FAITH CAPSULE: Sleeping often takes position in the place of watching and praying.
Acts 12
Sleeping can be a man’s passion. Possibly, sleeping can be a fellowship group’s pattern of living. Above all, followers of Jesus in His days and acclaimed believers of Jesus today has been repeatedly warned to watch and pray. Sleeping often takes position in the place of watching and praying. Among Jesus’ emphasis on issue of watch and pray are recorded, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.” (Mark 13:23) “Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass…” (Luke 21:36) Watching and praying will bring believer out of weakness into strength not to be a victim of evil. Watching and praying is certain to make believers become time conscious. Watch and pray as declared by Jesus is a way of escaping all that is set against true believers.
Think about your way of living life for a moment. Identify and stand against whatever the enemy has invested to disrupt good of God which is in place for your good.
Jesus gave a parable of wheat and tares: “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 is what gives enemy the privilege to sow its wickedness on the ground which is meant for good. On a ground where man is awake, it will be difficult for the enemy to invest by sowing evil into man’s life.
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, so it is also possible to be asleep spiritually. One that is spiritually asleep will be spiritually at risk. For one who is at sleep, prayer will cease and enemy gaining entrance will become inevitable. Also, sleeping is not only when eyes and mind are shut. Sleeping does not necessary mean when one goes to bed at night. Without doubt, sleeping when time or season calls for man to be awake is extending an invitation to the wicked one. What kind of sleeping that is engaging you in the place of engaging God by watching and praying with attention to God that is waiting to act for those who wait on Him? With understanding, man should know that to be watching and praying is not a fun-fair but a laborious activity with positive answer before God. Individually, watching and praying is certain for self-deliverance. To be actively watching and praying by not living life of sleeping as passion man is set for great exploit to the glory of God.
To be in prayer is to be awake and deny the enemy from sowing evil seed.
Is sleeping your passion? Be awake because the enemy is at work!
Prayer for today: Ask for God’s deliver from sleeping as passion and not become a victim of evil.