A Time Not To Pray

On this last day in October, we are stationed with another of God’s servants, who is King David.

During David’s reign, there was a famine which occurred for three successive years. David found that to be strange and refused to accept it as God’s will for him in his tenure of kingship. You see, David had been given sure promises from God and famine was not one of them. After the third consecutive famine, David went to God specifically asking about the famines. During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the Lord. 2 Samuel 21: 1a.

It is then that God tells David the reason for the famines. Under God’s dictated and directed guidance, David acts. The praying stops and the action begins. Often, the adversities people of God suffer collectively, are as a result of one person. The yearly famines, speak of God’s displeasure, but only when David inquires, is he apprised of the truth. Herein lies the merciful Hand of God. There are times when He calls you to do something on behalf of the wrongs committed by your people.

Here is some background information. David has inherited the sins of Saul who, in his ignorant zeal for Israel, tried to annihilate the Gibeonites. Before Saul’s time, the Lord had instructed that all people around, who were barriers and blocks to the Israelites getting the inheritance which God promised, had to be killed. In obedience to God, Joshua and his army were having victory upon victory against even the most formidable enemies. Gibeon, a nation who lived nearby, and should have been destroyed, devised a plan of deception which worked successfully. When Joshua discovered that Israel was deceived, it was too late, because Israel had already made a sworn treaty in God’s Name, not to kill these people who were at the time, posing as whom they were not.

Years after, Saul comes along as king of Israel and in his ignorance, seeing these none-Israelites among them, begins to do some ethnic cleansing. God’s Name, in the oath taken by Joshua, is mocked. The people of Israel are suffering because of the atrocities that were carried out against those deceitful Gibeonites. True, their fate was death, but because of the peace treaty made in the Name of God, these deceivers were given life. The Word of God, given in His Name, must stand firm.

This breach of contract by Saul has become a breach by Israel, and God is not happy with it. Don’t ever be fooled. The issue God has is not with the deceivers, but with God’s own people and how an oath taken in His Name is broken. David, now king, as was mentioned at the beginning, does all that is necessary to make amends. The famines cease, for God accepts the work of repentance and restitution is made by David to the remaining Gibeonites. Suffering and hardships may be as a result of someone and his blood-stained house. David was told, It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house. 2 Samuel 21: 1b.

Have you gone to God on behalf of something that has definitely not been His promise to you? Is your faith bold enough to seek the Lord’s face on that issue? Has it been going on long enough? How long is too long? Like David, confront God, hear what He says and do as He tells you to make amends and thereby bring you and your house back into the path He delights to give you.

Remember! There are times when praying has to stop, in order to follow God, in the action He is taking.