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What Does the Bible Say About Fasting? – A Topical Bible Study

How to Fast

Matthew 6:16-18 — “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.”

When you fast – The implication is that you will fast. Believers should sometimes fast. The purpose of fasting is to focus on the Lord and develop a deeper relationship with Him by putting aside distractions. Sometimes it could be to ask for wisdom in making a decision, taking an important petition before our King, or just to tune out the busy world around us and focus on God’s greatness.

The wrong purpose of fasting – For the Pharisees, they fasted as a spiritual ritual because it was a rule. They approached it legalistically as a way to make themselves good to curry favor with God and man. Fasting was a time when they were supposed to focus on God. But by intentionally drawing attention to their fasting time, they were focusing on the opinions of people. Therefore, it was hypocritical.

Do not turn fasting (or other spiritual practices) into rules – Someone could just as easily turn what Jesus said in verse 17 into rules. The rule would be you must anoint your head and wash your face every time you fast. The point is that this is not about rules. Sometimes it may be necessary to tell someone that you are fasting. Perhaps a husband should tell his wife so that she doesn’t prepare a delicious meal. If he refuses to eat it, but doesn’t say why, she may be likely to get upset.

The attitude of fasting – The point Jesus is making is that our focus should be on God, not on people. We should do it to please God, not man.

The benefits of fasting 

• Discipline our bodies.
• Practice saying “no” to the flesh.
• Intentionally focus on the Lord.
• Tune out the busy world. As we do so it is easier to receive clear direction and wisdom from the Lord when making decisions.
• Use our time wisely by spending extra time in prayer and the Word.

The reward of fasting – Our Father sees what is done in secret and will reward us. God knows if you have the right motivation. Our fast would then allow us to draw closer to Him. He Himself is the reward (James 4:8).

Application — If you have never had the habit of fasting, consider starting. Don’t start with a week or a month. Perhaps start with one meal and then one day without eating. Use your extra time for the Lord and don’t just replace your food time with something else like scrolling.

— From our Bible study on Matthew 6:16-23

Can the Wedding Guests Fast?

Mark 2:18 — “Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, ‘Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?'”

John’s disciples may have been influenced by the Pharisees and their way of thinking about fasting. The Pharisees placed a high priority on religious rituals such as fasting. It was a way for them to show others how spiritual they were. John’s disciples may have been tempted to look down on Jesus’ disciples for not fasting. However, fasting is supposed to be private so that others don’t know one is doing it.

Application — Do not announce your fast to the world. There is no need to post it on social media. It is between you and God.

Mark 2:19-20 — “And Jesus said to them, ‘Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.'”

Jesus’ explanation is that the disciples were like a groom in celebration. People do not fast at a wedding. Neither did the disciples need to fast while Jesus was with them. It was an exciting time in world history. For three years, out of thousands, the Son of God walked and talked in this world. That was a reason to celebrate! Jesus said that when He was gone, they would fast. It is thus implied that fasting is right and believers should do it at the proper time.

Notice that Jesus says not “if” but “when” you fast.

Application — Evaluate your habit of fasting. Is this a regular part of your spiritual life? If not, should it be?

Jesus represented a new teaching. His teaching did not disagree in substance with the Old Covenant, but He expounded upon it, fulfilled it, and then expanded it in new directions. The Pharisees’ Judaism was like the old wineskin. There was no room for any changes. When Jesus’ “new wine” demanded changes to how they thought and acted, they could not handle it and snapped.

— From our Bible study on Mark 2:1-20

Fasting in the Heat of Spiritual Battle

Daniel 10:3 — “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 was a person who lived in the midst of great darkness. Idol worship took place on all sides. His peers schemed politically. The riches of the world and all the pleasures and luxuries he could have wanted were available. But Daniel did not care for these things.

Daniel cared deeply for his people. He wanted them to be victorious. And he wanted to know God’s plan for his people’s future. Daniel, therefore, engaged himself in a spiritual battle, fighting on behalf of God’s people. He mourns for three weeks. During this time, he fasted from meat, wine, and all delicacies. Verse 12 says that he “humbled” himself before the Lord. Daniel sets his heart on fighting this spiritual battle. He doesn’t come with weapons. He doesn’t come with schemes. He comes with a humble and committed heart. He does not just dabble in and get his toes wet. He doesn’t just pray for a few minutes and then say, “my job is done.” Daniel commits himself. He is all in. And that requires sacrifice.

Application — Perhaps there is a serious issue you need to take before the Lord. Are you willing to sacrifice? How committed are you? What are you willing to give up? Serious prayer and fasting require sacrifice. When you take a serious issue to the Lord, you should not just live your life exactly the same and offer a few moments of prayer here or there. We need to humble ourselves before the Lord. We need to focus our whole attention on Him. How serious are you about the spiritual battle in front of you?

— From our Bible study on Daniel 10

David Fasts and Pleads for Mercy

2 Samuel 12:16-17 — “David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.”

Our sins affect others. It is even more true that a father’s sin affects his own children. David’s despair in this passage is caused by his knowledge that his child would suffer because of him. As a parent, there is nothing worse than being the cause of suffering to your children. David rightly fasted and prayed pleading for God’s mercy. But while God forgives us, He doesn’t guarantee to take away the consequences of our sin.

2 Samuel 12:21 — “Then his servants said to him, ‘What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.'”

2 Samuel 12:22-23 — “He said, ‘While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, “Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?” But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.'”

— From our Bible study on “Consequences of Sin” – 2 Samuel 12

Nehemiah’s Fast Over Jerusalem

Nehemiah 1:4 — “As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”

He was empathetic, mourning for days. Nehemiah himself didn’t face any of the problems the people of Jerusalem faced. He was an important official, one of the upper class. He could have kept on living and enjoying his life without dwelling on the problems of others. But he didn’t.

He was persistent – He wept/mourned/fasted/prayed for days. This was an important issue. He didn’t just offer up a 1-minute prayer and then move on. He spent a lot of time before the Lord praying about it and searching for God’s will about what he could do.

Application — Have you ever felt so strongly about something that you prayed about it for days at a time? Many of us have not. But maybe we should.

He sought God and the wisdom that comes from God – Nehemiah didn’t just weep and cry and throw himself a pity party. He turned to the Lord. He fasted. He prayed. He knew the only place real help could come from. Nehemiah didn’t rush to the king to get help immediately. Neither did he start issuing orders. He didn’t rely on his own wisdom to begin taking action. An observer might think that Nehemiah was indecisive and passive, hearing the news and doing nothing for days. But he wasn’t doing nothing. He sat down and he prayed. Prayer was the most important thing he could do.

Reflect — Has there been a time or situation when you rushed in and reacted based on your own understanding without taking time to pray? How did that work out?

Application — Prayer should become this natural to us. When faced with challenges and difficulties, our first instinct should be to pray. Don’t be in a rush to take action. Pray first.

— From our Bible study on Nehemiah 1

Seeking God Before a Big Decision

Acts 13:1-3 — “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 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.”

Do you want to find God? Do you want Him to speak to you? This passage tells us how we can help make that happen. I have never heard a missionary say, “I was eating Pringles and watching a football game and God told me I should move to the Amazon and become a missionary.” It is possible this could happen but not likely. Most of the time we find God when we are seeking Him.

The church leaders were worshiping the Lord and fasting. They were actively seeking His will. Because they sought the Lord, He answered.

Jeremiah 29:13 — “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

Sadly, many people these days spend copious amounts of time on media. We have trained ourselves to never have a dull moment. C.S. Lewis wrote about this already decades ago in the Screwtape Letters. In this book, an “uncle” demon is mentoring his nephew, teaching him the best ways to tempt people. The man was in the London Museum and he started to think about the question, “Is this all that man has accomplished in thousands of years?” The demon was worried that this line of thinking would cause the man to go deeper in thought about the meaning of life and where we came from. So he tempted him, not with any great philosophical thought. Just with a bacon sandwich. A picture of a bacon sandwich entered into the man’s mind. And he thought about lunch. Lunch would be tasty. There was a nice restaurant not far away. He could go and have lunch and think about these things later. Always later. That is the goal.

The enemy wants us to pray later. Have lunch first. Have a rest. Relax. Don’t think too deeply.

Reflect — How can we train our minds to focus and not be distracted when we start to pray or read the Bible?

If you want to find God, you need to seek Him. Prayer, worship, and fasting are key ways to seek God.

Application — How will you seek God this week more than the last?

As they were fasting and seeking God, He answered. The Holy Spirit told them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for His work. We don’t know if this was communicated to them audibly or rather through a group consensus and strong conviction in their hearts.

— From our Bible study on Acts 13:1-12

A Fast for Safe Passage

Ezra 8:21 — “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.”

Ezra put his trust in the right place. It wasn’t in their numbers. It wasn’t in his organization or plans. It was only in God. Ezra knew the adversity they would be facing. This would not be an easy journey. Any lengthy journey at that time would be dangerous. It was especially hazardous since the Jews had so many enemies and people out to get them. However, the danger didn’t keep the people from obeying God and going on the trip. Instead, it turned them toward God: they decided to trust and obey.

The purpose of this fast was to humble themselves in God’s sight. It showed their complete dependence on God above everything else. Pride goes before the fall, so to achieve success, they had to rely on God.

Declaring the fast also set a good example for the people. It is important for leaders to be positive models to those they are leading. That comes from not just teaching people what to do but doing it yourself. By doing this before leaving, Ezra showed all the people that they should depend on God. Proclaiming this fast would be a much more effective way of accomplishing this than saying, “You should depend on God.” Actions speak louder than words.

Application — How can we apply this principle? Do you fast? If not, why not? Should you? Do you pray before making decisions or before starting something new? Parents, do you live out these types of principles in front of your kids? Are you a good model?

Ezra told the king he was putting his trust in God (and he was), so it would seem hypocritical in this case to ask the king for protection. In essence, he put his money where his mouth was. Ezra wasn’t just speaking empty words or platitudes. He truly believed in these principles.

Ezra 8:23 — “So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.”

God was gracious to them and listened to their requests. When we humble ourselves and sincerely seek God’s help, He will not be silent.

— From our Bible study on Ezra 8

We hope you enjoyed this Bible study on fasting. May God use His Word to speak into your life and give you strength to follow it. Please take some time to reflect on the questions below and consider leaving a comment with your key takeaway or insight.

Reflection Questions

• Evaluate your habit of fasting. Is this a regular part of your spiritual life?
• Have you ever felt so strongly about something that you prayed about it for days at a time?
• Has there been a time or situation when you rushed in and reacted based on your own understanding without taking time to pray? How did that work out?
• How will you seek God this week more than the last?
• How can we train our minds to focus and not be distracted when we start to pray or read the Bible?
• In what ways might a person turn fasting into performance? How can you avoid this?