FAITH CAPSULE: Wilderness journey is a journey of no turning back.

Matthew 4

It is written, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”(Matthew 4:1) Jesus, our Lord and savior passed through the wilderness before getting to the center of His divine assignment. As a result, no one is exempted from taking a journeying through wilderness before getting to center of divine assignment. In life, it is how wild a wilderness journey is that will determine how wide the ground to be covered in a believer’s divine assignment.
Wilderness journey is a journey of no turning back. In every wilderness journey there is no back road or short cut to the expected end, every ground must be covered. God took the Israelites through a route that would cause them not to change their mind and return to Egypt but through the wilderness. (Exodus 13:17)
Wilderness journey is not a journey which one plans for, it is a journey which puts one in the plan of God for one’s life. Wilderness journey is not a journey of comfort neither is it a journey of choice or interest. Wilderness journey is a journey for every vessel in the hand of God must pass through. Jesus was led into it, Abraham was called into it, and Moses was forced into it after committing murderer. It was not Joseph’s choice to walk into the wilderness journey of his life neither did Paul the apostle knew what he was getting into in his attempt to go and commit his violent act against the disciples of the Lord.Wilderness journey is a journey of trial and temptation and it is the only avenue that leads from the promise of God into God’s Promised Land for His children. Any attempt to avoid the wilderness journey will make a believer to become a wanderer and not a wonder in the area of divine schedule. Wilderness journey is a wild journey where nothing works but faith. Wilderness journey is a journey where every believer in it has to walk by faith, see by faith and move by faith. In the wilderness journey, a failure to progress by faith will lead to a passing on to falling for temptation. In the course of wilderness journey, one’s survival will be threatened; a need to test God for His word will presents itself. Above all, reason to worship other gods will present itself before getting through the wilderness journey. In all areas of temptation in the wilderness journey, Jesus demonstrated faith and passed through all. “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.” (Matthew 4:11) After passing through the wilderness journey, “…Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” (Matthew 4:17)Engage your wilderness journey by knowing that God is able to see you through.

Prayer for today: Ask God to tech and lead you through your wilderness journey.

FAITH CAPSULE: In every drive to purpose in life, there is no giving up.

Mark 2:1-12

It is written, “…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) The paralytic man that was brought to Jesus could not access through the regular entrance because there were so many crowd blocking the entrance. The paralyzed man must have heard about the news of Jesus in town very late so he arrived late at his healing ground. However, it is clear that the major hindrance for the paralytic man was the crowd that received and resists his getting through to the healing ground. What is it that is complicating your breakthrough? Is it a self-created crowd or the religious crowd at the entrance of your breakthrough? It is not the time to give up because of the crowd; it is time for you to take it up to another level which is not common.

Zacchaeus was described as a short man in stature. He wanted to see Jesus while in the midst of a thronging crowd. He did not wait for Jesus to pass him by. He took it up to another level by running ahead of the crowd and climbing on a sycamore tree (Luke 19:1-10). Bartimaeus the blind man needed to gain his sight when he recognized the passing of Jesus. He called out for Jesus but crowd called down his calling when they asked him to be quiet. Rather, he increased in his calling until he got the full attention of Jesus (Mark 10:46-52). In every drive to purpose in life, there is no giving up.

The four men with the paralytic man took their faith up to uncommon level. Mark 2:4, “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.” A roof tearing faith was not a common access to break through hindering crowd. There is so much to learn from the word of God as regard to getting above and leaving the crowd behind. Crowds are a major force that will discolor your destiny if you get mixed up with them. Avoid all kinds of crowds, and most especially the religious crowd. Jesus will notice you if you will take it up to another level.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be persistent where there is a force resistance to your breakthrough.

FAITH CAPSULE: Asking from Him is an evidence of faith.

Mark 10: 46-52, John 5:1-15, John 6:1-14,

At Sheep Gate a pool, Jesus paid an unexpected visit. At the pool there was a great multitude of sick people always waiting for the moving of the water. It was a pool where healing was taking place whenever an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease in their life. It was at the pool Jesus saw a certain man with thirty-eight years infirmity. It is written, ^“When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”” (John 5:6) How could Jesus, the One who is the healing healer, the eternal surgeon not know there was a need for healing?
Jesus was also checking out of Jericho with His disciples when He encountered a great multitude including blind Bartimaeus. The Bible recorded, ^“And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”(Mark 10:47) Bartimaeus resisted those who asked him to keep quiet as he persistently cried out to Jesus. His persistence caught the attention of Jesus and He, “…answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51) Again how could Jesus, the one who reverses the irreversible not know there was a need for the blind man to regain his sight.
Jesus got himself and His disciples to the place that called for the feeding of five thousand; there was no food physically in place. John 6:5-6, “Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.” How could Jesus, the One that is in charge of meeting needs in the place of lack, not know what He would do? Jesus knew what He would do and He had answer in His hand before questioning. Do you know what to do to come out of stagnation of life?
Jesus questioned to provoke asking so that He will not violate His word which commanded us, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Mathew 7:7) Do not be too quiet and miss your victory, open your mouth and ask as commanded. Asking is an evidence of faith, not to ask or to stop asking when answer is yet to be delivered is an evidence of lack of faith. He is answer to all of our questions. Ask Jesus!

Prayer for today: Ask for the understanding and grace to know to ask and not shut out your miracle.

FAITH CAPSULE: Praise God at all times and He will not fail to locate you for your uplifting.

2 Kings 9:1-13

David testifies in Psalm3:3, “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.” (Psalm 3:3) Truly, the only one that lifts man up is the unquestionable all Mighty creator. God will call or raise man for His glory without been questioned. He called Peter while he was a fisherman and converted him to be fisher of men. The same God called Saul out when he was on His way to persecute the followers of Christ. The calling changed Saul to Paul. By virtue of the calling of both Peter and Paul, they lived life to the glory of God.
When it was time for God to raise Jehu, He moved Elisha to instruct his servant, “Now when you arrive at that place, look there for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, and go in and make him rise up from among his associates, and take him to an inner room. Then take the flask of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, ‘Thus says the LORD’: ‘I have anointed you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and flee, and do not delay.” (2 Kings 9:2-3) No man determines for God. Nothing qualified Jehu but God Himself qualified him and by that, no man could disqualify him. Jehu was raised from among his associates right after the anointing, “Then each man hastened to take his garment and put it under him on the top of the steps; and they blew trumpets, saying, ‘Jehu is king!’” (2 Kings 9:13) Jehu was made to rise up from among his associates to become a king.
There is no calculation as to how or who is next for God to lift up. However, it is certain that those who praise Him with understand will be raised up into His presence.  To be in His presence is to be above every plan and purpose of the wicked ones. Praise God anywhere and anytime with your whole heart. God does have His way of lifting man.
Why not constantly engage praising God as your avenue to be raised by God? The way He moved for Peter is different from that of Paul. He is not a stagnant God. Praising God with understanding will raise one to the presence of God. In your sacrifice of praise which is reasonable to God, you can possibly be raised. Praise God and ask Him to raise you up from every ungodly associate, every association of failure and every associate that is slowing you down by delaying and distracting you from what God has called you to be for His glory. Praise God at all times and He will not fail in raising you.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be constant in praising Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Weakened faith will waver in the process of waiting.

Romans 4

Waiting on God and not wavering is a demonstration of faith in God. It will deny worrying and enable a reasonable worship to God. Are you exposed to any confronting situation that seems like there is no way out? In your situation, days, weeks, months, and years turned to a season of challenge. It is not time to give up concerning your confronting situation but, it is time to continue to keep on hoping on Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly meeting your expectation. It is written, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12) God will never fail to deliver for those who truly hope and wait on Him. Remember, “…Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)
God spoke through Jeremiah to the children of Israel that were in captivity, “For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:10-11) Any situation of captivity will make no difference when there is a steadfast reliance on the authority which is in the word of God. The children of Israel were supposed to wait for seventy years for the Lord to bring them back from captivity. Do you know how long it will take you to come out from where you have found yourself? One thing is certain; the word of God will not fail in the life of those who hope and turn to Him for a way out. The word that was sent to those that were in Babylon, is speaking to all that are exposed to confronting situation.
Father Abraham waited for the promise of God for almost one hundred years. Abraham was described in Romans 4: 19-21, “And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” For almost one hundred years Abraham’s faith was not weakened. A weakened faith will lead to wavering in the process of waiting. Wavering is also an evidence of not remembering the promises of God and sometimes testifies to lack of God’s presence in the life of a believer. Be steadfast in hope, gain full confidence in the promises of God and be secured from every trace of unbelief.

Prayer for today: Ask that the Lord God will grant you grace which keeps man from wavering and failing from believing the word of His promise.