bible verses about fasting They teach us how important this tool is to refrain from consuming food or other things, to to be able to have control and mastery of his flesh in the face of temptationsince self-control is developed subjecting the desires that come from the sinful nature, working according to the works of the Spirit.
Thus, fasting it becomes, within the context of the relationship with God, the way a person approaches Him, allowing Him to grant something and above all serves to listen to his voice, and grow in walking according to the divine purpose for which they are on earth.
Bible Verses About Fasting
Fasting is a tool that is born from a heart that worships God, and is done voluntarily, in which they refrain from eating, drinking or something else for a while. So they focus on feeding the spirit and Seeking the presence of God in a special way in such a way The Bible has a diversity of verses that allow us to understand this tool of worship of God.
Next, 24 verses on fasting will be presented.
Verses about the fasting of men and women of God
- «And Moses was there, with the Lord, forty days and forty nights. He did not eat bread or drink water, but he did write on the stone tablets the words of the covenant, that is, the ten commandments.” (Exodus 34:28)
- “Then the Israelites and all the people returned to the house of God, and weeping they sat before the Lord and fasted all day and until night, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.” (Judges 20:26)
- “They gathered at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted there that day and said, We have sinned against Jehovah. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah (1 Samuel 7:6)
- “But the men of Israel were in great trouble that day, because Saul had put the people under an oath, saying, Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, before I have avenged myself on my enemies. And no one from the town tasted food. And all the people of the land went into the forest, and there was honey on the ground. And when the people entered the forest, behold, honey was flowing, but no one put their hand to their mouth, because the people feared the oath…” (1 Samuel 14:24-30)
- “Filled with fear, Jehoshaphat set out to inquire of the Lord, and he commanded that all in Judah fast” (2nd Chronicles 20:3)
- “Then he left the temple and went to the room of Johanan son of Eliashib, and once there he did not eat or drink anything, because he was very sad for the sin of the Israelites who had returned from captivity” (Ezra 10:6)
- “Go and assemble all the Jews who are in Susa, to fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, day or night. I, for my part, will fast with my maidens just like you. When I’ve done this, I’ll appear before the king, even though it’s against the law. And if I perish, let me perish!” (Esther 4:16)
- «On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites assembled again to fast, dressed in rough clothes and with their heads covered with dust. By then the Israelites had already removed the children of foreigners from themselves. Standing up, the Israelites confessed their sins and those of their fathers.” (Nehemiah 9:1-2)
- «I did not eat any delicate delicacy, nor meat, nor did I drink wine, nor applied any perfume, until the three weeks were completed» (Daniel 10:3)
- “All the inhabitants of Nineveh believed in God and decreed a fast, and from the greatest to the least they put on sackcloth” (Jonah 3:5)
- “Jesus returned from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit into the desert. There he was forty days, and the devil was putting him to the test. Since during those days he did not eat anything, after that time he was hungry » (Luke 4:1-2)
- “Gird yourself with sackcloth, and lament, priests; wail, ministers of the altar. Come, spend the night girdled with sackcloth, ministers of my God, for the house of your God has been left without grain offering and without libation. Promulgate fasting, convene an assembly; Assemble the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry to the LORD.” (Joel 1:13-14)
These verses about fasting show how in ancient times, in the face of any situation or circumstance that the God-honoring men and women proclaimed and fasted so that their activity or their life was filled with the presence of God, in order to be victorious in the midst of the situations they lived.
Verses about the Blessing that is received when performing a Fast
- “And it came to pass that when Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth over his flesh, and fasted, and lay down with the sackcloth, and walked dejected. Then the word of the Lord came to Elias Tishbite, saying, Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring evil in his days; but in the days of his son I will bring evil upon his house.” (1st Kings 21:27-29)
- «Then I proclaimed there, next to the Ahava river, a fast so that we would humble ourselves before our God in order to implore from Him a happy trip for us, for our little ones and for all our possessions. Because I was ashamed to ask the king for troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the road, since we had said to the king: The hand of our God is propitious to all who seek him, but his power and his wrath against all those who abandon him. So we fasted and asked our God about this, and He heard our prayer.” (Ezra 8:21-23)
- «If they were sick, I worried; she fasted and dressed me in sackcloth. I want my prayers to come back to me!” (Psalms 35:13)
- “While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said: Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then, having fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them away.” (Acts 13:2-3)
- “They also appointed elders in each church, and after praying and fasting they commended them to the Lord, in whom they had believed” (Acts 14:23)
Each of these verses talk about how people fasted and prayed for some request, and it was God who responded by bringing the blessing they longed for. In such a way that these examples are a tangible sample of the power of fasting, being invaluable and a powerful weapon for all those who wish to receive God’s support in the face of any circumstance that they live.
Verses about the characteristics of a good Fast
- «And they said to him: The disciples of John fast frequently and make prayers; those of the Pharisees also do the same, but yours eat and drink. Then Jesus said to them: Can you make the groom’s companions fast while the groom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, so they will fast in those days.” (Luke 5:33-35)
- “They say: ‘Why did we fast, and you paid no attention? Why did we afflict our souls, and you did not take it for granted?’. “Behold, on the day of their fasting they achieve their desire and exploit all their workers” (Isaiah 58:3)
- “Does not the fast that I chose rather consist in loosening the bonds of impiety, in loosening the bonds of the yoke, in setting the broken free, and in breaking every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6)
- “But even now,” says the Lord, “turn to me with all your hearts, with fasting, weeping, and lamentation. Rend your heart, and not your garments, and return to the Lord your God; for he is merciful and clement, slow to anger and great in mercy, and he mourns the punishment.” (Joel 2:12-13)
- “When you fast, do not show yourselves afflicted, like the hypocrites, because they change their faces to show people that they are fasting; Truly I tell you, you have already earned your reward.” (Matthew 6:16)
- “But you, when you fast, perfume your head and wash your face, so that you do not show others that you are fasting, but your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you in public.” (Matthew 6:17-18)
- “And he said to them: This kind can come out with nothing, but with prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29)
These verses talk about the way a fast should be directed, giving guidelines that will allow the good result of this sacrifice that the person will carry out in favor of a benefit that they wish to obtain from God. It is therefore imperative to understand that the Holy Scriptures show the perfect will of God to his people, who are instructed before the good fasting that He desires.
after seeing these 24 verses on fasting We hope you can understand the magnitude of this spiritual tool, so we invite you to not care about the type of fast you choose, the important thing is to dedicate the necessary time to seek God more.
Emphasis should be placed on spending time with God, praying, adoring, reading his word, nourishing himself with his revelation so that this time may be fruitful for his spiritual life and, truly, it becomes a delight for your life to seek the Lord.
“I will delight myself in your statutes, and I will not forget your word” (Psalms 119:16)