Biblical Fasting: Why, When, How, and How Not to Fast
The concept of fasting is pervasive in the Bible. The practice of fasting, for multiple reasons, was well known to people in the ancient worldโfrom prophets and priests to princes and paupers. A discipline intentionally engaged in by millions of people throughout the centuries, it is still practiced today.
The practice of refraining from eating or drastically reducing our food intake for a certain amount of time can focus our thoughts and sharpen our responses to certain situations. When we break from our regular routines of eating at certain times of the day, we allow our bodies to assist our minds in understanding that, for a time, we are going to be denying ourselves one thing in the interest of pursuing or considering another, typically higher, question or goal.
Why Should We Fast?
Why do people fast? While in the modern world, fasting has become popular for weight loss and other purported health benefits, individuals and people groups in ancient times fasted to show their devotion to their deity, to demonstrate the depth of their sorrow over a sin or some situation in their lives, or to show their commitment to a certain causeโamong other reasons.
Author, editor, and professor Joe Carter has collected ten reasons for biblical fasting1:
1. To strengthen prayer (e.g., seeย Ezra 8:23)
2. To seek Godโs guidance (e.g., seeย Judges 20:26)
3. To express grief (e.g., seeย 1 Samuel 31:13)
4. To seek deliverance or protection (e.g., seeย 2 Chronicles 20:3 โ 4)
5. To express repentance and a return to God (e.g., seeย 1 Samuel 7:6)
6. To humble oneself before God (e.g., seeย 1 Kings 21:27 โ 29)
7. To express concern for the work of God (e.g., seeย Nehemiah 1:3 โ 4)
8. To minister to the needs of others (e.g., seeย Isaiah 58:3 โ 7)
9. To overcome temptation and dedicate yourself to God (e.g., seeย Matthew 4:1 โ 11)
10. To express love and worship for God (e.g., seeย Luke 2:37)
Christians who want to pursue a fast will benefit from studying other instances in the Bible where fasting was practiced. To pursue this kind of topical study, a simple internet search will bring up many different resources.
But the prophet Isaiah provides us with perhaps the clearest explanation and understanding of fasting in the Bible. Portions of Isaiah 58 (emphases mine) will serve as a framework for studying why, how, when, and why Christians today should pursue fasting:
โShout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
For day after day theyย seek meย out;
they seem eager to knowย my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
Theyย ask meย for just decisions
andย seem eager for God to come near them.
Isaiah 58:1โ2
Here we see that fasting is good for multiple reasons: to seek God out; to know his ways; to pursue answers to decisions that are coming into play in oneโs life; and to intentionally draw closer to him. All of these reasons are wonderful goals to pursue for individuals whose hearts are right and whose motivations are pure. Jesus said, โCome to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is lightโ (Matthew 11:28โ30).
God desires that his people come to him in all situations to seek out his guidance and direction. He cares for us in all situations, because he knows us better than we know ourselves. David spoke the following truth in Psalm 139: โAll the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to beโ (v. 16). Since this is the case, thereโs no better reason for Christians to turn to God for direction. And during these periods in our lives, fasting can sharpen the urgency and intensity of that search.
How Should We Fast?
The first imperative in deciding to fast is that we do so out of a sincere desire to seek Godโs guidance and direction. Fasting for the sake of making a show in front of others, or fasting to ask God for things that are clearly outside of his will, is an exercise in futility. More on that in a minute.
First, letโs look at the physical aspects of fasting. Fasting comes in different forms and is done in different ways. The most important factors to consider in starting a fasting regimen include the following:
Your Personal Reasons for Pursuing a Fast.
If youโre on the cusp of a major life change, are grieving the loss of a certain individual or period in your life, or are seeking answers from God for an upcoming decision, the reasons you choose to fast are unique to you. Consulting with others about their experiences can be instructive, but your choice to fast and the reasons for your fast are unique to your situation.
The Method of Fasting You Want to Pursue.
Fasting doesnโt necessarily involve a complete cessation of eating; it can be done by cutting down the number of calories you ingest for a certain period of time as well. For many people, however, the time and focus saved on preparing and eating food work well to change their focus to the issue at hand. Still, if you try a complete fast and find that youโre distracted by the lack of food, consider simply cutting your caloric intake back drastically and eat small amounts of food during your fast. Experts recommend 500 calories per day for women, and 600 calories per day for men.
The Duration of the Fast.
Fasting can be done on a daily, weekly, or annual basis. Many people who choose to fast do so intermittently, such as during a portion of their workday, to focus on seeking God for an hour or two, and then they go back to a regular eating schedule. Others find benefits in fasting during a certain time of the month or year to pursue guidance and direction from God. Again, the duration and length of your fast are personal decisions only you can make.
The Time You Have to Focus.
Fasting requires intense focus on the reasons for your fast and on listening to God during this period of time. Youโll want to clear your calendar of extraneous activities so you can calm your heart and mind as you seek Godโs face. Ideally, setting aside specific time in your calendar to focus on prayer and study during your period of fasting will help. Spending an overnight in a location where you (or your group, if youโre fasting with others) can get away from city lights and noise or the distractions of family obligations can increase the effectiveness of the fast.
Your Physical Space.
Selecting the right physical space is important for fasting. To reduce your temptation to eat and to sharpen your focus during your fast, consider setting aside space in your home or in another familiar space for prayer and meditation. While youโre fasting, move to that space to pray during the times you would normally be eating. If you can, during your typical mealtimes, move out of your food-related context by taking a walk, going for a drive, or sitting outdoors.
Your Own Personal Health.
While individuals in the Bible fasted for extended periods of time (seeย Matthew 4), before you fast for any period longer than twenty-four hours, please consult your doctor. Fasting for a longer period of time can lead to dehydration and have other detrimental health effects, especially if you suffer from conditions such as diabetes that may require you to eat at certain times and monitor your bodyโs sugar levels. If during the course of your fast you start to feel ill, stop fasting and ease back into eating.
Breaking your fast.
Experts recommend coming out of a period of fasting, not by feasting, but by starting slowly and being disciplined to eat only regular portions. While you may be hungry and inclined to overindulge after a fast, your goal should be to return to a normal eating pattern.
Remember, nowhere in Scripture are individuals encouraged to fast to the detriment of their health. When individuals and people groups called for fasting, it was typically for a specific period of time with a well-defined starting and ending point.
Now letโs get back to the condition of your heart before you begin the fast. Again, letโs look at Isaiah 58 as we consider this important factor:
โWhy have we fasted,โ they say,
โand you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?โ
Isaiah 58:3
This implies that the people who engaged in the fast did so for a certain period of time for a certain personal reason. At this point in the conversation, perhaps they had completed their fast and were frustrated with the results: they had gone into their fast period with a certain goal in mind, and their goals were not accomplished. Even though they had correctly pursued the โhowโ of the fast, their fast didnโt have its intended effect.
Before you start your fast, review the list above several times and dig deeply to understand your motivations. Be clear on what youโre fasting for, and why, before you decide on how.
Fasting From Things Other Than Food
One important aspect to consider in taking on a period of fasting is other ways to focus your attention and energy on seeking Godโs will. What are the things that distract you on a regular basis from intensifying your focus on God and on his will and direction for your life? While it may be as difficult or for some even more difficult than giving up food, putting your smart phone, tablet, or TV streaming remote in a drawer for a certain amount of time is a great way to remove distraction from your life. For many of us, our smart phones and other connected devices have become perhaps too important as we go throughout our day. Understandably, keeping in touch with children and family is important, but the constant vibration of text and news notifications serves to pull us away from focusing on work, worship, relationships, and other important aspects of our daily lives.
Take this as a challenge: Try putting your phone in a drawer for a few hours on Sunday. Leave it in your car as you sit in a church service. And later, as you think about what you sang and read and learned in that service, focus on prayerfully studying the topics of the day more deeply. After a certain period of time, go ahead and take the phone back out and reconnect with family and friends. Itโs likely you will appreciate the spiritual, mental, and emotional break that youโll enjoy from just a few device-free hours.
Are there other things that you can fast from? Consider what activities take up an inordinate amount of time and attention in your day or week. Many people pursue hobbies that take them away from family; could that be something to consider? It may mean taking a pass when your friends call you for that early Saturday or Sunday golf game so that you can focus on what the kids are doing or needing on the weekend and prioritize worship. Maybe itโs a fascination with some kind of literature that could be put back on the shelf for a few hours so that you can engage more closely with God and your spouse. Really anything that pulls our minds and hearts away from a sharper focus on God is worth considering for a fasting period.
For some, even doing the Lordโs work in ministry or volunteering can take our minds and hearts away from a deeper focus on him. Consider the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Do you need to hear these words from the Lord today? โโMartha, Martha,โย the Lord answered,ย โyou are worriedย and upset about many things,ย but few things are neededโor indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.โโ
Thatโs the real essence and purpose of the fast. Hear again what the Lord said to Martha: โMary has chosen what is better.โ Our Lord and Savior is asking us to choose him in our search for a better life and a closer relationship with him. That involves choosing to engage with him in Bible reading and in prayer; to sit at his feet quietly and wait for him to teach us and lead us into green pastures (see Psalm 23). How can you make that conscious choice to listen to and patiently wait on Jesusโ word for your life today?
How Not to Fast
The prophet Isaiah instructs his readers about pursuing a fast while oneโs heart is not in the right place (again, emphases mine):
โYetย on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a dayย for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing oneโs head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
Isaiah 58:4โ5
This passage speaks to the heart and practice of people who fast to put on a show or whose motivations are not pure. Fasting is done with open hearts and hands to receive guidance and direction from God, not as a tool to manipulate God into conforming his divine will to one personโs plans.
Isaiah calls out the individuals in question, relating Godโs desire for authenticity from those who seek him.
Fasting as a Worldview
Finally, letโs explore the prophet Isaiahโs words regarding the practice of fasting, of pursuing answers from God or showing oneโs remorse over a certain life situation. In this, Isaiah clarifies what God wants to see in our lives when we fastโnamely, a sincere devotion to himself and others without self-imposed blinders for the situations around us.
Individuals who fast to seek answers to their questions canโt ignore the other dictates of the Bible or the situations around them where they are called to become the hands and feet of God in their circle of influence. In short, fasting is futile if weโre asking questions for which the answers lie outside the will of God.
In the following passages, Isaiah calls out the people for their refusal to act in ways that would truly reflect their personal devotion to God and his purposes in the world (emphases mine):
โIs not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
toย loose the chains of injustice
andย 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 shelterโ
when you see the naked, toย clothe them,
andย not to turn awayย from your own flesh and blood?
Isaiah 58:6โ7
But the chastising we read in Isaiah 58 does not come without hope and a promiseโa promise that was as true for its initial hearers as it is for us today.
When we pursue the purposes of God in our hearts and our lives, we connect more closely to the heart of God. When we change our practicesโliterally, when we change what we do and whyโand when we go beyond merely external fasting and understand more clearly how God wants us to live, we can expect to experience more of the following:
Then your lightย will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Thenย you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
โIf you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
Isaiah 58:8โ12
By Mike Vander Klipp, a senior editor with the Zondervan Bible Group, where heโs been privileged to work for the past three decades. He and his family live in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
For more, read โ10 Biblical Purposes for Fasting.โ
ยนย The NIV Lifehacks Bible,ย notes by Joe Carter (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016), 317.
ยฒ Portions of this section were gleaned from โHow to Fast Safely: 10 Helpful Tips,โ Healthline, www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-fast and Faith Lawyer, โWhat Time, How Long and When Christians Should Fast,โ Just Disciple, October 16, 2019, www.justdisciple.com/christian-fasting-time.
Find an NIV Bible that’s right for you! Thereโs an NIV Bible for every age and need โ Bibles for study, devotions, journaling, classic reference, large print, youth, and more. Find yours today!
Very useful.
I am inspired with this because I have been fasting but without devoting enough time to God. I will improve in my fasting from today. Thank you.
This is really beautiful. I’m fasting today and I hope I find what I seek for.
May the Lord be gracious to you in accordance with His goodwill.
I want to start fasting and I found this to be so helpful for a beginner like myself. I am so excited to start this journey.
May the face of the Lord shine on you as you seek His face, Amen
Very is a powerful and important message to us as Christians. Indeed that our prayers and fasting are the key in the journey of a Christian. May God’s grace be sufficient as we start practicing this. I believe that we will all get answers to our prayers. ๐๐
I want to start with my spiritual journey with fasting tomorrow and I find reading this very inspirational. It gives me hope that even with my situation God will provide answers and there will be light in my life going forward.
May your hope in the Lord clothe you with new strength, Amen
I’m glad that I came across this article on fasting. I pray for God’s guidance and direction. Amen
Perfect timing. I’ve been struggling on if I am fasting correctly and the when. This article clarifies everything for me. Thank you.
Powerful piece of information.
Question-can you fast things that are not food like using your phone?
Of course, a fast from anything that turns your thoughts toward God is appropriate. Especially your phone.
I praise God for giving me the opportunity to read this article about fasting.
Very insightful and useful.
Please pray for me as I fast. Thank you so much.
Your help is in the name of the Lord. May He give you grace.
I received this article on the very day of my fast. Praise God. God is teaching me on how to continue fasting. I’ve observed some gaps. However, my prayers are answered. For that glory to God. Amen.
Thanks for sharing ๐
Thanks be to God ๐๐ for this article on fasting. It has brought me nearer to my God who answers me whenever I call upon his Name, pray and seek his guidance. True fasting must have a reason and need .And when one concentrates on an issue and seek God’s guidance in faith and hope, the results are always amazing. God bless you.
I fast but I struggle. I recently did the Daniel fast for the first time. I didnโt get it all the way right but Iโm thankful to God for my efforts because the enemy fights me when it comes to fasting. I want to fast effectively and after reading this I know I will. Thank you
This have given me the information I need on fasting. I’ve really wanted to try but didn’t know how or why.
This article is a great guide, especially to young believers. God bless you for the good work.
Powerful teaching.
This is the teaching I have been looking for. I am now equipped to start fasting.
Very encouraging article. Now I know how to fast. May God help me come through in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen ๐๐ป
Good guidance
Thanks a lot. It’s God speaking through you.
This is good and knowledgeable. Its life changing teachings. I thank God for this article and may God bless you.
What happens if you are fasting, and you can’t stop your self from eating?
Giving up food for a day or a meal or two to pray is a conscious choice, but this is not for everyone. See the section of the article under, Fasting From Things Other Than Food for other fasting suggestions.
Nice piece…educatingโ โ
Thank you very much. This is wonderful.
Great. I am moved to try. Many thanks.
Thank you for this insight. It is a blessing at just the right time. God bless you.
Powerful Teaching.
God is the only gift ๐ that all people’s will believe that when they pray ๐๐ they will receive.