FAITH CAPSULE: Inside or outside of the church, there will always be harassment.

Acts 12

Prayer is simply making a petition to God. Faith is belief and trust in God. Payer and faith compromise each other. Jesus demonstrated the need for prayer by constant engagement in praying. Faith is what pleases God. Isaiah 43:26 recorded the word of God, “Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together; state your case, that you may be acquitted.” Word of God encourages us to approach Him in prayer. How is your prayer life? Are you a believer who always approaches God in prayer? The challenges of this world in the past and today will only respond to prayer.
Harassment, mockery, manipulation and deception are among the representatives of the evil one.  Any agent that represents the evil one has the goal and agenda to steal, kill and destroy. Any of these evil agents will always show up because they are in the business of looking for whom to devour. Any of the agents have no limitation of whom to approach but they are limited in operation where prayer prevails. Once, harassment was accessible to James, the brother of John and Peter, the disciples of Jesus. It is written, “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.” (Acts 12:1-2) Harassment, an agent of the evil struck in the church, against one of the disciples of Jesus. Inside or outside of the church, there will always be harassment and if you will embrace yourself in prayer and the Word of God, you will no doubt become an over-comer.
The enemy’s job is to kill, steal, and destroy and he was successful in carrying out his plan by killing James, the brother of John. The evil agent’s success in killing James prompted him to advance its mission towards Peter. Acts 12:3, “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. 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.” After the death of James, Peter’s death became eminent to the disciples. Acts 12:5 recorded, “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” Church woke up to prayer on behalf of Peter and the agenda of the enemy cease. In the journey of life, agents of evil demands the need for church to be constantly awake and not wait till the evil one strike. How is your prayer life? What about your prayer group? Embrace praying and giving yourself to the Word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be constant and consistent in prayer.