WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
AUGUST 17, 2026
TOPIC: MAY YOUR FAITH NOT FAIL
BY T. O. BANSO
“And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren’” (Luke 22:31-32 New King James Version).
One of the events that preceded Jesus’ crucifixion was His denial by Peter. After Jesus’ arrest, Peter denied Him three times (Matthew 26:69-75). Earlier, Peter declared that he loved Jesus and even said he could die with Him (Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:31-34; John 13:36-38).
Talk is cheap! There is a difference between theory and practice. I always describe Peter’s speech and assurance to Jesus that even if he had to die with Him, he would not deny Him as merely theoretical. A theoretical statement is different from a practical demonstration of the words.
When it was time to demonstrate his pledge, Peter failed three times. Jesus had told him that before a rooster crowed two times, he would deny Him three times. Peter did just that. He couldn’t live up to his promise. Immediately after a rooster crowed, Peter remembered Jesus’ words; he went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:75).
That was a setback for Peter. In John 21, he went back to fishing, his former profession, which he had abandoned for about three years while following Jesus. Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples went with him. However, Jesus sought out Peter after His resurrection and reinstated him to ministry. Peter must have learnt a lesson from that event that there is a difference between theory and practice. In spiritual matters, you must never become overconfident that you can handle the practical just because you have some theoretical knowledge. Pride won’t help. You must depend on the grace of God.
Luke 22:31-32 says, “And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren’” (Luke 22:31-32 New King James Version). Peter should have listened to what Jesus said instead of being boastful, perhaps based on some theoretical knowledge he had!
Without God’s help, no one can be confident that his faith will not fail when facing tests, trials, or temptations. Peter should have said Amen to Jesus’ prayer for him instead of trying to assure Jesus of his loyalty. Jesus knew that Peter wanted to be loyal, but he would fail when tested. Jesus believed in Peter but warned him of Satan’s plan, which Peter was unaware of.
Jesus’ prayer for him was not that he would not be tested or that he would not deny him, but that he would not be separated from Him. His prayer was that Peter would not fail to make a comeback after his setback.
Satan planned to separate all the disciples of Jesus from Him, as a farmer separates the wheat from the husks. He wanted to sift them all as wheat. But Jesus prayed especially for Peter, so he would make a comeback and provide the leadership the rest of His disciples needed.
Satan succeeded in making all the disciples of Jesus desert Him and run away after His arrest (Mark 14:50; Matthew 26:56). But Peter’s case was worse because he denied Jesus. According to Matthew’s account, the first time Peter was tested, a servant girl came to him and told him he was one of those with Jesus the Galilean. Peter denied it in front of everyone. Claiming ignorance, he said, “I do not know what you are saying” (Matthew 26:69 New King James Version).
What was so difficult to understand in the question Peter was asked? The answer was either yes or no. But Peter was evasive. How many times have you, too, done that? How many times have you denied Jesus by failing to identify with Him publicly? Maybe you wanted to be politically or socially correct. Or maybe, like Peter denying Jesus out of fear, you just decided to pretend or lie.
Jesus said, “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8-9 New King James Version).
Note the second time Peter was tested and his response: “And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, ‘This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ But again he denied with an oath, ‘I do not know the Man!’” (Matthew 26:71-72 New King James Version). Brother Peter, you mean you don’t know Jesus?
Peter even forgot the teaching of Jesus not to swear by anything but to let his “Yes” be “Yes” and his “No” be “No”, for whatever is more than these is from the evil one! (Matthew 5:33-37). Peter forgot the scripture and denied Jesus with an oath that he did not know Him.
Many have done worse things than this when they found themselves in a tight corner! They lied. Someone said a lie is “a very present help in times of trouble.” That is Satan’s escape route, but the aftermath for a child of God is never palatable.
You and I have lied about some issues in the past, and we know how our conscience convicted us thereafter; we lost our peace until we told the truth—I assume you eventually told the truth! Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (New King James Version). Let God, not lies, be your refuge and strength when you are in trouble.
Here’s Peter’s third denial of Jesus: “And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, ‘Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.’ Then he began to curse and swear, saying, ‘I do not know the Man!’” (Matthew 26:73-74 New King James Version).
If you thought Peter made a mistake earlier when he denied Jesus with an oath, he swore again by God that he did not know Jesus. After the rooster crowed, he remembered the warning of Jesus, and he went away, weeping bitterly.
Theory differs from practical examination. The devil is not afraid of your knowledge. Knowledge is power, but your knowledge alone is not enough for victory in times of tests, trials, and temptations, which must surely come. We need God to help us. Jesus said He had prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail. According to the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, this means that Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would “fail not utterly, or finally.” Also, Albert Barnes, in his commentary, says the words “fail not” mean “utterly fail or fail altogether.” As Adam Clarke puts it in his commentary, “Peter’s faith did fail, but not utterly: he did fall, but he did not fall off, apostatize, or forsake his Master and his cause finally, as Judas did.”
Peter’s faith failed, but his failure was not final. He fell, but he did not fall away (apostatise), as Judas Iscariot did. Because Jesus had prayed for him, he was able to recover and return to Him. Beware of spiritual pride. Anyone who thinks that he stands should be careful not to fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).
Failure is not final. You have probably failed in the past, like Peter and the other disciples. That should not be final. If you have failed, Jesus is calling you back to Himself. He loves you so much that He died for you. Depend on the grace of God, which Christ made available through His death on the cross. Feed on the Word of God daily, for faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Meditate on it, confess it, and obey it. Pray that your faith will not fail. It will not fail, in Jesus’ name.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you must give your heart to Jesus now. Please take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life—your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your heart. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There, they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me, and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I invite Jesus into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, uphold me; let not my faith fail; let me not fall away. Help those who have suffered a setback in their faith to recover and return to You. I pray that everyone who thinks he stands will be careful not to fall.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
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