FAITH CAPSULE: What does Praising and thanking God means to you?

1 Chronicles 16

Praising and thanking God is calling on God. David, a man with exceptional way of worshiping God was identified as a man after God’s own heart. (1 Samuel 13:14) Evidently, learning from David is a way knowing that praising God gets His attention. In the word of David, praising and giving thanks to God is a way of calling on God. David declared, “I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised so shall I be saved from my enemies.” (Psalm 18:3) David identified praising and thanking God as calling on God to deliver him from his enemies. Praising and thanking God is an assured way of calling and getting God. As a believer, it is not enough to know about calling on God through praising and thanking Him but know to consciously know to engage praising and tanking God as a way of living life.
Praising and thanking God is also calling on God to appreciate Him. After David finally settled the ark from being moved around, he called on God to thank God. The book of 1 Chronicles 16:8 recorded David’s statement, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!” Calling on God is to make Him known. God wants attention round the clock. This testifies to the truth that, thanking God for His doing is calling upon His name to appreciate Him and declare Him to our world for what He has done. We do not only give thanks for what God has done or what He is doing but we also give thanks for what He can do or what we expect Him to do. Are you expecting God to move concerning your confronting situation? Regardless of the magnitude of your situation, believe and give thanks to God before manifestation of your expectation.

Also, thanking and praising God is declaring God. When we declare God, He decorates us. Shadrach, Meshach, Abed Nego declared God before a King who does not know God and they could not be consumed by a fiery burning furnace. (Daniel 3:16-17) Jesus declared God by praising and thanking God and He brought Lazarus back to live life after four days in the grace. It is written, “Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.”  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”  (John 11:41-43) Our praising and thanking God will always provoke God to decorate us for His glory. Praising and thanking God cannot be separated. That is, praising God is thanking God and thanking God is praising God.

Prayer for today: Ask that the grace of praising and thanking God will not cease in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Ones that know to wait on God are the ones that know to ask.

Psalm 32, 94

What is stopping you from asking from God? A failure not to ask is the evidence of lack of faith. The word of God stated, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:7-11) Asking and not receiving could be the evidence of asking wrongly. The bible makes us to realize that it is possible to ask and ask wrongly. The book of James 4:3 stated, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” What are you asking for? Why not turn around and begin to ask for that which will cause you to seek God more? To seek God is to be positioned where all of your needs be added to you by His grace. (Matthew 6:33)
Asking from God the promises of God for your life is not because God has forgotten you. God does not forget His children; He is God that acts for the one who waits for Him. (Isaiah 64:4)  Ones that know to wait on God are the ones that know to ask and God attends to them. The bible pointed it out that He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? (Psalm 94:9) It is worthy to begin to ask God for instruction and teaching over your life. In these days of uncommon challenges, evil occurrences that are ravaging the world, begin to ask for His promises. The word of God promised, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, I will guide you with My eye.” (Psalm 32:8) Do you desire His eye to guide you? Indeed it is a blessing to be guided by the eye of God. Psalmist buttressed, “Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach out of your law, that You may give him rest from the days of adversity…” (Psalm 94:12-13) There is a need to begin to desire rest from His instruction and teaching these days. God has promised to instruct and teach for rest to have a place in man’s life. Turn to God and begin to ask for God’s instruction and teach to have a place in my life.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to hear and respond when God’s instruction and teaching is sounding in your direction.

FAITH CAPSULE: Saul’s attempts to harass the disciples caused heaven to arrest him.

Acts 9

Saul the most celebrated murderer of the New Testament also answered as Apostle Paul the most celebrated writer of the New Testament. He passionately went after the followers of Christ to persecute them until the Spirit of God arrested him. The book of Acts 9:1-2 documented, “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest  and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” A man that was full of threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, a man with the permission from the high priest to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether man or woman, he might bring them, bound to Jerusalem, could not see at his entering into Damascus. Saul’s attempts to harass the disciples caused heaven to arrest him and gave him a new name Paul.
Saul was a serious minded persecutor of the followers of Christ either on the way or out of the way. Saul would go outside of his area looking for followers of Christ to persecute. Saul’s mission to Damascus to carry out his business encountered the power that converted him from persecutor to a propagator of the kingdom of God’s business. By virtue of God’s power, no man under the heaven is above God’s redirection for the purpose of His divine agenda. God alone is One that reverses the irreversible. Saul on his journey to carry out persecution, “… He came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.” (Acts 9:3) It was in this light that he encountered Jesus, with no choice for him but to respond with trembling. Saul did not only tremble but requested from the Lord of what to do for the Lord. Above all, he lost his eyesight.
The Bible recorded Saul’s encounter, “Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.” (Acts 9:8-9) Saul gained a new sight and moved forward to serve God. Saul answered to a new name (Paul) after gaining a new sight to see and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. God is still in the business of touching life. Ask, “Lord what do you want me to do” and He will position you in the center of your divine assignment.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to answer fully in every area of His calling for your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Have you taken to the route of denying Jesus just as Peter did?

Luke 22:31-65

Whenever a believer begins to have reasons to keep distance from God, it becomes evident that such believer is set to deny Jesus. It is important to note that coming to church is not coming Christ. Many come to church and plant crisis because of their distance to Christ. Peter walked with Jesus, ate with Jesus and was touched by Jesus. Above all, Peter witnessed many undeniable miracles performed by Jesus, yet he denied Jesus. Have you taken to the route of denying Jesus just as Peter did? The challenge is the fact that determination will not keep man from denying Jesus but prayer is the only way out not to deny Jesus.
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, the only One that sees perfectly into the future prayed for Peter after seeing into the future that Peter was going to deny Him. The Bible recorded Jesus word to Peter, “And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you; that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32) Peter, trusting in his strength and determination responded to Jesus stating, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” (Luke 22:33) Are you a determined believer? Determination will not be enough to keep you from denying Him in these days of grueling challenges and incessant tempting pressures against believers.

Truly, prayer is the only key to believer’s preservation and deliverance. If Jesus had not prayed for Peter, it would have been a different story for Peter. Jesus was actually right when He admonished His disciple stating, “…Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:40) What He says to one speaks to us. Just as the disciples’ needed prayer against temptation, today’s believers are not without exception for the need of prayer.
Just as predicted by Jesus, Peter actually kept distance from Jesus when there was a need for him to be closer to Jesus. It is written, “Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.”(Luke 22:54-56) Besides the truth that Peter followed at distance, he also stepped out of his commitment to Jesus to a spot of convenience of warmth from a kindled fire. When he was identified as one of Jesus’ disciples he vehemently denied Jesus. Are you taking a distanced position from Jesus?

Prayer for today: Ask Him to draw you nearer so you do not end up denying Him. Ask that your faith will not fail.

FAITH CAPSULE: God’s word is for encouragement and not be discouraged in the face of any challenge.

Luke 19:1-10

The word of God is a source of encouragement. Psalm 119:130 stated, “The entrance of Your words gives light, it gives understanding to the simple.” It was the word that brought the Israelites out when the darkness of bondage became terminated. The children of Israel gained their deliverance from the house of bondage (Egypt) but Egypt refused to back up from going with the Israelites. Discouragement is what denies a free peaceful ride on their journey to the Promised Land. As they engaged their journey God declared, “Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.” (Exodus 14:4) God’s plan was not for evil to be elevated in the life of His children but it was to relegate evil. God wanted to gain honor over the challenges of the children of Israel. God’s word was enough for them to not to be discouraged but to be encouraged in the face of any challenge.

Are you experiencing invincible hindrances? Unexpected challenges? Be encouraged in the word of God. God has not forgotten you, He never sleeps nor slumbers but He will gain honor in His deliverance plan for your life. Allow His word to enter and you shall not be disallowed from your breakthrough miracle. Above all you shall possess your possession.  Allow the word to be your motivator as you seek Him diligently. Those who seek Him will find Him. Hebrew 11:6 testified, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  Zacchaeus is the evidence that when we seek Him diligently, He is faithful to answer us. Zacchaeus sought Jesus and Jesus located him and He ended up visiting Zacchaeus in his house. Zacchaeus had everything in place not to have a need to seek Jesus. He was a tax collector, a rich man; the crowd was a great factor to deny him because he was short in stature. Despite all the factors that could deny him, he was encouraged to seek Jesus. Zacchaeus was encouraged to run ahead of the crowd. After running ahead of the cloud he was encourage enough to climb the tree. Jesus who sees all saw Zacchaeus. It is written, “And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” (Luke 19:5). Be encouraged!

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to know and be encouraged in the word.