What the Lord Showed Me on the Sabbath

Today at 5pm, on the Sabbath—a day of rest, no work, and no food—I was watching a Derek Prince sermon on the Day of Atonement. The house was peaceful. I was sitting in my reclining seat, the room warm, candles glowing, a scented candle burning inside the wood fire, and my wife quietly scrolling on her phone.

As I listened, my eyes became heavy, and I drifted into a brief sleep. In that moment, I found myself still seated, but now in a room that felt somehow older, almost from another time. Then a middle-aged woman appeared, dressed as someone from the Middle Ages. She came near my left side and bowed down as a servant, holding out a piece of bread shaped like pita. With a soft voice, she said, “Here.”

I turned my head to see who she was. At that very moment, I woke up—my head still turned, almost losing its balance as I came fully awake.

The very first thought that entered my heart was “temptation.” And I said, “Thank You, Lord,” because I understood the message. As I prepare to introduce fasting to my church, the Lord was showing me what many believers will face: the quiet, gentle, seemingly harmless temptations that come to draw us away from our purpose.

The bread looked simple. The voice was soft. The posture was humble. But the meaning was clear. When we set our hearts to fast unto the Lord, temptation often comes softly—presented politely, even kindly. Yet its aim is the same: to break the fast, to turn our eyes from the spiritual to the natural.

This small experience reminded me that fasting is not only about abstaining from food—it is about strengthening the inner man, resisting the subtle invitations that seek to detour us, and learning to say, “No,” because our hearts are fixed on Him.

May this encourage you, my brothers and sisters, to stay steadfast in your fasting. Temptation may come gently, but the grace to overcome is stronger still.