What Does the Bible Say About Fasting?

As we enter the Lent season, and many Christians are prayerfully engaging in a form of fasting, you may be asking, “What exactly is biblical fasting all about?” Scripture is filled with accounts of individuals and communities seeking the Lord through fasting. God’s people in the Old Testament had assigned times of fasting. Jesus himself practiced fasting and taught on this powerful spiritual discipline. So what does it all entail? How does it differ from intermittent fasting, a hunger strike, or a test of sheer mental and physical strength?

For thousands of years, biblical fasting has been the practice of abstaining from food for spiritual reasons. It’s more than simply denying yourself food; it’s a spiritual discipline of self-denial. Fasting reveals to us our weaknesses and our need for God. In this state, we find ourselves more open to hear God’s voice and most willing to align our life with His will. Below is a biblical guide to fasting:

 

Reasons for Fasting

 

1. We fast to follow in the way of Jesus.

In Matthew 4, after Jesus’ baptism, He went into the wilderness to pray and fast for 40 days. It was at the end of this time, that He was able to resist the temptations of Satan and begin His earthly ministry of preaching, teaching, healing the sick, and casting out demons. 

Jesus gave instructions about fasting to His followers in Matthew 6, and used the phrase, “when you pray” (verse 17), implying that fasting is a spiritual discipline for all believers. 

When we fast, we are being spiritually formed. We are becoming more and more like Jesus and maturing in our ability to discern God’s voice, walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and overcome temptations. 

 

2. We fast for clarity.

When we seek the Lord through fasting, we gain guidance and direction from the Holy Spirit. In Esther 4, before Esther appealed to the King of Persia to save her people, she asked the Lord’s people to fast for her. She knew she was risking her life, and she needed the Lord’s strength and direction to successfully prevent her fellow Israelites from certain destruction. Through this time of fasting, Esther not only had the courage to advocate for the Jewish people, but the wisdom on how to succeed. 

In the same way, when we are in need of direction, guidance, and strength, we can fast and seek the Lord. He will speak to us and direct us according to His will.

 

3. We fast for the fulfillment of God’s promises.

We all experience times of waiting on the Lord to answer our prayers or to make good on His promises. We can actively seek God in these times of waiting through fasting. In Luke 2, Anna, an elderly widow who was also a prophetess, spent her years in the temple of the Lord, praying and fasting, waiting to meet the Messiah. Her whole life she waited, but instead of growing weary or giving up, she continued to pray and fast. Her lifelong dream eventually came true, and she witnessed with her own eyes the infant Jesus before her death.

Fasting fuels our faith in the waiting, and renews our hope as we stand on God’s promises and trust in His plans. 

 

4. We fast to see miracles.

God is a God of miracles, and through scripture we see that God is pleased with our prayers of faith. God heals the sick, delivers the demon-possessed, sets the spiritually captive free, supernaturally provides for His children, cares for the poor and in need, uses the ordinary for the extraordinary, and raises the dead to life. Nothing is impossible for God!

In Matthew 17, Jesus brought healing to a demon-possessed boy, and the disciples asked Him why they were unable to perform the miracle on their own. Jesus reminded them of God’s limitless power and challenged them that “this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (verse 21)

When we are in need of a miracle, we can turn to God through fasting and believe for mountains to move!

 

5. We fast to realign our heart to God’s and care about what matters to Him.

In Isaiah 58, the Lord challenges His people to not simply fast, but to fast with the right motives. The Lord desires that our times of fasting change our hearts and actions. Through fasting, God wants us to grow in our worship of Him and in our pursuit of justice for others. Fasting should change us from the inside out– exposing idols in our lives and showing us the ways we can act justly and mercifully to those around us.

Types of Fasting

Below are various types of fasting. Remember that fasting is not only an opportunity to practice self-denial; it’s also a time to be sustained and nourished spiritually through prayer, Bible reading, worship, solitude, journaling, serving, generosity, and time spent with your church community. Use your time of fasting as an opportunity to deepen these  spiritual rhythms as you seek the Lord. 

 

Total Fasts

Abstain from food– fully or partially– for a set amount of time. Variations include: 

• fast all food except water  

• fast all solid foods (only drink juices and broths)  

 

Partial Fasts

Refrain from eating a certain type of food for a set amount of time. (e.g. meat, sweets, etc.) One most common partial fast is known as The Daniel Fast, which is based on Daniel 1, which consists of only eating fruits, vegetables and water for 10 days. You can learn more at daniel-fast.com. 

 

Intermittent Fasts

Abstain from food at certain times throughout the day, which could include:

• Repeat a daily cycle; e.g. 16 hours fasting & 8 hours eating  

• Daylight Fast (fast from sunrise to sunset)  

• 3-for-3 Fast (fast on 3 days of each week, for 3 weeks)  

 

Progressive Fasts

Mix and match any of the above types of fasting.  

One example:  

• 7 days of liquids only + 7 days add vegetables & fruit + 7 days add grains  

*Always consult your physician prior to beginning any type of fast. If you are currently struggling with disordered eating, please refrain from fasting. If you have struggled with disordered eating in the past, please seek godly wisdom and support before fasting.

If you are unable to choose a food fast due to health reasons, consider the following fasts:

 

Financial Fasts

Turn your non-essential spending into charitable giving. Abstain from all extra spending for a set amount of days (e.g., dining or drinking out, going to movies, buying clothes, apps, etc.). Record what you don’t spend. Give that amount to the Church or a charity.

 

Media Fasts

Abstain from some or all media forms not required by work or school. Go a certain amount of days without tv, movies, radio, magazines, social media, internet, apps, etc.  Replace that time with Bible reading and prayer.