(Be blessed by this DWOD for May 24, 2014 by guest contributor Francis Frangipane. Those of you who have been part of the 4 C’s Fast with us will be blessed by this powerful reminder. )

“Remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness.” (Isaiah 58:9)

I want to introduce a new concept: the fast from judging. When I have mentioned this type of fast to others, it is interesting to watch their reactions. “If we fast from judging, what will we think about?” they query.

I am not saying we should fast from thinking. No, I am saying only this: After we have thought about some issue of life, fast from letting our concluding thoughts be those of judgment. Rather, let our thoughts end in prayer for mercy, redemption and forgiveness.

You see, the instinct to judge and criticize is a curse upon the church, and it brings death upon us as individuals. A curse? Death? Yes, every time we judge we are simultaneously judged by God, and each time we condemn another we ourselves are condemned (Matt. 7:1-2; Luke 6:37).

Many Christians will pray, engage in spiritual warfare, and rebuke the devil, yet often the enemy they are fighting is not the devil. It is the harvest of what they have sown with their own words and attitudes! What is happening to us is consequential, as Jesus said, “by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you” (Matt. 7:2).

When we judge and criticize, we position ourselves under judgment. You see, we are constantly sowing and harvesting life according to our own attitudes.

When I say “fast from judging,” I do not mean we should abandon discernment. No. But judging people is not discernment. When we see something wrong, instead of only turning critical, we must learn to pray for mercy for that situation. We may still see what is wrong, but now we are harnessing our energies and seeking to redeem what is wrong by the power of Christ’s love.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matt. 5:7). When we resist the impulse to judge or condemn and instead pray for mercy, an amazing thing happens: fresh mercy opens before us. You see, in every moment of every day there are two paths in front of us: one leads to increased mercy in our lives while the other leads to a life of obstacles and difficulties. How do we receive more mercy? The key to a life blessed by God’s mercy is to give mercy to those around us (Matt. 18:21-35).

There are Christians I know who have not made spiritual progress for years. They attend church and they tithe, yet they maintain a self-righteous, judgmental attitude. They always have something negative to say about others. As such, they position themselves under God’s judgment. Their capacity to receive divine mercy is closed because they do not show mercy toward others.

James wrote: “Judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). Let me repeat this sobering verse again: “Judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy.”

Are you pondering why your version of Christianity doesn’t quite feel like the abundant life Jesus promised in John 10:10? Perhaps it is because you are too judgmental. It is a natural tendency in most people. Indeed, recall how even the Lord’s disciples wanted to call fire down upon the Samaritans. Yet Jesus rebuked His disciples, saying that they did not know what spirit they were of (Luke 9:51-56).

Let us, therefore, discern “what spirit” we are of. Let us remember that mercy triumphs over judgment; if we strive to be merciful, God promises He will respond to us as we have responded to others.

Finally, let’s ponder the next season of change. Perhaps it is time to embrace the mercy fast and see what changes occur in our lives when, for just ten days, we fast from judging.

(Francis Frangipane is the founder of River of Life Ministries in Cedar Rapids IA. His heartfelt prayer is to see established in every city, Christlike pastors and intercessors, united before God, revealing the love of Christ to their communities. This is an excerpt from his book Spiritual Discernment and the Mind of Christ available for download at a discounted price of $5.78 for a limited time only at www.arrowbookstore.com.)