What the Bible Says About Fasting

Fasting is a spiritual discipline woven throughout the pages of Scripture. While modern culture may often associate fasting with physical health or detoxing, the Bible reveals a much deeper purpose—one rooted in humility, worship, repentance, and dependence on God. Let’s take a look at what Scripture teaches us about fasting and how we, as believers and followers of Jesus Christ, can engage in this ancient and powerful practice.

What is Biblical fasting?
​Biblical fasting involves voluntarily abstaining from food and sometimes drink for a spiritual purpose. It’s not about manipulation, earning favor, or checking off a religious box—it’s about drawing near to God

“'Yet even now,' declares the Lord, 'return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.'” Joel 2:12

Fasting is a way to return our hearts to God—to humble ourselves before Him and focus more intently on prayer, worship, and His Word.

Why do people fast in the Bible? 
Throughout Scripture, we see God’s people fasting for many different reasons.

1. To seek God’s guidance, Moses fasted 40 days on Mount Sinai as he received the Law (Exodus 34:28). The early church fasted when seeking the Holy Spirit’s direction (Acts 13:2-3).
2. In times of repentance, the people of Nineveh fasted after hearing Jonah’s warning (Jonah 3:5). Fasting was often tied to sorrow over sin and a desire to return to God with a clean heart.
3. In deep distress or mourning, David fasted when his child was ill (2 Samuel 12:16). Fasting can be an expression of grief or a cry for God’s intervention in times of great need.
4. To grow in intimacy with God, Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-2), not for repentance, but for preparation and spiritual strength. As we deny our physical appetite, we create space for deeper communion with God.

What fasting is not:
Jesus warned against fasting for the wrong reasons—like seeking human approval.

“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others… 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.” Matthew 6:16–18

Biblical fasting isn’t a public performance or a way to manipulate God into giving us what we want. It’s a humble offering of our time, attention, and appetite.

How should we fast today?
Fasting is still relevant for believers today—not as a law to follow but as a grace to embrace.
Here are some practical steps:

1. Start with a purpose. Why are you fasting? Is it to seek clarity, grieve, repent, or grow closer to God?
   
2. Pair it with prayer. Fasting without prayer is just going hungry. Let the hunger pangs be a prompt to pray.
   
3. Keep it between you and God. Stay humble. You don’t need to announce your fast; your Father sees what’s done in secret.
   
4. Fast with expectation, not entitlement. God doesn’t owe us anything because we fast—but He does promise to draw near to the humble and those who seek Him (James 4:8-10).

Fasting is not about weakening ourselves—it's about strengthening our spirit through dependence on the Lord. It's an invitation to press pause on the world and tune our hearts to Heaven.

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness… to let the oppressed go free?” Isaiah 58:6

Biblical fasting leads to personal transformation, deeper compassion, and clearer vision. May we fast not to impress, but to encounter—our hearts aligned with His will, and our souls hungry for His presence.

How might your relationship with God deepen if you viewed fasting not as giving something up—but as gaining more of His presence?

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