Interpretation of the Bible / Acts 13:3

So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

The Bible verse Acts 13:3 tells of a significant moment in Christian history when the Holy Spirit spoke to the church in Antioch calling Paul and Barnabas to ministry. After a long day of prayer and fasting, the church commissioned the two men to begin a new mission in the name of the Lord.

Doing God's will through prayer and fasting

Prayer and fasting are two spiritual disciplines that have to do with our communication with God and our desire to do His will. Both practices involve personal sacrifice and giving up physical needs in order to focus on spiritual things.

Fasting involves depriving yourself of necessities other than food, such as your phone or television. While prayer is a conversation with God that includes praise, confession of sins, and supplication.

Transferring authority through the laying on of hands

The Bible also tells us about the laying on of hands that was performed on Paul and Barnabas. This practice is found many times in Scripture as a way to impart blessings, healing, the Holy Spirit, and the power of God.

We must remember that the laying on of hands does not guarantee the healing or blessing we desire from God, but rather it is faith that is exercised above all else. But by this act we acknowledge that our help comes from the Lord, not from our own strength.

Book: New Testament / Acts

Topics: blessing, fasting, Prayer

Attention! This is one of the possible interpretations based on the comments of famous theologians, which may differ from each other. If the interpretation is taken from other languages, then there may be a distortion of meaning when translating the language. Matthew 7:7-8

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