FAITH CAPSULE: Engage life by watching and praying.

Ezra 8

Among ways of watching and praying are: to keep waiting in trusting God; to keep waiting in fasting.
Waiting and trusting God: When watching and praying becomes an active engagement for believer, waiting and trusting on God for who He is will no doubt move a believer’s away from not becoming a victim of temptation. The book of Isaiah buttressed, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) Spiritually are you crawling, walking, or running or flying? Some are on the ground of crawling without knowing because the need for upgrade is a thing of ignorant. Unfortunately, ignorant is what makes a destitute of a believer. How long do you want to remain crawling spiritually? Some are getting upgraded from walking to running and running to flying. Get upgrade by trusting in Him then you will walk where there is need to walk and not run where journey calls for walk. David was spiritually upgraded and could afford to walk and not run in the valley of the shadow of death without fear. (Psalm 23:4) Are you running where you need to walk? If yes, it is time to get upgraded and not become a victim of weariness or fainting.

Waiting is Fasting: Fasting is what humbles man before God. Ezra testified, “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God…” (Ezra 8:21) Psalmist buttressed, “…I humbled myself with fasting…” (Psalm 35:13) The ones with a humble spirit are the ones with a contrite spirit. The upgrade for those with a humble and contrite spirt is stated in Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.”
Jesus also talked about the need for fasting when He makes us to realize that fasting is not conditional it is a must do for every acclaimed believer. He stated in Matthew 6:16, “When you fast…” He was not suggesting that “if you fast.” Fasting should be a part of an acclaimed believer’s life style as an acclaimed believer that wants to be constantly ungraded. Jesus stated further in the same chapter of Matthew 6:17-18, “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,  so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” When fasting rule is engaged as prescribed by Jesus ones that fast will have an undeniable reward like that of a house whose light cannot be hidden. One that is with open reward will have an open heaven that makes enemy’s accessibility a failure. Keep trusting on God and waiting by fasting so you be constantly upgraded and not be downgraded for enemy to step on.

Prayer for today: Just open your mouth wide and ask God to help you.