Topical Bible: Fasting in Prayer for Himself and his Adversaries

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Topical Encyclopedia

Fasting, a spiritual discipline involving abstaining from food or certain foods for a period of time, is a practice deeply rooted in biblical tradition. It is often coupled with prayer as a means of seeking God's guidance, expressing repentance, or interceding for others. In the context of praying for oneself and one's adversaries, fasting takes on a profound significance, reflecting a heart aligned with God's will and a desire for reconciliation and divine intervention.

Biblical Foundations

The practice of fasting is evident throughout Scripture, with numerous examples illustrating its importance in the life of a believer. In the Old Testament, fasting is often associated with mourning, repentance, and seeking God's favor. For instance, King David fasted and prayed for the life of his child, demonstrating a deep reliance on God's mercy (2 Samuel 12:16-23). Similarly, the prophet Daniel fasted as he sought understanding and guidance from God (Daniel 9:3).

In the New Testament, Jesus Himself fasted for forty days and nights in the wilderness, setting an example for His followers (Matthew 4:2). He taught about fasting in the Sermon on the Mount, emphasizing sincerity and humility before God (Matthew 6:16-18). The early church also practiced fasting, as seen in the commissioning of Paul and Barnabas for missionary work (Acts 13:2-3).

Fasting for Oneself

Fasting for oneself is a personal act of devotion, often undertaken to draw closer to God, seek His will, or gain strength in times of trial. It is a means of humbling oneself before the Lord, acknowledging one's dependence on Him. In Psalm 35:13, David speaks of humbling his soul with fasting, indicating a posture of submission and earnest seeking of God's intervention: "Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered."

Fasting for Adversaries

Fasting for one's adversaries is a profound expression of love and forgiveness, aligning with Jesus' command to love one's enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44). This practice reflects a heart transformed by the Holy Spirit, seeking not only personal vindication but also the redemption and reconciliation of those who oppose us.

David exemplifies this attitude in Psalm 35:13-14, where he fasted and prayed for his adversaries as if they were his friends or family: "But when they were sick, I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting. I prayed with my head bowed on my chest. I went about as though I grieved for my friend or brother; I bowed down in mourning, as one who laments for his mother."

Spiritual Implications

Fasting in prayer for oneself and one's adversaries is a powerful spiritual discipline that fosters humility, compassion, and a deeper reliance on God. It is an acknowledgment of human limitations and a plea for divine intervention. By fasting, believers express a willingness to set aside personal grievances and seek God's higher purposes, trusting in His justice and mercy.

This practice also serves as a reminder of the transformative power of the Gospel, which calls believers to live in peace and harmony with others, even those who oppose them. Through fasting and prayer, Christians can experience a renewed sense of God's presence and a greater capacity to love and forgive, reflecting the character of Christ in their lives.

Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 109:4,24
For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself to prayer.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Life, as Amplified by Mediaeval Biographers.
... There he passed his time in prayer, fasting, and study of ... to the Solitary under whom
Ephraim had placed himself. ... as he stood at midnight outside his cell after ...
/.../hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/iii the life as amplified by.htm

C??sarius of Arles.
... Fasting, watching, prayer, alms, a ... He who thinketh evil, speaketh evil, doeth evil,
and will not amend himself, increases rather than diminishes his ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/neander/light in the dark places/caesarius of arles.htm

Appendix iv
... ordinances of the Montanists concerning fasting are out ... Christians also should sit
down after prayer. ... his opponents, just like Tertullian himself, recognise a ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/harnack/the origin of the new testament/appendix iv.htm

And Now the Time is Come for us to Consider the Works of Our ...
... holy temples and consecrated houses of prayer; in every ... from men, but from the Lord
himself, from which ... persevere in the exercise of protracted fasting, and to ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/chapter xvii and now the.htm

He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who ...
... 749] if you disregard it, yet shall not I. A man has entrusted himself to my ... And
that day and the following night they persisted in fasting and prayer. ...
/.../chapter vii he does battle.htm

The Society of Friends, or Quakers.
... He spent much time in fasting and prayer, he ... their own tremulous utterance of emotion
in prayer and exhortation ... England, and is mentioned by Fox himself in his ...
/.../creeds of christendom with a history and critical notes/ 107 the society of.htm

Letter iv. --For 332. Easter-Day vii Pharmuthi , iv Non. Apr. ...
... the fury of the tyrant by no other means than by fasting and prayer to God ... Hieracammon,
who, on account of the shame of his name, calls himself Eulogius. ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/letter iv for 332 easter-day vii.htm

Intercourse of Jesus with the Pagans and the Samaritans.
... He cared little for fasting.[2] He preferred forgiveness ... 1] and with respect to prayer,
he prescribes ... Jesus raised himself above these misunderstandings.[5] He ...
/.../renan/the life of jesus/chapter xiv intercourse of jesus.htm

The Confession of the Waldenses. AD 1655.
... to have recourse to any other intercessor besides himself. ... to Christian virtues,
making use of fasting, and all ... the very expressions of that prayer which we ...
/.../the confession of the waldenses.htm

Anti-Pelagian Writings
... of This Life Comprehended in Three Parts,--Fasting, Almsgiving, and Prayer ... for him
to ask forgiveness in prayer, when he really bestowed forgiveness himself. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/anti-pelagian writings/