FAITH CAPSULE: As an acclaimed believer, are you awake or asleep? 

Acts 12

Just as it is possible to be asleep physically, it is also possible spiritually. 
In the parable of the wheat and tares, Jesus mentions, “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 here is that sleeping physically or spiritually at the wrong time or location gives the enemy the privilege to sow its wickedness to execute the wicked activity.
To be awake physically or spiritually, the enemy will not invest in sowing evil.
Living in this world today demands to be constantly awake. 
As an acclaimed believer, are you awake or are you asleep? 
Just as it is possible to be asleep physically, it is possible to be spiritually asleep. 
One who is spiritually asleep will be spiritually at risk. 
For one who is asleep, prayer will cease, and the enemy gaining entrance will become inevitable.
To be asleep is not only when eyes and mind are sleeping. 
Sleeping does not necessarily mean when one goes to bed at night. 
One at sleep in the place to be awake extends an invitation to the wicked one. 
The church must have gone to sleep when James, the brother of John, got killed by Herod the King. 
Acts 12:1-4 documents, “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. 
The killing of James prompts Herod, the king, to go after the life of Peter. 
Acts 12:1-4 states, “Peter was therefore kept in prison, 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!” (Acts 2:5-7) 
For Peter, it was constant prayer, not the comfortable sleep of the ones in the church, that delivered Peter sleeping while in prison. 
To be in prayer is to be awake to deny the enemy from sowing evil. 
Watch and pray by being awake.
Is sleeping your passion? 
Be aware, being awake, knowing the enemy is at work! 

Prayer for today: Ask to be delivered from the sleeping of careless sleep and not to become a victim of evil.