Fasting, as depicted in the Bible, is a practice of abstaining from food for spiritual purposes. It is not only an act of self-denial, but a way which individuals seek to grow closer and deepen one’s relationship with God.

Fasting can involve either partial or total abstinence from food. For example, Jesus went without any food for 40 days in the wilderness (Luke 4:2). Fasting allows the spirit of the person to detach from physical desires and focus more fully on a personal relationship with God, who is Spirit.

The Bible also records examples of total fasts — occasions where individuals abstained from everything (both food and drink). A notable example can be seen in the life of Moses. While on Mount Sinai, he remained with the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights, without eating bread or drinking water. During that time, he received and wrote the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28).

According to the Bible, fasting is significant for several reasons:

  1. Humility and Dependence: Fasting helps us to humble ourselves before God, acknowledging our complete dependence on Him for all things, and our need for His provision.
  1. Seeking Guidance and Direction: In times of uncertainty or when seeking God’s will, fasting can be a way to seek clarity and direction. By setting aside physical needs, we can focus more intently on God’s voice.
  1. Expressing Repentance and Sorrow: Fasting can be a natural response to grief. It can also be a way to express repentance for sins, demonstrating a sincere desire to turn back to God.
  2. Spiritual Warfare: Fasting can be a way to engage in spiritual warfare, seeking God’s power to overcome evil.
  1. Resisting Temptation: Fasting can help individuals resist temptation by weakening the grip of physical desires and aligning their will with God’s. Jesus Himself fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, preparing himself for His ministry and resisting Lucifer’s temptations.
  1. Seeking Deliverance and Protection: Fasting can be a means of seeking God’s intervention in difficult circumstances, whether for personal deliverance or for the protection of others.
  1. Strengthening our Spiritual Life: Engaging in both fasting and prayer sharpens our spiritual focus. By combining self-denial with prayer, we can experience a deeper connection with God.

Daniel was another example of someone who fasted with intention, Daniel’s fast was a way to humble himself before God and seek His guidance and intervention. The book of Daniel describes this period as one of mourning and prayer, highlighting Daniel’s deep concern for his people and his desire to understand God’s plan for them. For three weeks (21 days) he refrained from pleasant food, meat, and wine in a deliberate act of seeking God through prayer and fasting.

The Role of Fasting and Prayer

When we pray, we speak to God. Prayer and fasting go hand in hand.

Here are some examples of people in the Bible who fasted and prayed. The first chapter of Nehemiah describes Nehemiah praying and fasting, because of his deep distress over the news that Jerusalem had been left in ruins. David prayed and fasted over his sick child (2 Samuel 12:16), weeping before the Lord in intercession (vv. 21-22). Esther urged Mordecai and the Jews to fast for her as she planned to appear before the king (Esther 4:16).

In Mark chapter 9, Jesus delivered a boy from an unclean spirit. The disciples had tried and failed to free him, despite having previously been given authority over such spirits (Mark 6:7). Later, they asked Jesus why they couldn’t do it, and He replied, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:29). This shows that not all situations in life can be handled with the same approach — some demand a greater degree of prayer and humility.