FAITH CAPSULE: One that is spiritually asleep becomes spiritually at risk. 

Acts 12

As an acclaimed believer, what is keeping asleep in the place of being awake?
The enemy of man is here to kill and destroy.
Sleeping gives a privilege for the enemy to sow pain and cause sudden or untimely death. 
All should become awake to watch and pray to deny the enemy from sowing evil into life of sleeping ones.
In the parable of the wheat and tares, Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.” (Matthew 13:24-25) 
The point is that sleeping gives the enemy the privilege to sow tares (wickedness). 
One that is not asleep but awake makes it difficult for the enemy to sow tares among the wheat.
In this wicked world, to be alive demands being constantly awake physically and spiritually.
As an acclaimed believer, are you awake or are you asleep? 
Just as it is possible to be asleep physically, it is also possible to become asleep spiritually. 
One that is spiritually asleep becomes spiritually at risk. 
For one who is asleep, prayer will cease for the enemy to gain entrance. 
Sleeping can be when the eyes and mind shut or goes to bed at night.
At the time of wickedness of today, when sleeping takes over and challenging situations, invitation becomes answered for the wicked one. 
When James, the brother of John, was killed by King Herod, the church was asleep.
Acts 12:1-2 records the seed of the violence of Herod to the church, “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.” The same hand of Herod sent Peter to prison. It is written, “…but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands.” (Acts 12:5-7) 
The deliverance of Peter from the wickedness of King Herod was awake of constant prayer by the church. 
It is possible that the same church was not constantly praying but asleep at the time of the death of James at the hand of Herod.
The enemy will sow evil seeds only in the sleeping church.
As a temple of God (church of God), are you sleep active or awake active? 
Can you afford to sleep when you need to be awake?
Watching and praying is to be sleepless spiritually and be physically attentive. 
A church that is not awake in prayer does not prevail against the enemy.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to become awake spiritually and attentive physically.