I want to ask the wise about the idea of considering pain (willingly suffered) as a kind of prayer, like fasting.
I didn't think of that myself, but it seems to be a common RC idea (ex RC's can set me right if that's a misconception).
I don't mean the active inflicting of pain on themselves, as in flagellation and so on - some RC's also promote the idea of "offering" the kind of pain which isn't chosen by the sufferer but just happens, - a headache say, or a bad back - as a sort of help or backing up of prayer. Which is somewhat like how I think I understand fasting, except that you do choose to fast.
My question is, can such an idea have any place in Reformed thinking?
I didn't think of that myself, but it seems to be a common RC idea (ex RC's can set me right if that's a misconception).
I don't mean the active inflicting of pain on themselves, as in flagellation and so on - some RC's also promote the idea of "offering" the kind of pain which isn't chosen by the sufferer but just happens, - a headache say, or a bad back - as a sort of help or backing up of prayer. Which is somewhat like how I think I understand fasting, except that you do choose to fast.
My question is, can such an idea have any place in Reformed thinking?