pages of the Bible, different communication brought about different consequences. Once in the days after the flood, men gathered and stated, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:4) A careless thought always provoke a negative confession. In the days after the flood, gathering of the people communicated pride which does not escape from God’s hearing. Evidently, God who planted ear and eye heard and saw the reckless motive of His creation. God reacted to people’s communication after the flood of Noah days, “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.’ So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.” (Genesis 11:7-8) God heard the communication of the people, their agenda was terminated, and they were scattered just as they communicated.
After the bondage of over four hundred years, communicating negative confession took charge over the journey of the Israelites to their Promised Land. Communicating negative confession eventually terminated Israelites from Promised Land.  The Israelites responded to negative report by communicating negative confession, “…If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt…” (Numbers 14:2-4) God, who yearns jealously for our faith in Him, responded to the negative confession of the Israelites as stated, “…I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.” (Numbers 14:27-29) Israelites’ complaint was negative confession before God. As a result, with exception of Joshua and Caleb, twenty years old and above were denied from Promised Land.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to be keeping heart diligently.

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you aware that prayer is your heaven opener?

Luke 3:1-22

Old Testament and New Testament recorded evidences of prayer as a force to open door for expect answer. 1 Samuel 1:5-6 recorded, “But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb.  And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb.” Hannah did not engaged prayer amiss, but she engaged in prayer of persistence. When Eli the priest saw Hannah praying, he mistook her for drunk but decided to pray for Hannah stating, “…Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.” (1 Samuel 1:17) Eli and Hannah’s Prayer opened Hannah’s womb that gave birth to Samuel.
Is there any door in your life with the need to be opened on your behalf you?
Elijah prayed to shut heaven with no rain stating, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” (1 Kings 17:1) When it was time for heaven to open door for rain, Elijah prayed, and heaven opened with rain. Evidently, prayer opens up where shut door exists in man’s life. Are you occupying acceptable standing ground before God that is qualified to open shut door?Jesus, our Lord and Savior needed to pray before heaven was opened upon Him. The bible recorded, “…when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.” (Luke 3:21) Others before and after Jesus’ baptism prayed with no prayer to open heaven but Jesus prayed, and heaven was opened.
Are you aware that prayer is your heaven opener?
Daniel needed an open understanding for vision before him and he prayed without amiss. Daniel’s prayer experienced hindrance when adversary withstood his answer that was released to him. It is written, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.  But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.” (Daniel 10:12-13) Daniel’s situation is a confirmation that prayer opens where there is hindrance. Hindrance is can delay but cannot deny man from open answer to prayer.
Paul the apostle declared in 1 Corinthians 16:9, “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” Evidently, prayer that is not amiss is certain to deliver. In time of prayer it is worthy to be persistent and not relent. God is a prayer answering God. Your prayer will open up your breakthrough in Jesus name.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God not to engage amiss prayer before God.