FASTING IN FAITH

Are We Commanded To Fast?

Fasting is the practice of abstaining from food.

The Day of Atonement was the only regular fast that the Lord commanded.

Leviticus 16:29 ““And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you.”

Psalm 35:13 “But I, when they were sick— I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest.”

Christians and Fasting

Jesus taught that His disciples would fast.

See Matthew 9:14–15...

Fasting is mentioned about thirty times in the New Testament, almost always positively.

The Purpose of Fasting

- Fasting is primarily associated with mourning or other times of consuming spiritual need or anxiety, but there are many Biblical reasons to fast. Here are several: Seeking the Lord’s help or an answer to prayer, times of sorrow, severe danger, conviction and regret over sin, seeking the Lord’s will, the beginning of an important task or ministry, intense prayer, humbling ourselves before God, an expression of our great need for the Lord, and to devote yourself to a Biblical task.

The heart of fasting should be the realization that our greatest need is the Lord Himself.

Job 23:12 “I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.”

Deuteronomy 8:3 “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (see Matthew 4:4)

True Biblical fasting isn’t just the removal of food, but also the pursuit of the Lord and His provision for us.

The Wrong Way to Fast

Fasting to be seen by others, going through the motions, or trying to earn God’s favor are examples of unbiblical fasting.

Mark 7:6 “And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;”

See Isaiah 58:1-14 and Zechariah 7:5-7...

See Joel 2:12–13...

The Father’s Reward

If we sincerely fast, the Father will reward us.

Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

See Psalm 37:4–7...

1 Peter 5:6–7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”