"After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground. The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them (2 Samuel 12:15-17)."

Welcome to Day 4 of 40 Days of Prayer & Fasting. There is so much to learn from 2 Samuel Chapter 12. We recommend that you read the entire chapter. Why did the child die although David fasted and prayed? To answer that question, we have to understand why did David fasted and prayed. He fasted and prayed after he knowingly committed sin with another man's wife-- he did not go to war when he should have, plotted to have Bathsheba's husband murdered, and then committed adultery with her.

Fasting and Prayer are spiritual disciplines, that God expects us as Christians to exercise. But when we disobey God's word, we break His law and set consequences in motion. He will forgive us and at times, He will intervene in some way, but no amount of fasting and prayer will undo the sinful deeds we have done. God forgave David, but he still had to face the consequences of his actions.

If David had sought God about his desire for a married woman, if he had fasted and prayed when he first saw the woman bathing and asked God to deliver his soul from that desire, God would have intervened.

Early intervention is key.

Fasting and Prayer are disciplines of the Christian life. It gives us the strength to be prepared ahead of time, to resist sin and prevent situations like David's experience. Exercising spiritual disciplines such as bible reading, witnessing, worship, church attendance, fasting and prayer will produce spiritual strength!

Through fasting and prayer, you will begin to conquer the tests and calamities that life throws at you.

~Inspiring hope & seasoning faith, Pastor Sean & Dr. Regina Daigre