day ten of the fast

Day ten of the fast.

David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground. (2 Samuel 12:16)

Day 10: Pray for Africa (that the Lord will give us breakthrough in the Muslim strongholds of North Africa). Again we pray for those who would destroy us.

In the scripture above, David had sinned and God had made the child, the result of that sin, ill at the point of death. David knew he had done wrong, but he also wanted the child to live. God had already told him it wouldn’t, but still David pleaded with God in the only way he knew: fasting and lying on the ground. Both of these were positions of humility.

Ultimately, it didn’t work and the child died. When it did, David got up and began to live his life as normal. In 2 Samuel 12, his people asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!” What did the fast accomplish? The child is dead and here you are going about like a normal person, living your life.

He answered: While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.

In other words, nothing. But God knew how I felt. Now there is nothing I can do so I will get back to my life.

I do not know of anything concrete my 30 day fast back in 1997 accomplished. None of the things for which I was praying were answered, and a year later I closed my church plant.

There were no great moves of God, no angel with a flaming sword and an answer from God. There was, however, a peace that came to me, and an awareness of the Lord’s presence. That alone was worth it. I know, and my wife will bear witness to this, that the fast was a God-thing. It was from God and aided by God. I do not believe anyone can do that without his help.

It showed me several things that were really somewhat intangible. It showed me that I can fast before God if I try. It showed that I can exercise the discipline needed for something like that. Discipline has always been a problem for me and I saw that I can accomplish something like that if I really put my mind and God’s mind to it.

It also showed that I can live a normal life while I fast. Like this time, I was cooking for people. We fed a number of people at least once a week and I cooked, even though I never tasted a bite. It was kind of like a diabetic being a pastry chef, or Beethoven, as a deaf man, writing symphonies for others to hear.

At the end of the fast, people asked me what it accomplished. Like David, I had no real, definitive answers. What are you going to do now, they asked? I am going to eat and live normally. God will answer me in due time and even if he doesn’t, I will still serve him.

The fast this time has renewed my optimism for the work here. That was worth all the cramping in and of itself. I had lost a lot of that with the problems that met me when I came. I needed it.

You look a bit like a freak to others, though. Sunday we had seven for lunch. Tonight we will have three over for a prayer meeting and I will feed them supper too. Fried pork chops, one of my favorites. And I will continue. His will and his touch is more important to me than food.

Father God, I ask you that we can break through to those under bondage to Islam in North Africa, that we can make a large and fatal dent in that doctrine. I ask for power to the missionaries, the pastors, the teachers, and the one who just live their lives for you. East their fear, give them strength and extra measure of your grace to live through this. Bless them, Lord. I praise you. Amen.