Do these Scripture say that prayer along with fasting is more powerful than either alone?
Upvote:3
Let's break down the scriptures you used.
This kind...
In Matthew 12:45 we read that there is a demonic hierarchy. Some demons are more wicked, or more powerful, than others.
Matthew 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
In the Old Testament as Daniel was visited by an angel he was told that he needed help from Michael to defeat a greater power so that he could bring the revelation to Daniel.
Daniel 10:12-13 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
Prayer elevates the worshiper into the supernatural and causes the things of this world to fade away. It dims the eye to the worries and cares of the natural world. Prayer is so important that in Acts the disciples appointed the first deacons to administer to the widows and so forth so that they could be more devoted to prayer (and study). It is far easier to minister when you have spent time in His Presence.
Acts 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
Fasting, likewise, denies the things of this world to better serve him.
On fasting, it's important to note that when Jesus fasted forty days he was not hungry until after the fast was over.
Luke 4:2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
So this kind of spirit would not come out except by the faith of someone who had yielded themselves to God through prayer and fasting. No doubt the disciples had spent the day in fellowship with other disciples, but had neglected to spend time with their heavenly Father. When a test came, their (spiritual) eyes had not been sufficiently dimmed to the things of the world and they could not cast out the evil spirit.
Should you fast and pray simultaneously? Here is some advice based on my personal experience. I would encourage you to try praying early in the morning before breakfast, or skip the last meal in the day and pray into the evening. In this way you can both fast and pray as I believe the early believers did. If you feel led to fast further, and do not find yourself growing hungry but instead are being fed by fellowship with the Lord, continue fasting. In my experience fasting is easiest when I have something or someone weighing on my soul and need an answer from God desperately.
More post
- π Justification of perpetual virginity of Mother Mary
- π What is the basis for the belief that the name of the Messiah is ΧΦΈΧΧΦΌΧ©ΧΧΦΌΧ’Φ· (Yahushua)?
- π Are there evil acts which are not sins?
- π What support is there for the Jehovahβs Witness translation of John 1:1?
- π How do people who hold salvation as a one time event respond to passages of "being saved"?
- π Anathemas concerning the soul
- π What was Saint Thomas Aquinas's girding by the two angels?
- π What Christmas traditions have roots in Jewish traditions?
- π Why did Luther reject every sacrament except Baptism and Communion?
- π What are the meanings of the mote and beam in the parable?
- π Did GOD create pathogens after the sin of Adam and Eve?
- π Is "Worship Pastor" a new term?
- π What is the biblical basis for Mary being given immense authority in heaven?
- π Was St. Patrick a really Roman Catholic and did he keep the 7th day Sabbath?
- π At what point in history did Catholic priests begin to be called pastors?
- π How does the Catholic Church explain their interpretation of Matthew 16:19 (Simon Peter as the first Pope) in light of Matthew 18:18?
- π Who is allowed to read the handbook of instructions in the LDS Church?
- π How do Creationist Christians respond to the evidence for Evolution?
- π Does Genesis 3 tell of a theophany?
- π What were the topics of discussion which Jesus had at the Temple? (Catholic perspective)
- π Following the Great Schism, what replaced the ecumenical councils' canons on art?
- π If God is immutable, how does the hypostatic union work?
- π Is Pope Francis holding and professing different views (even personally) from any of the traditional Catholic Church doctrine?
- π What is the theological background of the WWJD movement?
- π Are Catholics required to accept every article of Aquinas's Β«Summa TheologicaΒ»?
- π Did Athanasius and the Nicene Fathers draw the conclusion that Arius worshipped the Entity called βthe Devilβ?
- π How is offering X Hail Marys not considered vain repetition?
- π St. Thomas Aquinas on whether all will die before the Final Judgement?
- π Would the bible draw parallels between the spies returning from Canaan and modern biblical criticism?
- π Where to find the up to date catholic missals for each languages?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- π Do these Scripture say that prayer along with fasting is more powerful than either alone?
- π Who are these people in this Catholic Reformation meme that are considered more influential than Martin Luther?
- π Is it appropriate to say that some denominations are more "extreme" than others?
- π What is the theory that there is more than one "Satan" called, and what is its basis?
- π Which 20th-century Orthodox Christians said that the crusades were more oppressive than the Marxist anti-religious campaigns?
- π Is Christianity more friendly to its own Scripture translation than other religions? If so, why?
- π John 1:18 - "No one has ever seen God" - How do Trinitarians reconcile this scripture with the belief that the Lord Jesus Christ is God?
- π Looking for the Bible Verse: "If any of you have more than one <some-thing> give that to another"
- π Can I project more than 500 verses of Scripture over the course of a year? Or, an entire book of the Bible?
- π Where does the Scripture say that you need to be in the state of Divine Grace in order to go to Heaven?
- π How do Unitarians understand these verses which seem to say that all created things were created by Jesus?
- π When Jesus says "Amen, Amen I say to you" is that a hint that the next thing He says should be taken "more literally" than usual?
- π What arguments from scripture are given by Baptists for the belief that one third of the angels were banished from heaven with Satan?
- π Where did Martin Luther say that he placed "his Christ higher than any dogma or council"?
- π Does Augustine ever say that Christians in his time identify their Deus [God] with the Roman deity Saturn?
- π Would it be correct to say that we could associate Christianity with terms like "way of life", "lifestyle", "philosophy" etc.?
- π There is more to know than that which is written
- π What common apologetic arguments support the view that it is more likely that Jesus was resurrected than his body was stolen?
- π Does the Church believe that an economic system with shared property is better than one based on private property?
- π Are Catholics allowed to believe that the EF or OF is objectively more reverent than the other?
- π What Christian denominations profess that they remain with 'that which was from the beginning' rather than 'progress' to a 'further revelation'?
- π Who said that the smallest spiritual progress of a religious merits more than that of a thousand laymen?
- π What does it mean to say that Vatican II is pastoral rather than ecumenical?
- π If believing that Jesus is God is that important, why doesn't Jesus say it more often?
- π Does this mean that Pope Paul VI thought that the Rosary is more important than the daily examen?
- π Do any Christian traditions assert that there can be more than one "messiah"?
- π Where does the Bible say along the lines of, "The weakest saint is stronger than the strongest demon?"
- π Does the Catholic Church teach that belief in the possibility of more than 3 persons in God is heresy?
- π Is it true that in Bible certain brothers are favored more than others?
- π Mormons believe in more than one god so how do they reconcile this belief with 1 Timothy 1:17?