Fasting is a spiritual practice that involves abstaining from food or other forms of physical nourishment to draw closer to God, seek His will, and grow in spiritual discipline.
Many people turn to the Bible for guidance and inspiration regarding fasting.
Throughout the Bible verses about fasting talk about the importance and benefits of fasting.
Bible Verses About Fasting
In the Bible, numerous instances of people fasting to seek God’s guidance, repent sin, express grief, or worship Him.
The Bible offers guidance and encouragement for those who choose to fast, including instructions on how to fast, what to expect, and the benefits of this spiritual discipline.
In this article, we will look at some of the most significant Bible verses about fasting in both the Old and New Testaments, highlighting the importance of this practice and its relevance to believers today.
Isaiah 58:6-7 (ESV) – Choose Always To fast
“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”
Matthew 6:16-18 (ESV) – Dont Fast For Others To See
“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Mark 9:29 (ESV) – Fast Has many advantages To Our Lives
“And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.”
Luke 2:37 (ESV) – Always Be In The Place Of Fasting
“And then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.”
Luke 4:1-2 (ESV) – Live An Exemplary Life Of Christ
“And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.”
Luke 18:9-13 (ESV) – Fast Because You Are Expecting Something From God
“He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
Acts 13:2-3 (ESV) – The Holy Spirit May Come In The Place Of Worship
“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.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”
Acts 14:23 (ESV) – Prayers Is Important For All Believers
“And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”
1 Corinthians 7:5 (ESV) – Prayer And Fast Can Take Most Of Our Temptation Away
“Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
1 Corinthians 9:27 (ESV) – Discipline Yourself In The Place Of Fasting
“But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
2 Corinthians 6:5 (ESV)
“in beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;”
2 Corinthians 11:27 (ESV)
“in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.”
Galatians 5:16-17 (ESV)
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against
Fasting And Prayer Scriptures
Fasting and prayer are two spiritual disciplines often practiced together in the Bible. Fasting involves abstaining from food or specific activities to focus on prayer, repentance, and seeking God’s guidance.
Prayer is a way of communicating with God and expressing our hopes, fears, and needs to Him. When these two practices are combined, they can create a powerful spiritual experience that can lead to breakthroughs and a deeper understanding of God’s will.
Throughout the Bible, numerous examples of individuals and communities have fasted and prayed in times of need, including Jesus himself.
Matthew 6:16-18 (ESV)
“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Joel 2:12-13 (ESV)
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.”
Acts 13:2-3 (ESV)
“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.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”
Isaiah 58:6-7 (ESV)
“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”
Ezra 8:21-23 (ESV)
“Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.
For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.” So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.”
Matthew 17:21 (ESV)
“But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting.”
Psalm 35:13 (ESV)
“But I, when they were sick— I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest.”
Nehemiah 9:1-3 (ESV)
“Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God.”
Joel 2:15-16 (ESV)
“Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.”
Fasting Scriptures For Breakthrough
Fasting is a spiritual discipline that involves abstaining from food or specific activities to focus on prayer, repentance, and seeking God’s guidance.
It is a powerful tool for believers seeking a breakthrough in their lives, whether in overcoming addiction, healing from illness, or experiencing spiritual growth.
Throughout the Bible, numerous examples of individuals and communities have fasted and prayed for breakthroughs, and these stories offer guidance and encouragement for believers today.
Isaiah 58:6 (ESV)
“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?”
Matthew 6:17-18 (ESV)
“But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Joel 2:15-16 (ESV)
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.”
Ezra 8:21-23 (ESV)
“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.”
Mark 9:29 (ESV)
“He replied, ‘This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.'”
Psalm 35:13-14 (ESV)
“Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered, I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.”
Acts 13:2-3 (ESV)
“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.”
2 Chronicles 20:3-4 (ESV)
“Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.”
Nehemiah 1:4 (ESV)
“When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.”
Daniel 9:3 (ESV)
“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.”
Bible Verses About Fasting In New Testament
Fasting is a spiritual discipline practiced by believers in many religions, including Christianity. It involves abstaining from food or specific activities to focus on prayer, repentance, and seeking God’s guidance.
In the New Testament, there are numerous instances of individuals and communities who have fasted as a means of seeking God’s will and drawing closer to Him.
These fasting scriptures offer guidance and encouragement for believers seeking to deepen their relationship with God through this spiritual discipline.
Matthew 6:16-18 (ESV)
“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 received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 9:14-15 (ESV)
“Then John’s disciples came and asked him, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, 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.'”
Mark 2:18-20 (ESV)
“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?’ Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.'”
Luke 2:37 (ESV)
“and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.”
Luke 5:33-35 (ESV)
“They said to him, ‘John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.’ 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.'”
Acts 13:2-3 (ESV)
“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.”
1 Corinthians 7:5 (ESV)
“Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
2 Corinthians 6:5 (ESV)
“in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;”
Philippians 3:18-19 (ESV)
“For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.”
Conclusion
The Bible contains numerous verses that speak to the importance of fasting as a spiritual discipline for believers seeking to draw closer to God.
Whether it is for seeking guidance, repentance, or spiritual breakthrough, fasting has been practiced by individuals and communities throughout history to deepen their relationship with God.
The Old and New Testaments offer guidance and encouragement for those who choose to fast, providing instructions on how to fast, what to expect, and the benefits of this spiritual discipline.
By studying these verses, we can better understand the importance of fasting in our lives and how it can help us grow spiritually.
As we engage in this discipline, may we seek God’s will and experience the blessings of seeking Him with all our hearts, minds, and souls.
