FAITH CAPSULE: Fearing God should not be only of the mouth.

Genesis 19:1-29

“The fear of the LORD leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction: he will not be visited with evil.” (Proverbs 19:23) Evil visited Lot’s wife when she failed to abide in satisfaction while taking to her route of escape from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is written, “So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.” (Genesis 19:17) Lot’s wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:26) The word of God is true and it never fails. The fear of the Lord is all that is needed in the life of a believer to posses all possession that is in place for every believer. The fear of the Lord is what makes the difference between a believer and a non-believer. The fear of the Lord is what demarcates the foolish ones from the wise ones. It cannot be better said more than how the Psalmist put it in Psalm 14:1, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God” They are corrupt, they have done more abominable work, There is none who does good.” The ones that do not fear Him have it originated from their heart and it is evidential in their lifestyles of corruption, abominations and lack of any good as the Psalmist has said. Fearing God should not be only of the mouth but of a consistent conduct in life style. Have you repeatedly confessed the fear of God with no integrity to back it up? Integrity is what counts before God noise making does not carry weight neither is good intention. It is possible to have good intention and not fear God. The race of life is not only about being good but about being righteous through the blood of Jesus. Job feared God and God testifies concerning Job, “Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.” (Job 2:3) Just as God cannot overlook sin, so He will not overlook sincere and consistent obedience by any of His children. 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…” God will not over look every operation of the heart of man. Job operated in the fear God and he experienced undeniable proofs of God’s hand with miracle that cannot be denied because God will not deny Himself.

Prayer for today: Ask God to put His fear in your heart. (Jeremiah 32:40)

FAITH CAPSULE:God expects one to operate in an order that complements His word.

2 Kings 20; Acts 9:1-9

Order is the disposition of things following one after another, as in space or time.God is a God of order. When God gives His order it becomes an authoritative direction or instruction; command; mandate. God expects the life of His creation to be in order. There is no one whom God has called that does not have an order of how to respond to His calling. Each and every God’s assignment is backed with God’s order. Has the Lord entrusted you for His assignment? Yes, He must have entrusted you with an assignment and each of His assignments have their order in the pages of His word. It does not matter how minor it may look, believe that God expects one to operate in an order that complements His word. In any area of one’s life where order is expected, be it in one’s house, marriage or assigned journey, God will lead one, and there will be no place to fail for the one that walks in God’s order.
When Apostle Paul was on his way to Damascus, he heard the calling of the Lord and he received order. Acts 9: 6, “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.’” For Apostle Paul, what must be done was inhabited inside of God’s order that guided him in the assigned journey of his life.
Where there is no order, there is disorder. Where there is disorder, death displays itself.Once King Hezekiah violated God’s order and his life was set to be terminated. Hezekiah became sick because of his disorder in line of God’s assignment. 2 Kings 20:1-2, “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.’” Hezekiah yielded to the word of God by setting his house in order and his life was restored unto to him.
The journey of life demands walking in God’s orderliness. 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.” 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. Walk in God’s order and He will ordain you for His glory.

Prayer for today: Ask God to turn to you and have mercy.

FAITH CAPSULE:When one is not right with man one cannot be right with God.

Daniel 6

It is written, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:15-18) One that is not filled with the Spirit of God is empty of God. Foolishness, the evidence of pride is one that says there is no God. It is not fitting for an acclaimed believer seeking God and be filled with all kinds of bitterness, empty pride, an unforgiving spirit and all kinds of worldly identities which do not glorify God. It is not possible to be filled with God and be filled with all kinds of ungodly acts. If you are one harboring any of the ungodly acts in your life, something is wrong in your seeking after God. The word of God states, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)The word of God requires all that is in us, not half. In the word of God there is no compromise or reservation but full obedience. Loving God with all of our heart, with all of our soul, and with all of our strength is all that it takes to seek God. When one begins to seek God with all of one’s heart, with all of one’s soul, and with all strength, one will be able to heed Him. Holding on to all kinds of ungodly act is the evidence of not being right with man. Obviously, not being right with man is not being right with God. How then can one seek God when one is not right with God? Daniel, because he was seeking God could not be consumed in the den of the hungry lions. King Darius wanting to found out Daniel’s condition in the den called out, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions…?” (Daniel 6:20) Daniel’s response to the King identifies that being right with man and God is also serving God with all of our being. Daniel responded, “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”(Daniel 6:22) Daniel’s innocent before the king (man) and before God is what it is to serve God with all of your being.
Harboring bitterness and ungodly acts denies seeking after God in truth. It makes no difference how many days a week you are in fellowship. When one is not right with man one cannot be right with God. In seeking God, there is so much to gain.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to take onto any of the wicked way.

FAITH CAPSULE: Prayer life is crucial and it is power to deliver from every jail of life.

Acts 12, 16:16-40

The Bible recorded that Herod the king ordered the arrest of Peter. Acts12:4, “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.” Peter was in a prison where there was no way out to escape, a sure avenue to death in the hand of King Herod. Just like Peter, Paul and Silas were in a similar situation in the hand of multitudes and magistrates when they were kept in a secured jail. It is written, “Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.  And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.”(Acts 16:22-24) Both Peter and Paul were kept in a secured jail. The intention of their jailer must have been to prevent them from escaping. The jailers were only in position of power forgetting that power belongs to the One and only God. The jailers also forgot that man proposes but God disposes. With prayer, heaven was provoked for the release of Peter, Paul and Silas.
In the case of Peter’s release, “…constantprayer was offered to God for him by the church.”(Acts 12:5) The constant prayer of the church prevailed and Peter’s escape was available. Paul and Silas were awake; they prayed and praised God for their breakthrough. It is written, “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.” Do you have a church to count on for constant prayer on your behalf; for your break through deliverance? Are you taking a pressing charge for your deliverance? The bottom line is that prayer life is crucial and it is power to deliver from every jail of life that is physical, spiritual, financial or emotional. God is still in the business of moving on behalf of His children that knows to wait in times of no way out to escape. The word testifies, “For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him.” (Isaiah 64:4) With the aid of prayer, man made secured jail could not trap Peter, Paul and Silas. The same God will answer to your deliverance.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the strength of prayer.

FAITH CAPSULE:The understanding behind praising God provokes God’s hand to favor.

Psalm 103

In every area of worshiping God understanding is the key to moving the hand of God for blessing. The Bible states, “…sing praises with understanding.” (Psalm 47:7) Evidently, if worshiping God in praise worship requires understanding every other area of worshiping God also requires understanding. Knowledge, the evidence of understanding is the application of wisdom. Obviously, what ever we do with godly wisdom results to having a knowing edge over confronting issue. Praising the name of God with understanding is same as blessing the name of God with understanding. The Psalmist says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” (Psalm 103:1-2) The Psalmist was blessing (praising) the name of God with understanding for God’s benefits. The understanding behind praising God is what energizes the psalmist and it is what provokes the hand of God to bless. In blessing the name of God for His benefits, the psalmist pointed out the benefits of God that were the driving force for his blessing of God’s name. The psalmist went further to encourage us not to forget the benefits of God.
The Psalmist states the benefits of God: “Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”(Psalm 103:3-5)
Unmistakably, all that keeps us living from time to time through the year is not our strength, not our determination and neither is it our merit but mercy of God. Clearly, the daily benefits of God is all that keeps us going and it demands for our praising Him to be rooted in understanding of His daily benefits. King David testifies in his statement, “Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!” (Psalm 68:19) “What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me?” (Psalm 116:12) 
Remember and meditate the daily benefits of God as listed above: God forgives, God heals, and God redeems us, God crowns and satisfies us. For all His daily benefits, He is worthy of our profound praise worship that is rooted in understanding. With your understanding in praising Him, provoke the move of His hand to favor you.
Prayer for today: In your prayer, memorize and meditate on the word of the psalmist that states, “Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people. Oh, visit me with Your salvation, that I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance.(Psalm 106:4-5)