Category Archives: Devotions

BE ROOTED IN FAITH!

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.

ASSUMING FOR ANSWER?

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.

LIVE LIFE FOR GOD

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.

GOD’S HOUSE

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.

PURPOSEFUL HEART

FAITH CAPSULE: Propose with purpose is taking a position for great result.

Daniel 1

In every expectation of journey with great result, one that offers self with determination is set for great result. Daniel was a young captive from Jerusalem. Bible recorded, “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.  And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.” (Daniel 1:1-2) Daniel was among all that were taken by Nebuchadnezzar out of Jerusalem. Daniel was qualified to be appointed for King’s direction as stated, “Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, 4 young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.” (Daniel 1:3-5) Daniel proposed not to give self to Kings plan and purposed in his heart for God. Daniel 1:8 recorded, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” With no doubt, when a man offers self to God’s word with determination, man is set to be an overcomer.
Daniel is an example of one with propose and able to purposefully keep his self for God’s glory. Daniel 1:9 buttressed, “Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.” The favor of God which located Daniel could not expire over Daniel through the journey of his life.
Daniel proposed (offered) himself to God without any hidden agenda. He proposed (determined, focused) in his heart not to defile his God. In answering to God, do you offer and determined in your heart for God by not defile self? Daniel demonstrated what it means to give self to God continually. Giving self continually to God by Daniel gave him victory with not failure. Daniel could not be a victim in the ruling hand of four different wicked kings that does not know Daniel’s God. Today, propose with purposeful heart for God as evidence of knowing God. Daniel 11:32 clearly summarized description of Daniel as stated, Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to have a purposeful heart for God.