FAITH CAPSULE: Where there is expectation there will be a manifestation.

Esther 1, 2

It is written, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2) In this season of a new beginning, what is your expectation? Where there is expectation there will be a manifestation. It is one thing to have a New Year resolution and it is another to have a New Year expectation. Your New Year resolution is in your rest solution. Rest solution is no where other than in the living Word of God. Trusting God for unlimited breakthrough is not a sin but a blessing. Esther’s kind of encounter of unlimited breakthrough is a kind of breakthrough to desire. Esther was the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter. (Esther 2:15) It was the refusal of Queen Vashti that allowed for the entrance for Queen Esther. Pray that someone, somewhere, someday will make a wrong move or a wrong decision that will bring forth your right move into your breakthrough. Queen Vashti was the Queen of King Ahasuerus. At one point, King Ahasuerus requested the Queen’s presence, but the Queen made a decision not to move at the request of the King. This did not sit well with the King, so he sought counsel from his closest advisors about what to do in response. 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’s Counsel was Queen Vashti’s banishment from the presence of the King. As a result, Esther was brought into place as the new Queen. Esther, meaning star in Persian language, lived to answer her name. A daughter of a captive became King Ahasuerus’ Queen. Esther was the least expected to replace Queen Vashti. 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 bring forth your right move into your breakthrough in this new season. 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. If you are one that believes in the name of God, be expectant and God will bring forth your breakthrough.

Prayer for today: Ask God to have mercy on you as His custom is towards those that love His name.

FAITH CAPSULE: Faltering has its root in the spirit of doubt, and doubt is a demonstration of lack of faith

1 Kings 18:20-24

The journey of life is a race. In the race of life, any one that drops out falters. The apostle Paul talked about race, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) Paul shared the secret of his running by pointing out all that it takes to run a qualified race: There must be a knowing that one is in a race and not in a game; one is running with understanding that there is prize at stake; one is running with certainty and knowing that running is a fight that demands discipline. In Paul’s secret it is clear that, running a race demands following God. If you are following the Lord, you cannot be one that that falters. The formal definition of “falter” is: “to be unsteady in purpose or action, as from loss of courage or confidence.” You claim to have given your life to the Lord, you go everywhere there is fellowship, but when storms come, you are the first to falter. To falter is to lack faith and is also evidence of not following Him fully. Before Elijah’s victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Elijah asked the people, 1 Kings 18:21, “And Elijah came to all the people, and said, ‘How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.’ but the people answered him not a word.” They could not answer because they knew they had not been faithful in following their God. It is important for you to answer the question, “How long will you falter?” Faltering has its root in the spirit of doubt, and doubt is a demonstration of lack of faith. Hebrews 11:6, “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.” It is clear that you cannot be faltering and be following Him at the same time. Also, it is not possible to serve two masters at the same time.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from whatever is causing you to be unsteady in purpose or action, courage and confidence. Set your mind and all of your heart in following the Lord. Follow Him fully and He will see you through in all that concerns you.  

FAITH CAPSULE: When affliction persists it becomes oppression.

Exodus 3, 4

Affliction is defined as a condition of great distress, pain or suffering. Affliction comes in different ways and it could be self-inflicted or enemy-inflicted. Most times, conscious or unconscious disobedience to the word of God is the cause of affliction. The bottom line with the issue of affliction is the truth that God in His goodness and mercy has deliverance in place for anyone who will not misplace the word that delivers from affliction. The Bible states, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.”(Psalm 34:19) God delivers from all afflictions. The same word of God that promises deliverance from affliction in Psalm 34:19 does not mention what it requires to be delivered from affliction until Proverb 11:9 where it states, “…But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.” Unmistakably, without knowledge gained in the word of God, claiming deliverance from affliction will be a mere word of the mouth that is not backed with power. It is knowledge to know to look up unto God and not man for deliverance from affliction. When affliction persists it becomes oppression and when oppression is in place the ability to serve God is either replaced or misplaced. In Egypt, the children of Israel experienced affliction and oppression that made God call for their service unto Him. The experience of the Israelites did not happen in just one day–it was a gradual build up. Affliction will not announce itself and will always take its time before it takes your time away from God. The affliction of the Israelites started when a new Pharaoh, who did not know Joseph, took over as head of Egypt. With the new King, came a new rule which attempted to reduce the population of Israel, It is written, “Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh Supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor.” (Exodus 1:11-13) What is taking you away from your service to God? Whatever is distracting you from serving God is a plan of the enemy to deny you from taking possession of your inheritance among the sanctified. In the pursuit of acquiring money a believer may come under affliction. Affliction can show itself in different and often comfortable ways before it becomes painful and uncomfortable. When it was time for God to deliver the children of Israel, He sent Moses to get them out of affliction and into the land of Canaan. Just as God sent Moses, so He has sent His own dear Son to deliver us from every form of affliction.

Prayer for today: Ask God today to deny all that represents affliction in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: All year long demands prayer but this time of the year calls for prayer to be intensified.

Psalm 28, Matthew 6:5-15

Obeying the command of God is a blessing and not obeying His commands brings forth a curse. Jesus commanded, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew &:7-8) Are you one that takes time to ask, seek or knock on man for solution or on Jesus for solution? The word of God that commands us to pray will deliver when we pray. God is a prayer answering God. The same God yesterday, today, and tomorrow is still answering prayers. What is wrong with your prayer? Is your prayer getting through or getting shelved? It is written, “He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye shall He not see?” (Psalm 94:9)  God hears us before we ask. Most times, our manner of asking is what needs attention. How you ask and what you ask for has much to with what you get for an answer. It is written, “But when you pray, go into your room; and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” (Matthew 6:6) Among prayer hindering forces, which of the above hinders your prayer? Is it your location that identifies you before everyone as one who knows how to pray? Remember, it is not of determination; it is of grace. Is it the choice of words you use to impress the listener that guides your prayer? Repetition is a sure way to hinder your prayer. Among prayer hindering forces mentioned by David is, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” (Psalm 66:18) God’s Word is true. Meditate on His word. God does not lie and since He has said He will answer when you call, He will not fail. It is a blessing to, “Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!” (Psalm 27:14)  The time that you spend in prayer is time spent waiting on the Lord; the time it takes to get answer is also time spent waiting on the Lord. Waiting demands that you wait in faith. All year long demands prayer but this time of the year calls for prayer to be intensified. God will answer you this day in Jesus’ name.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to increase and be consistent in waiting on God.

FAITH CAPSULE: The journey of life does not run straight.

Numbers 20:1-13

Living life from January to December is a journey of life. To be alive all through the year is the mercy of God and not merit of man. The beginning of every journey is important; living through the year is very important but the way it comes to an end summarize the whole course of the journey. The journey of life does not run straight. It has hills and valleys. There are always twists and turns before getting to one’s expected end. Moses was a giant in the hand of God though his journey went through ups and downs. He led the children of Israel through forty years of wandering in the wilderness before coming to the Promised Land. Moses failed; he could not lead them through the crossing over, because he did not follow through with God’s command. Instruction to direct is the word of God, the command of God. Allowing instruction to have its place in our life is likened to having a graceful ornament on our head. (Proverbs 1:9) Moses misrepresents the word of God. God asked him to speak to the rock, but he struck the rock twice with his rod. It is written, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.’”(Numbers 20:12) Because of the lack of faith of the children of Israel, Moses was not allowed to get to the end of the journey that he so strongly desired. Are you about to cross over in your journey? Moses pleaded with God, but his plea was not accepted when he stated, “I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.”(Deuteronomy 3:25) Before you get to the point where no pleading or prayer will be accepted, ask God to remove any force or agent that will deny you from getting to the good land. It was because of the faithless Israelites that Moses was denied and Moses stated, “But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the LORD said to me: Enough of that! Speak no more to Me on this matter.”(Deuteronomy 3:26) Your situation might not be because of anyone else’s account, but because of your own actions and the manner in which you are living your life. Ask God for help today and He will answer. 

Prayer for today: Ask God to remove any obstacle that would prohibit you from crossing over to your promised land.