Day 26: Murder He Wrote
The C.S. Lewis Institute reports that: “In the twentieth century, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and C.S. Lewis are among many leaders who practiced fasting and encouraged others to do so. In 1940 Lewis and all of England saw God’s incredible answer to the National Day of Prayer proclaimed by King George VI, which was manifested in the miraculous deliverance of 338,000 British troops at the Battle of Dunkirk. No doubt many of the faithful were also fasting in that desperate situation.” They fasted from a place of humility and faith.
1 Samuel 14 relays an interesting story on fasting that doesn’t proceed from faith. The Israelites were faced with war against their strongest and most violent enemies, the Philistines. King Saul’s son Jonathan sneaked out of the camp with his armor bearer to fight against the Philistines. Saul didn’t know what Jonathan had done. Because Jonathan was a God- fearing and faith filled young man, the Lord gave him victory and caused the enemy to flee. Saul, desperate to totally vanquish his fleeing enemies, made a foolish and erratic decision without consulting the Lord. He forced his soldiers to take an oath to force them to fast all day during the battle against the Philistines. He called down a curse and promised to kill any soldier that broke the fast before evening. Murder he wrote. The forced fast weakened the Israelite soldiers and hindered their effectiveness in battle. Jonathan, who didn’t know of his father’s forced oath, ate a little honey during the battle. Saul found out and sought to kill his own son. Thankfully, the Israelite soldiers saved Jonathan from death because they recognized that it was Jonathan’s faith and bravery that had given them victory instead of Saul’s erratic and forced fast.
It's important for us to remember that fasting must proceed from a place of faith instead of legalism. Biblical fasting must be rooted in a relationship with Christ and voluntarily practiced with the desire to become more like Christ. Nothing about our relationship with Christ is coerced. Fasting simply shows God that we are desperate for Him and His help. When we come to God in this way, we recognize that we deserve nothing from Him and can earn nothing by fasting, but that He is a gracious, generous, and loving Father who cares about us, and we can be sure that God will indeed receive us and reward us. Charles Spurgeon aptly summarized it this way: “Nothing in my hands I bring. Simply to the cross I cling. Christ will give you good works enough, his Spirit will work in you to will and to do of his good pleasure, and will make you holy and perfect; but if you have endeavored to get holiness before Christ, you have begun at the wrong end, you have sought the flower before you have the root, and are foolish for your pains. May you ever remember that you are children of the promise. Stand fast.”
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, I ask you to guide and bless me to fast and pray from a place of faith. Help me to remember what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 14:6, that those who eat any kind of food should do so to honor the Lord; and those who abstain to eat certain foods should also do it to please the Lord; with both parties giving thanks to God. Lord, as I fast and pray, let my actions be loving towards you and those around me. May my actions bring glory to your name. Amen.
Join us for a 6-week online book study of Derek Prince’s “Shaping History Through Prayer and Fasting” starting July 8, 2025. We will meet each week on Zoom from 5:00-6:30pm CT. The online book study will conclude on August 12, 2025.
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