Commit to Memory: “But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.” (Matthew 13:25 KJV)

Another kind of sleep the Believer must be watchful about to avoid is the “Sleep of Slothfulness”.  To be slothful here means to be weak in prayer and faith, unwilling to take serious and make an effort to be fiery and go all out for the Lord.

The fall of Eli and the rise of Samuel is traceable to this kind of spiritual slumber on the part of Eli. The Lord sent a prophet to rebuke Eli- the high priest because of his slothfulness and continuous failure to control and discipline his two wayward sons, yet Eli remained unwavering. So God abandoned Eli and started to speak to Samuel in the stead as Israel’s priesthood under Eli’s leadership grew increasingly corrupt. God saw that Eli knew about the sins of his sons (greed and immorality) and did nothing to hinder them but facilitated their sinful behaviour rather than resist and oppose it (1 Sam.3:13 NASB).

Friends, while men slept talks about slothfulness in prayers, spiritual weakness and slumber, it was while Eli slept spiritually as high priest that God was waking and beckoning on Samuel. It was while men slept, that your prayer life died but like Samson you are yet to know that the workings and spirit of God upon your life have ceased for a while and is traceable to the fact that because you are weak in prayers the enemy now access you and everyone dear to you to attack and afflict.

Beloved, it was while men slept- things stopped working in your life, favours ceased, the enemy now manipulate your dream life, all of a sudden everything good in your life started going down and you started having issues and fighting your spouse. It was while Esau slept- God raised Jacob, while Ruben slept- God raised Joseph, while Eli slept- God raised Samuel, while Saul slept- God raised David and while Judas Iscariot slept- God raised Paul.For a user of this inspiration, may the Lord deliver you from every sleep of slothfulness today.

Reflection: Your prayer life died while you were slothful and undiscerning, but will wake up when you are intentional to do and increase passion on the things that once set you on fire…

Prayer Lines: Father, every kind of slothfulness in my spiritual life, wake me up and set me back on fire.