FAITH CAPSULE: Is your prayer hour that sleeping engages you as a partner?

Luke 22:39-53

In this world of today more than in the past there is a need to be awake and be spiritually awake. To be awake is the need to be on guard watching and praying. Few scriptural verses emphasized on the need to watch and pray stating, “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) It is written in Ephesians 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”
The word warned, “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.” (1 Peter 4:7) Sleep will work as the agent of the enemy by taking man away from watching and praying. Jesus warned his disciples against sleeping in the place of watching and praying. Without doubt, a non- praying believer is a sleeping believer. Jesus at the hour of prayer, His disciples contracted sleeping as the Bible recorded, “Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:37-38)
Is your prayer hour that sleeping engages you as a partner?
Jesus’ disciples could not stay up in prayer. To be steadily awake at the hour of prayer is the evidence of living as a spiritually awake believer. Jesus attempted not to excuse His disciples to be sleeping at the hour of prayer. Jesus went back and forth to keep His disciples awake at the prayer hour. Twice, Jesus could not keep them awake, “Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.” (Mark 14:41-42) The word of God is written for our learning not for decoration. The word of God is a sustaining prescription for any man with desire not to be a victim of this wicked world. Sleeping in the place of watching and praying is the ground for the enemy to sow is agenda.
Matthew 13:25 buttressed, “…but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.” Are you awake by watching and praying? Today, give self to the word of Jesus’ proven word and not be a victim of the wicked of this world. As the world of today is getting darker man should become brighter by becoming a conversant watching and praying vessel.

Prayer for today: Pray for the grace not to be a victim of sleeping in the place of watching and praying.

FAITH CAPSULE:

2 Chronicles 20

In your God given new day and days to come, praising God is enough to bring your enemy down for you to the glory of God. “For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.” (Psalm 96:4) “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, In His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth…” (Psalm 48:1-2) Do not submit to fear but submit to God praising His greatness regardless of stubborn enemies. Jehoshaphat received a message of fear as stated in 2 Chronicles 20:2-3, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.”  Is there any great that is greater than the only greatest God that is above any other gods? Absolutely there is no any other god that is greater than the Ancient of days.
Concerning enemies, the Lord that is great and greatly to be praised is not going to look over your sincere understanding praise, He will deliver you. With the message of enemy against Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat sought God and received message to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. In the coming days of this year, praising God is standing still and seeing the hand of God on your behalf. Stand still, see and know that the same God of yesterday, today and forever will not fail to deny you. As you are standing still, see and know it that God is with you.
The word recorded how Jehoshaphat stood still and saw in 2 Chronicles 20:21-22, “…he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: Praise the LORD For His mercy endures forever. Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.”  With praising God, victory is certain and undeniable. Let no man prescribed how you are to praise Him but take the prescription of Psalmist praise as stated in Psalm 150:1-6, “Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbre and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

Prayer for today: Ask God to let your praise worship reign and rule in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: The Israelites allowed mixed multitude as they were disallowed from getting to their Promised Land.

Exodus 12:31-51, Numbers 11:1-15

In every journey of life, there will always be a crossing over. Are you at a point of crossing over in the journey of your life? Jesus went on a journey with His disciples on a cross over experience. It is written, “…when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” The cross over journey with Jesus did not carry along the multitude. Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.” (Mark 4: 35-36) In the cross over journey with Jesus, exemption of the multitude was a priority as exemption was not ignored. In cross journey, multitude can be agent of discouragement. In any cross over journey, multitude should not be encouraged as an associate of any form.
The children of Israel allowed multitude on their journey to Promised Land. The bible recorded, “Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. A mixed multitude went up with them also…” (Exodus 12:37-38) As the journey continued, the multitude revealed their negative color among the Israelites. Mixed multitude should be exempted in any cross journey. As the journey continued with the Israelites, Numbers 11:4 recorded, “Now the mixed multitudes who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat?” With mixed multitudes influence, complaint started among the Israelites before God. With complaint, rebellion became the portion of the Israelites.
Are you on a cross journey with mixed multitudes?
Mixed multitude must be uprooted out of your cross over journey if there is desire to get through to the expected end of journey. Mixed multitude is the crowd and they will add unnecessary weight to your vessel. During the crossing over of Jesus with His disciples, windstorm experience was encountered. It is written, “And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”(Mark 4:37) The presence of Jesus in the boat with His disciples was not evidence that storm will not show up. However, with Jesus in every cross over journey for man there shall be assurance for safe deliverance. In your cross over journey, learn to discharge your mixed multitude just as the disciples did in their journey with Jesus. In your cross over journey, do not under estimate the effect of mixed multitude. The Israelites allowed mixed multitude as they were disallowed from getting to their Promised Land.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace not to accommodate or align with mixed multitude in your cross over journey.

FAITH CAPSULE: Obedience to His word manifests His evidence in one’s life.

Psalm 107

It is written, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” (Psalm 107:20) The word of God is power to heal and to deliver. His word is already here for anyone that will be engaged with the sent word of God for deliverance and preservation.
Are you still waiting for the sent word of God to bring forth your deliverance and preservation? Hebrews 4:12 stated, “For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The word of God, by virtue of its power demands precious attention of our time.
Are you giving time to study the sent word of God or you are skimming through the pages of His word?
All that is needed most in this world is the sent word of God. Word of God is for our learning Romans 15:4 admonished, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”
Are you spending time to study the sent word of God or spending more time for the world?
For those that are spending time to study the word of God, the word of God will no doubt work for them in this wicked world of today. However, ones whose spending time for the world is overtaking spending time for the spent word of God will have a need for serious readjustment. Are you expecting the word to answer on your behalf when you have not been answering to the word of God?
The word of God cannot fail and will not fail. The book of Isaiah 55:11 recorded, “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.” The sent word of God is directly from the mouth of God. The sent word of God demands full obedience. Obedience to the word of God manifests the evidence of God in one’s life.
Man can possibly make all the noise quoting the word of God but a failure not to allow the word of God become one’s garment will cause man to become naked and exposed to the wickedness of this world. Romans 10:17 stated, “…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Are you in a position to be hearing the word? Is the word sinking into you?  When the word is not sinking into man, it becomes impossible for faith to rise. Give self to the word; allow faith to rise and become one who pleases God. Remember, without faith it is impossible to please God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of the sent word of God to have its place in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: In your life, is there any situation of dungeon that is crowding you?

Genesis 41

Dungeon is described as, a strong, dark prison or cell, usually underground, as in a medieval castle. Joseph became prime minister after spending times in the dungeon. Joseph’s story was changed when Chief Butler mentioned about him before Pharaoh. It is written, “Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed in his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.” (Genesis 41:14)
In your life, is there any situation of dungeon that is crowding you?
It does not matter how you get into the dungeon or how long you have been in the dungeon. However, it matters that if you will look up to God today, He will look down to bring you out of your dungeon situation. God is worthy to be trusted for deliverance from dungeon situation. Isaiah 45:22 buttressed, “Look up to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” Just look up to God for the termination of your dungeon situation. It was Joseph’s obedience to his father’s errand that led him into dungeon. Joseph was sent from the Valley of Hebron to Shechem to check for his brother’s well-being. At his arrival his brothers welcomed him by being placed in the pit. Joseph was later picked up from pit for sale to a company of Ishmaelite as he was became a slave. Joseph’s brothers envy prompted them to give up Joseph for sales.
As a slave, while he was serving in his master’s house, the wife laid a false charge of sexual harassment on him and he ended in the prison. Joseph did not bargain for the entire unfavorable situation that came his way while obeying his father. In the prison, Joseph interpreted favorable and unfavorable dreams for confined Chiefs (Butler and Baker). The dream’s interpretation came out to be true and Joseph pleaded to the chief to remember him. Joseph was forgotten for two years in the prison by chief.
God will always remember His children at an appointed time but man will not remember man. Be encouraged that God does have His own plan in your time of dungeon situation. Know that such is life and it is full of ups and downs but God that is up will lift you up at His appointed time. At the time of God’s appointed time deliverance over Joseph to come out of dungeon, there was no devil under heaven to deny Joseph’s deliverance. Pharaoh’s dream was interpreted by none other than Joseph. It was the Chief Butler’s remembrance of Joseph before Pharaoh, that provoked the story of Joseph as great testimony for the rest of his life.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the speedy of His appointed time for your change of story to the glory of God.