FAITH CAPSULE: God will keep loyal ones to Him in every area of living life.

Ezra 8

What man do not understand will not work for man. The word of God is God. The ear and the eyes of God are in His word. It is for fools not to understand that “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…” (2Chrnicles 16:9) Those who are loyal to God by keeping to God’s word are the ones who rely on God. It is faith to consciously rely on God with expectation to show forth on one’s behalf in every area of life. From today, if man will begin to walk right before God, He will not look for man to overcome in time of challenges. The word of God that never fails promised, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.” (Psalm 34:15)
Gain understanding in the word of God that the eye of God will keep loyal ones to Him in every area of living life. Also, the hand of God will keep loyal ones with favor. The testimony of the psalmist pointed out that it is the fear of God that provokes His eye to be upon His children. (Psalm 33:18)
It is written, “Understand, you senseless among the people; and you fool, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? (Psalm 94:8-9) Are you consciously seeking His good? Provoking the hand of God to be upon man is for those who seek His good. Ezra testified, “…The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” (Ezra 8:22) We must seek God to serve God and He will always make good for those who serve Him.
When it was time for God to bring the Israelites out of bondage of over four hundred reas, God said to Moses, “But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed.” (Exodus 3:19-21) The hand of God by God’s word brought out Israelites out bondage and they did not go empty handed. By favor of the hand of God, they plundered the Egyptians. (Exodus 3:22) The same hand that brought Ezra and the children of Israel out of captivity favored them by meeting their needs in their journey. With understand, seek for God’s eyes and His hand during your journey of life.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of wisdom, understanding and knowledge in His word for your journey of life.

Faith Capsule: Faith rooted action will receive uncommon God’s visitation.

Mark 2:1-12

Action that is rooted in faith is set to receive uncommon manifestation of expectation. Bible recorded Hannah’s faith rooted action which provoked answer for her expectation.
Hannah was barren because the Lord closed her womb. (2 Samuel 1:5) During one of her trips to Shiloh, her action calls on Eli’s attention. It is written, “And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth.  Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli thought she was drunk.” (1 Samuel 1:12-13)
Hannah, with faith actively prayed with heart and her lips moving without a noise making. Hannah’s action received Eli’s attention which provoked him to bless Hannah that caused heaven to open her womb. Hannah’s action spoke loudly more than her voice while she was asking, seeking and knocking just as commanded in Matthew 7:7.
Truly, action that is faithful also speaks louder than action. Action is what God weighs (2 Samuel 2:3) Is your action before God is faith rooted?
Calling for God’s visitation is not only by loud prayer. Calling on God for His attention is faith rooted action. Faith rooted action is how heart connects with God. Hannah spoke in her heart. Are you calling from the mouth to impress man or you are calling on God from the depth of heart which is rooted in faith?
Faith rooted action is the evidence of our faith. The men that tore the roof top at where Jesus ministered in Capernaum acted their faith and healing was instantly provoked. It is written, “And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.  And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.” (Mark 2:1-4) A roof tearing faith will no doubt get heaven’s attention. Faith rooted action was an uncommon action which called Jesus’ response. The Bible recorded Jesus’ response, “When Jesus saw their faith; He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you” (Mark 2:5). Jesus saw their faith. Undeniably, the result faith is see-able when action is rooted in faith. Faith is acting out the word of God that is heard.
The word of God is the testimony of God. Psalmist stated, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!” (Psalm 119:2) One that keeps His testimony will know and always remember to be giving self to faith rooted action which calls and receive from God’s attention. Consistent faith rooted action before God is certain to receive God’s attention with uncommon manifestation.

Payer for today: Ask God for the grace to be living life with faith rooted action.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do not assume but ask from God.

Matthew 7

Word of God is precise to perform. God is the Creative creator that is true and cannot lie. Psalmist testified, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” (Psalm 18:30) Proverbs 30:8 stated, “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.”  Word is authentic when He stated, “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) Considering scriptural verses above, why is it so difficult for man to give self to the word of God?
Giving self to the word of God is certain to put silent over man’s challenging standstill.
Whatever challenging standstill with persistent in man’s life will always give up when man takes stand in the living word of God. Is it a challenge that shuts doors for your breakthrough? Unfailing prescribed prescription by the Eternal surgeon, the only One who reverses the irreversible is to: ASK. Asking without ceasing regardless of challenging standstill season is what Jesus prescribed for man. Matthew 7:7-8, recorded “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.   For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Have you been asking or assuming? Are you assuming to receive instead of asking to receive from God? Asking is different from assuming. Jesus knows exactly what He commanded Man to do and what man is doing. Asking is a demonstration of faith. Bartimaeus the blind man asked by crying out to get Jesus’ attention despite the thronging crowd. Bartimaeus could not assume for Jesus’ attention. Assuming for God’s attention instead of asking to get from God is same as thinking thanks instead of giving thanks to God. Jesus knows man’s challenging yet, He wants us to ask for what we want. Have you been asking, or with assumption you are making noise? Jesus prompted the blind Bartimaeus to ask by stating his need because he asked cried out for Jesus’ attention to receive. It is written, “So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Luke 18:40-41) What do you want Jesus to do for you?
Do not assume but ask from God and know to insist, persist and resist all that hinders man from receiving God’s attention.

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

FAITH CAPSULE: Man living life outside of God’s word is questioning Jesus’ authority.

Matthew 21:1-17

Power comes with authority. Jesus is the living Word of God, above all POWER belongs to Him. It is written, “God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.” (Psalm 62:11)
Jesus with power possess undeniable authority. All authority has been given to Jesus. Matthew 28:18 recorded, “…All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”  His power is with authority. The power that belongs to Jesus is the power over all creation which no man can deny.
Are you questioning His authority? Man living life outside of God’s word is questioning Jesus’ authority. While Jesus was here on earth the chief priests constantly questioned His authority. The Bible testified that, “He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:29) Despite the fact that His teachings were with authority they could not recognize Jesus as the Authority. Today, believers and unbelievers are lost yet questioning His authority.
The word of God says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) Are you seeking God at your convenience or are you seeking with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength? A failure not to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength is an evidence of questioning His authority.
The word of God is truth. One that is not giving self to truth is questioning and doubting God’s authority. John 8:31-32 declared, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Truly, giving self to authority in His word will make man to be free. Without giving self to His word which is authority man cannot be free.
As the temple of God, allow Jesus, the authority of God to clean you and be free from irrelevancies of this world. Jesus was able to clean the temple by driving out all the irrelevancies. Matthew 21:23 stated, “Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?’” Engage the word of God, the authority of God to clean you. In this wicked world, what is your choice? Allow His authority knowing that God is not a failure, give self to God by living by His authority but not standing against His authority.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace that His authority will reign and rule your life to be free and live life for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: Be diligent to keep your heart as your house for God in your life.

Nehemiah 1, 2

Heart of man will identify man before God. Man, that plays the role of lying, deceiving and manipulating man is not hidden from God the only perfect creator of all. In the heart, man that is set for good is good before God and man that is set for doing bad is not hidden from God. What do you carry in your inside? God cannot be deceived. Be genuine to be good in your doing because God is never asleep but sees you continually.
Nehemiah’s heart was genuine with his concern for Jerusalem’s welfare and its inhabitants. God saw Nehemiah’s heart and He acknowledged him. God in His awesomeness invested in him as a vessel for reconstructing the broken wall of Jerusalem. The report of what was going on in Jerusalem caused a burden in Nehemiah’s heart and he began to intercede on behalf of the land and his people. The bible recorded in Nehemiah 1:3-4, “And they said to me, ‘The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.’ So it was, when I heard these words that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah poured out his heart in prayer on behalf of his people and his homeland. Nehemiah had no hidden agenda to gain for himself but rather petitioned for things that had to do with a better life for his people. Nehemiah was selfless but mindful for his people which is the evidence that his heart was in line with what God was looking from man.
What is it about heart? Here are some scriptural verses of what the bible has to say about the heart:
Psalm 44:21, “…God knows the secret of the heart.”
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
“The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart.” (Proverbs 20:27) Ecclesiastes 8:11 stated, “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” The bible identifies the fool, in Psalm 14:1, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God…”
The bible recorded, “As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man.” (Proverbs 27:19)
It was heart that revealed Nehemiah’s identity before God. Truly, taking to the warning in the word of God is to excel for His glory. Proverbs 4:23 warned us, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Be diligent to keep your heart as your house for God in your life.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to set your heart continually before God.