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What the Bible says
What Does the Bible Say About Fasting?
The Bible presents fasting as a way of humbling ourselves before God, setting aside food or comfort to seek Him with greater focus and hunger.
Fasting is not about impressing God or others; Jesus warned against making a show of it. It is a quiet turning of the heart, using physical hunger to stir spiritual hunger and to say, God, I want You more than this.
Throughout Scripture people fasted in seasons of repentance, grief, decision, and seeking. It is not a way to earn God's favor but a way to press into His presence with humility and dependence.
Key Bible verses
“But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret.”
Matthew 6:17-18 · King James Version (public domain)
“Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”
Joel 2:12 · King James Version (public domain)
“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free.”
Isaiah 58:6 · King James Version (public domain)
“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Matthew 4:4 · King James Version (public domain)
How this points to Jesus
Jesus fasted forty days in the wilderness and overcame temptation by the word of God. He is the true Bread that satisfies the soul's deepest hunger. When we fast, we are saying that He is better than anything we set aside, and we find that He truly is.