At the start of this chapter, Jonathan gives us a good example of faith in God. While Saul (the king who God has rejected) sits under a pomegranate tree with Ahijah (the priest from the line rejected by God) taking it easy, Jonathan and his armour bearer are pro-active and put themselves in a position where God might do something. The common understanding of faith seems to be that it's just believing something really hard so that it comes true or God does it. It's like the people on the X factor who have "faith" that they can be the next big thing when what they mean is that they just want it really badly. In Christian circles this can end up in believing that the healing didn't happen because we didn't have enough faith etc. Jonathan shows us solid faith in God in v6 - God can do it, perhaps he will. Faith is not presuming that God will do something, it's knowing that He can do it and asking Him to, because perhaps He will. We pray about our needs with faith in the one who we are praying to, but we also pray "your will be done".
Saul's superstitious religion shows up again later in the chapter - surely making the army fast all day will guarantee a victory! Fasting is good, but it doesn't force God's hand, in the same way that the ark didn't (ch4) or the sacrifice didn't (ch13) or prayer doesn't or church attendance doesn't or leading a good life doesn't. Those things are all good, but they are not bargaining chips with God, and Saul's reliance on them puts the men in a position when they end up sinning as a result. Who is responsible for their sin? They are responsible for their own sin, of course, but it's clear that Saul is also responsible. Pride also comes in again, with Saul's refusal to admit he was wrong almost leading to the execution of his son.
So how does this apply to me. Do I pray with faith in the prayer or faith in the one I'm praying to? What does it take to get me to admit I was wrong?
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