The Good in Fasting- Matthew 6:16-18
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Introduction
Introduction
This topic was requested in October/November.
Fasting is hardly ever covered in sermons or Bible classes.
Personal reflection:
The preacher had never heard a lesson or Bible class specifically on fasting.
Only basic understanding: fasting = not eating or drinking.
Purpose of tonight’s lesson: What is biblical fasting?
It is something seen in both the Old and New Testaments.
It was practiced by the first-century church.
If our goal is to restore the first-century church in the twenty-first century, then we must consider why fasting was practiced, what it meant, and what significance it may have for us.
What is Fasting?
What is Fasting?
General Definition: Fasting is the deliberate act of abstaining from something. At its core, it means withholding something from yourself.
Biblical Definition:
Most often, fasting refers to abstaining from food and water for a spiritual purpose.
It is not merely self-denial, but an intentional act directed toward God.
Fasting was often paired with prayer, repentance, or mourning.
No Universal Rules:
The Bible never sets rigid guidelines for exactly what must be given up.
Different people fasted from different things, depending on the situation.
Scriptural Examples:
Daniel 10:2–3 – Daniel mourned for three weeks. During that time, he ate no delicacies, no meat, no wine, and did not anoint himself. He likely ate only vegetables and drank water.
2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks.
3 I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.
Daniel 1:8–16 – Earlier, Daniel and his friends requested to eat only vegetables and drink water rather than partake in the king’s food, which became a form of dietary self-denial with spiritual intent.
12 “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.”
Acts 9:9 – After Saul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was blind for three days and “neither ate nor drank.” His fasting was connected to repentance and awaiting further instruction from the Lord.
9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Modern Misunderstandings:
Today, many equate fasting simply with dieting or health practices, but biblical fasting is more than physical health—it is spiritual focus.
While modern diets (like keto, Mediterranean, intermittent fasting) involve withholding food, biblical fasting always carries a God-centered purpose.
Key Insight:
Fasting is not only about what you stop doing; it is about what you turn toward: humility, prayer, dependence, and spiritual clarity.
Modern Parallels
Modern Parallels
Lent: A religious practice observed by some traditions, lasting 40 days before Easter. Modeled on Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness. Involves abstaining from meat or other chosen items.
Media or Technology Fasts:
Example: During a high school mission trip to Honduras, participants went 11 days without internet, music, or outside communication (except brief calls home).
Result: Time was spent with one another and focused on serving God.
Health-related Fasts:
Keto, Mediterranean, or intermittent fasting.
Personal example: intermittent fasting (eating one meal per day, drinking only water or coffee otherwise).
Ramadan: Muslim fast that lasts from sun up to sun down
Distinction: These modern fasts may improve health or focus, but biblical fasting is specifically oriented toward spiritual growth and God’s purposes.
Duration of Fasts in Scripture
Duration of Fasts in Scripture
Judges 20:26 – Israel fasted for one day.
Esther 4:16 – Esther and the Jews fasted for three days before she approached the king.
1 Samuel 31:13 – The people fasted for seven days after Saul’s death.
Matthew 4:2 – Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness.
Observation:
There is no set time required.
Minimum: one day.
Maximum: depends on human limits and God’s sustaining grace.
A person can live only 3–4 days without water and a few weeks without food.
Practical Point: The Bible shows flexibility in fasting. The important factor was always the purpose, not the length.
Why Talk About Fasting?
Why Talk About Fasting?
Avoiding the subject creates ignorance.
People may ask: “Why don’t you practice Lent? Why don’t you fast?”
By studying Scripture, we can have a biblical answer about fasting.
Expanded Biblical Teaching on Fasting
Expanded Biblical Teaching on Fasting
1. The Only Explicit Command: Day of Atonement
1. The Only Explicit Command: Day of Atonement
Text: Leviticus 16:29–31
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.
30 For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins.
31 It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever.
Israel commanded to “afflict themselves” (understood as fasting).
This took place on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
Purpose: Atonement for the entire nation through sacrifices.
Observations:
This is the only place in Scripture where fasting is explicitly commanded.
It was tied to humility, repentance, and dependence on God’s mercy.
Takeaway: Fasting in Scripture is always tied to something greater than abstaining from food—it points toward humility before God and His cleansing work.
2. Fasting as Humbling Oneself Before God
2. Fasting as Humbling Oneself Before God
Text: Psalm 35:13
13 But I, when they were sick— I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest.
David: “I afflicted myself with fasting” on behalf of enemies who were sick.
Meaning:
Fasting brings a person low—physically and spiritually.
It’s an act of humility, showing reliance on God’s strength rather than our own.
Application:
Most of us rarely feel true hunger; fasting reminds us of our dependence on God for every need.
Humility gained through fasting can soften our hearts toward others, even those who wrong us.
3. Fasting Connected to Prayer and Intercession
3. Fasting Connected to Prayer and Intercession
Text: Deuteronomy 9:15–18
15 So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire. And the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands.
16 And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the Lord your God. You had made yourselves a golden calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the Lord had commanded you.
17 So I took hold of the two tablets and threw them out of my two hands and broke them before your eyes.
18 Then I lay prostrate before the Lord as before, forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all the sin that you had committed, in doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger.
Moses fasted 40 days on Mount Sinai, pleading with God to spare Israel after the golden calf incident.
Meaning:
Fasting deepens prayer—it’s not just about words but aligning body and spirit in desperate dependence.
Application:
In times of crisis or intercession, fasting can focus our prayers, reminding us of the seriousness of sin and the urgency of God’s mercy.
4. Fasting in Making Important Decisions
4. Fasting in Making Important Decisions
Text: Acts 14:21–23
21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,
22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Apostles prayed and fasted when appointing elders in new congregations.
Meaning:
Weighty spiritual decisions called for extra dependence on God.
Fasting was a way of saying: “This decision is too important for our wisdom alone.”
Application:
When facing big decisions—family, ministry, career—fasting can be a tool to quiet distractions and seek God’s guidance more clearly.
5. Fasting to Strengthen Faith and Seek God’s Help
5. Fasting to Strengthen Faith and Seek God’s Help
Text: Ezra 8:21
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 proclaimed a fast at the river Ahava, seeking a safe journey from God.
Meaning:
Fasting here is about trust. The people chose fasting and prayer over military escorts for protection.
It reminded them that their safety rested in God’s hand.
Application:
Fasting can be a way to actively place faith in God when life feels uncertain or dangerous.
By denying ourselves, we remind our hearts that God is our provider and protector.
6. Fasting in the Early Church and Apostolic Practice
6. Fasting in the Early Church and Apostolic Practice
Texts:
Acts 13:1–3 – The church fasted when sending out Barnabas and Saul.
1 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.
2 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.”
3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
2 Corinthians 6:3–10 – Paul lists fasting among hardships endured for the sake of ministry.
3 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,
4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,
5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;
6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love;
7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;
8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true;
9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed;
10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
Meaning:
Early Christians saw fasting as part of devotion, mission, and perseverance.
Application:
While not required, fasting remains a valuable discipline for Christians today to prepare for ministry, strengthen endurance, and seek God’s will.
7. Jesus’ Teaching on Fasting
7. Jesus’ Teaching on Fasting
16 “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.
17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 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.
Warning: Don’t fast to be seen by others.
True fasting is private, directed toward God, not for public recognition.
14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
Jesus implies that His disciples would fast after His departure.
Application:
Fasting is not about ritual or reputation; it’s about intimacy with God.
Jesus expected it would have a place in the life of His followers, but with the right heart.
Must Christians Fast? (Expanded)
Must Christians Fast? (Expanded)
No Direct Command in the New Testament:
Unlike baptism or the Lord’s Supper, fasting is never commanded of Christians.
There is no apostolic instruction requiring regular fasting for the church.
No…But…It was expected!
Jesus’ Expectation of Fasting:
Matthew 9:14–15 – When asked why His disciples didn’t fast, Jesus replied that they would fast once He, the bridegroom, was taken away.
Implication: fasting would naturally become part of Christian life after His ascension.
Matthew 6:16–18 – Jesus says, “When you fast…” not if—implying that some of His disciples would indeed fast, but that it must be done in the right spirit.
Early Church Practice:
Acts 13:1–3 – The church fasted when commissioning Barnabas and Saul.
1 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.
2 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.”
3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Acts 14:23 – Elders were appointed with prayer and fasting.
23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
2 Corinthians 6:3–10 – Paul included fasting among the hardships endured in ministry.
These examples show that fasting was practiced by the earliest Christians, though not mandated as a law.
The Value of Fasting:
Provides focus and clarity in prayer.
Helps humble the body and spirit before God.
Demonstrates dependence on God during important decisions or crises.
Strengthens self-discipline and faith.
The Limits of Fasting:
Not a test of salvation: a Christian who never fasts is not condemned for that reason.
Not a means of earning righteousness: fasting cannot replace obedience, repentance, or faith in Christ.
Not appropriate for everyone: health, medical needs, or physical work may make fasting from food dangerous. Alternative fasts (from technology, entertainment, or comforts) may still serve the same spiritual purpose.
Summary Statement:
Fasting is not required, but it is a valuable spiritual discipline.
Christians are free in Christ: some may fast regularly, others may not.
Those who do fast should do so with humility, purpose, and in secret before God.
Those who cannot fast from food may practice other forms of self-denial to focus on the Lord.
Guidelines for Fasting (Expanded)
Guidelines for Fasting (Expanded)
Keep It Private
Keep It Private
Matthew 6:16–18 – Don’t fast to impress others.
16 “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.
17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 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.
Avoid announcing on social media or seeking sympathy.
Fasting is between you and God.
Have a Clear Purpose
Have a Clear Purpose
Every biblical fast had a reason (repentance, intercession, seeking wisdom, humbling oneself).
Without purpose, fasting becomes meaningless ritual. (Isaiah 58 shows God’s displeasure with empty fasting).
Avoid Legalism
Avoid Legalism
Fasting is not required for salvation.
Don’t treat it as a ritual that earns God’s favor.
Start Small and Be Wise
Start Small and Be Wise
Biblical fasts lasted from one day to 40 days.
Begin with a meal or one day.
Consider health, age, work, and medical conditions. Don’t harm yourself.
Replace What You Give Up With God’s Presence
Replace What You Give Up With God’s Presence
Use the time normally spent eating for prayer, Scripture, or worship.
Without redirecting focus, fasting is just dieting.
Have an End Goal
Have an End Goal
Fasting should aim at deepening relationship with God, seeking clarity, or strengthening faith.
It is not endless or aimless; it concludes with renewed dependence on the Lord.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Fasting is seen throughout Scripture—in the OT, NT, and early church.
Used for humility, prayer, intercession, decision-making, and strengthening faith.
Jesus taught it should be private and purposeful.
Fasting is not commanded, but it is beneficial for those able to practice it.
If you fast:
Keep it between you and God.
Have a clear purpose.
Replace food or activity with prayer and Scripture.
Use it to grow closer to God and deepen faith.
