Fasting is a spiritual discipline that has been practiced by Christians for centuries. It is a way of seeking God’s presence, guidance, and strength through a period of self-denial, often accompanied by prayer and repentance. Fasting is mentioned numerous times in the Bible, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, and it is seen as a way to humble oneself before God, focus on spiritual growth, and prepare for significant moments in life.
The Bible speaks about fasting in various contexts, such as personal spiritual growth, seeking God’s will, expressing repentance, and even in the context of specific needs like healing and deliverance. Whether you are fasting for personal growth or interceding for someone else, it is important to understand the biblical principles behind fasting.
In this article, we will explore 34 Bible verses that provide wisdom and insight on how to fast. These scriptures will help guide your understanding of fasting, why it is important, and how it can be a powerful tool in your spiritual life.
What is Fasting?
Fasting, as described in the Bible, is a voluntary act of abstaining from food (or sometimes other things) to focus on seeking God through prayer, meditation, and reflection. It is not a way to earn God’s favor, but rather a way to humble ourselves and draw closer to Him. Jesus Himself fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness, setting an example for His followers.
The Bible teaches that fasting is a deeply personal and spiritual act. It is not to be done for the sake of appearance or for self-promotion, but for genuine spiritual growth and seeking God’s will. It involves a deliberate choice to set aside physical nourishment in order to focus on the nourishment that comes from God—His Word, His presence, and His power.
Bible Verses on How to Fast
1. Matthew 6:16-18
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that your fasting will not be obvious to others but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
These verses teach that fasting should be a private act between you and God. It should not be done to gain the approval or admiration of others, but as a sincere act of devotion.
2. Isaiah 58:6-7
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
Fasting is not just about abstaining from food, but also about caring for others, especially the needy. True fasting involves acts of compassion and justice.
3. Joel 2:12
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
In this verse, God calls His people to return to Him with sincerity, including through fasting. It shows that fasting can be a response to repentance and a way to express sorrow for sin.
4. Matthew 4:1-2
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.”
Jesus’ example of fasting in the wilderness shows that fasting can be a means of preparing for spiritual challenges and resisting temptation.
5. Acts 13:2-3
“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”
In the early church, fasting was accompanied by prayer as a way to seek God’s direction and guidance for specific tasks, such as ministry work.
6. Ezra 8:21-23
“There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, ‘The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him.’ So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He answered our prayer.”
Fasting was used in times of need, as shown by Ezra‘s call for a fast for safety and protection. God responded to their prayers with favor.
7. Daniel 9:3
“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.”
Daniel’s fast was a humble expression of his devotion and a way to seek God’s mercy for the people of Israel.
8. 2 Chronicles 20:3
“Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.”
King Jehoshaphat called for a fast in response to a crisis, seeking God’s help in the face of a threat from enemies.
9. Luke 18:12
“I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”
This verse shows how fasting can be part of a disciplined spiritual life, as demonstrated by the Pharisee in his self-righteousness. However, it is a reminder that fasting should be done with humility and not for prideful boasting.
10. Matthew 9:14-15
“Then John’s disciples came and asked Him, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.'”
Jesus acknowledged that fasting is a part of the Christian life, but it should be done with the right heart, not as a ritualistic practice.
11. Nehemiah 1:4
“When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.”
Nehemiah fasted in response to the distress of God’s people, seeking God’s guidance and intervention.
12. Matthew 6:33
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Although not directly about fasting, this verse reminds us that fasting should be about seeking God’s will and kingdom first in our lives.
13. Mark 9:29
“He replied, ‘This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.'”
This verse emphasizes that fasting, when combined with prayer, can be a powerful tool for spiritual breakthrough and deliverance.
14. Acts 14:23
“Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.”
Fasting was a practice used in the early church for making important decisions and appointing leaders.
15. Matthew 17:21
“However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Another passage that highlights the power of fasting and prayer in overcoming spiritual strongholds and challenges.
16. Isaiah 58:3
“Why have we fasted, and You have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and You have not noticed? Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.”
Fasting should be accompanied by righteous living. Isaiah warns that God does not honor a fast that is not sincere and accompanied by justice.
17. Luke 2:37
“And then was a widow until she was 84. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.”
This verse highlights the example of Anna, who fasted and prayed as part of her devotion to God.
18. Jonah 3:5-10
“The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.”
The people of Nineveh fasted in repentance after Jonah’s prophecy, demonstrating fasting as an act of turning to God in humility.
19. Luke 4:2
“Where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them He was hungry.”
Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness is an example of fasting in preparation for a spiritual mission.
20. Ezra 10:6
“Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Johanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.”
Ezra’s fasting was an expression of mourning for the sins of the people and their unfaithfulness to God.
21. 1 Samuel 7:6
“When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, ‘We have sinned against the Lord.'”
Fasting can be a way of confessing sins and seeking God’s forgiveness.
22. Daniel 10:2-3
“At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips, and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.”
Daniel’s fast was a time of mourning and seeking God for revelation.
23. Matthew 6:5
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they have their reward.”
Like fasting, prayer is a private act of devotion, and this verse reinforces the idea that fasting should be done in sincerity and humility.
24. Mark 2:18-19
“Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, ‘How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but Yours are not?'”
This conversation highlights that fasting is an expected part of spiritual life, but Jesus’ teaching focused on the right motives.
25. Philippians 3:19
“Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.”
This verse contrasts the selfish use of physical appetites with the spiritual purpose of fasting.
26. Luke 5:34-35
“Jesus answered, ‘Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.'”
Jesus explains that fasting is a practice for times when He is not physically present with His followers.
27. Psalm 35:13
“Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered.”
David’s personal experience with fasting shows that fasting can be a way of seeking God’s response in difficult times.
28. 1 Kings 21:27-29
“When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.”
Ahab’s act of fasting demonstrates repentance and humility in the face of God’s judgment.
29. Nehemiah 9:1-2
“On the twenty-fourth day of the same month the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads.”
Fasting can also be a communal activity, where people unite in seeking God’s mercy and favor.
30. Matthew 6:17
“But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face.”
This verse encourages fasting to be done in a way that does not draw attention to oneself but focuses on God.
31. Acts 27:33-34
“Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. ‘For the last fourteen days,’ he said, ‘you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything.'”
Paul encouraged others to eat after a prolonged period of fasting, indicating the importance of timing and preparation in fasting.
32. Jonah 3:10
“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He relented and did not bring on them the destruction He had threatened.”
Jonah’s message of repentance led to fasting, and God showed mercy as a result of their sincere hearts.
33. Isaiah 58:9
“Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: ‘Here am I.'”
God promises to respond to the cries of those who fast with a sincere heart.
34. Mark 9:28-29
“After Jesus had gone indoors, His disciples asked Him privately, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’ He replied, ‘This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.'”
Fasting is shown here as a powerful spiritual tool for overcoming difficulty and opposition.
Conclusion
Fasting is a vital spiritual practice that helps Christians focus on God, humble themselves, and seek His guidance. The Bible teaches that fasting should be done with the right heart, accompanied by prayer, and for the purpose of drawing closer to God. Whether you fast in times of repentance, for personal growth, or as a way of seeking God’s will, these 34 Bible verses offer rich wisdom on how to approach fasting and how it can lead to spiritual breakthroughs.
As you fast, remember that the goal is not merely the act of abstaining from food, but seeking God’s presence and aligning your will with His. Fasting is a powerful way to connect with God and see His transformative work in your life.
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