FAITH CAPSULE: Do right in prayer to gain the presence of God.

Acts 12

Among the forces that prevent one from gaining standing in prayer before God are:
1. WHEN NOT ABLE TO FORGIVE OTHERS
2. GIVING TO SLEEP WHEN TO BE AWAKE
WHEN NOT ABLE TO FORGIVE OTHERS
Forgive others so as not to be denied before God.
One force that stands against prayer states in Mark 11:25, “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”
Anyone with the spirit of not forgiving takes a position that prevents them from receiving forgiveness from God.
Not forgiving is a sin, and with sin, no one can reach God.
PRAY by asking that God enable you to forgive anyone you hold against, so that you will not be a victim of unforgiveness before God.
GIVING TO SLEEP WHEN TO BE AWAKE
The sleeping of Peter and the sons of Zebedee testify that sleeping on the ground of praying cuts off the presence of God.
At the garden of Gethsemane, during the prayer with Jesus, they all fell asleep.
Jesus came to them while they were sleeping. Matthew 26:40-41 states, “Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, ‘What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Sleeping in the place or instead of praying will not announce its time in the life of a believer.
Sleeping instead of watching and praying can distance oneself from God.
Sleeping is taking oneself from the protection of God to sudden or untimely death.
The bible records how sleep aided the violence of King Herod against the church.
Acts 12:1-4 records, “Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 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. 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.”
Interestingly, sleeping wrongly followed Peter and the Zebedee brothers until the failure of not praying but sleeping in the place of praying killed James the Zebedee and almost claimed the life of Peter.
The book of Acts 12:6-7 records the escape of Peter from sudden death despite his sleeping, ” 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.”
Prayer for today:
Pray before God to deliver you from sleeping, physical, or spiritual, so that you are not a victim of evil occurrences.
Ask God to deliver you from sleeping, in the place of watching and praying.