FAITH CAPSULE: Constant prayer for deliverance is a prevailing avenue for displeasing the enemy.

Acts 12:1-25
 
Are you experiencing a direct or indirect enemy’s celebration over any confronting challenge in your life? Is it pleasing to the enemy when you are experiencing life threatening challenge?
Whatever gives pleasure to the enemy over your life or makes the enemy rejoice concerning your life, is a close call to an untimely death. The only enemy of man is the one and only adversary of man before God. Adversary of man does have many agents that often operate through man to get to man. Despites the devices of the enemy, man is greatly privilege to counter and defeat enemies of life through prayer and ministering of the word of God. Are you spending time in prayer with the brethren, in the morning, afternoon, night time or midnight, rather than having a gossip ministry? Anyone that is lacking in prayer is definitely exposing self to becoming a victim in the hand of his/her enemy.
The case of pleasing enemy: King Herod was an ally of the Jews who were persecuting the early church. They were also enemies of the gospel, and did not have respect for the lives of the Apostles. It is written, “Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.”(Acts 12:1-4) It pleased the Jews that James was killed by the sword. That same hand that went against James went after Peter with the same agenda. The word points out Peter’s deliverance stating, “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” (Acts 12:5)The enemy wanted to rejoice over Peter. Thank God for Peterthat prayer warrior stood in the gap for Peter. Just as the enemies were pleased about James’ death, they also wanted to be pleased about Peter’s death. Persecuting the believers of Jesus was pleasing to the Jews; constant praying for deliverance was the prevailing avenue for displeasing the enemy. Get out of unhealthy gossip and get yourself into a prayer group.

Prayer for today: Ask God that the enemy will have no ground to be pleased concerning your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: There is no justification operating half obedience when He commands.

1 Samuel 15
 
Operating as commanded by God is a direct avenue to undeniable blessings of God. However, operating outside of His command is a way of getting cursed. Are you operating in line of God’s command or in line of personal gain, in the name of God? 
In every God given assignment, if one’s purpose is for personal gain, one will be distracted. Distraction is not of God it is of evil. To be distracted from God is an indirect route to self-destruction. God sent Samuel to King Saul of Israel “Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey” (1 Samuel 15:3) God’s command through Samuel was for King Saul to obey but Saul’s desire was to obey in a way that seems right to himself. He had his own reasons and not God’s reasons for not obeying fully. When one begin to work on one’s own agenda instead of God’s command, then one have taken God out of the reckoning. Saul went and obeys God in his own way as recorded, “And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.” (1 Samuel 15:7-9) Saul did not destroy as directed by God’s command. Whenever God gives a command through the pages of the scripture or through His visitation, we have no business changing God’s His assignment by engaging in half obedience just like King Saul did. When the command of God is fully executed, it demonstrates our faith in God. With faith, God is please. To fail in line of His command does not please God but causes God to regret having sent one. Go responded to King Saul’s disobedience stating in 1 Samuel 15:11, “‘I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me and he has not performed My commandments’And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night.” Have you been sent by God on any ground of that favors? Be consistent in operating in the commands of God and let there be no reason for Him to regret over for placing you on a favorable ground in life.
 
Prayer for today: Ask God to give you the grace to carry out what He entrusts to you.

FAITH CAPSULE: Esther, the least expected to replace Queen Vashti, was God’s plan to bring the deliverance for His people.

Esther 1-2
 
Queen Vashti was the Queen of King Ahasuerus. King Ahasuerus had a feast that lasted seven days for officials and servants to show the riches of his glorious kingdom. The Bible recorded that, “On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful to behold. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him.” (Esther 1:10-12)Queen Vashti’s decision not to move at the request of King Ahasuerus does not settle well with King Ahasuerus. As a result, the King Ahasuerus sought counsel from his closest advisors about what to do in response to queen Vashti’s decision not to honor him. Esther 1:15, “What shall we do to queen Vashti, according to law, because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus brought to her by the eunuchs?” The result of the King Ahasuerus Counsel called for Queen Vashti’s banishment from the presence of the King.
By virtue of the Queen Vashti’s banishment, a search for a new Queen took effect. In the process of searching, Esther became the new Queen. The Bible described Esther as lovely and beautiful woman with no father and mother. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
It was the refusal of Queen Vashti that allowed for the entrance for Queen Esther. Esther, the least expected to replace Queen Vashti, was God’s plan to bring the deliverance for His people. Have you thought of your story changing overnight in a land in which you were an alien or a land where all hope is hanging in the balance? Someone, somewhere, someday will make a wrong move that will move you right into the center of your divine assignment. Esther’s elevation brought forth deliverance for the Jews who were under the control of King Ahasuerus. Are you in your “Esther position” now? Do you know if you have come to your present position for such a time as you now find yourself? Do not be silent, be a relief for those who are in need for God’s sake. The eyes of the Lord covers all and He allows what He elects to come to manifestation. Trust God that He shall allow your breakthrough with speedy manifestation.
 
Prayer for today: Ask God that someone, somewhere, someday will make a move or a decision that will provoke your move right into your breakthrough in life.

FAITH CAPSULE:In every challenge, the evidence of disorder is the lack of orderliness.

Exodus 13:17-22; Acts 9:1-9
 
It is written, “Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.”(Exodus 2:23-25)The King of Egypt died, children of Israel cried out to God because of their bondage, God remembered His covenant, and God looked upon them and acknowledged them. God did not move right away to deliver them because He is a God of order. God always move at his appointed time and God does not make any move by accident. God will address your challenge at His appointed time. He is never late or early because of His orderliness.
In every challenge, the evidence of disorder is the lack of orderliness. Wherever disorder persists, untimely death prevails. The case of King Hezekiah points out the need for orderliness in the journey of life. 
The word states, “In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him, ‘thus says the Lord: set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.’”(2 Kings 20:1-2) God is a God of order and that is why He expects the life of His creation to be in order. Encased in God’s calling is orderliness. God will not call without order in place for the called.
The calling upon the life of Apostle Paul was on his way to Damascus. Paul heard the calling of the Lord and his calling was not without order. It is written, “So he, trembling and astonished, said “Lord, what do You want me to do? Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’” (Acts 9: 6) When God brought the children of Israel out of bondage of over four hundred years, they journeyed in order. Exodus 13:18, “So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.”God that gives order expect orderliness in our obedience. Orderliness is vital in the journey of life and it is to occupy every area of life. Are you having orderliness in all areas of God’s calling for your life? The way out of bondage, captivity or sudden and untimely death is walking in order of the Word of God. When you walk in order, He will lead you.
 
Prayer for today:Ask for the grace to constantly walk in order of His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Loving God with all our being is what makes one to become pure in the heart.

2 Chronicles 26:1-23
 
God is not a slave master but a Saving Master. His word commanded, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) Is He your God (not by force)? If He is your God, know that you shall love the Lord ‘your’ God. Evidently, the command is not by force it is for any one that accepts Him as Lord God. The standard requirement for loving Him is, loving Him with all our being. The Word requires all of us, not half; no compromise or reservation. It is a command to love Him if you have received Him as your God. To love God is to fear God; to fear God is to seek God. Loving God with all our being is what makes one to become pure in the heart. Ones that love with all heart, with all soul, and with all strength is all that it takes to see God (Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Matthew 5:8) Ones that seek God with all heart, with all soul, and with all strength, will heed Him. It is not fitting for an acclaimed believer that is seeking God, to be filled with all kinds of bitterness, empty pride, unforgiving spirit and all kinds of worldly identities which do not glorify God. Are you harboring any of the above worldly identities in your life? For any acclaimed believer with any of the worldly identities, there is a need for self-evaluation. God does not lower the standard of expectation if man falls short of His command. It makes no difference how many days a week you are in fellowship or attend church. When one is not right with man you cannot be right with God. In seeking God, there is so much to gain.
The story of Uzziah is one of the gainful testimonies about seeking God. It is written in 2 Chronicles 26:5, “He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.” In seeking Him, Uzziah gained prosperity and was established. When he departed from seeking God, he entered into affliction. He became out of tune with God, started to violate sacrifices and ended up his life with leprosy. Have you been seeking Him, but beginning to fall out from the standard required for seeking Him it? Disappoint the adversary of man and hold on to God’s appointment for your life. Let not your story become like that of King Uzziah. Seek the Lord God with all your being.
 
Prayer for today:Get back to God and ask for the grace to seek Him diligently regardless of the situation in which you are dealing.