Fasting In The Bible
Although fasting is especially popular these days because of its many health and weight-loss benefits, it is actually deeply rooted in history, with significance in culture and religion.
Fasting in the Bible is one of the most cited and earliest references to the practice.
Fasting is defined as the willful abstinence from something—usually food—in order to achieve a certain goal. For medical reasons, fasting is often utilized to measure and control blood sugar levels. It also promotes better health by reducing inflammation and improving levels of cholesterol, blood pressure, and triglycerides.
More recently, it had a surge of popularity because of intermittent fasting, which is said to be one of the easiest ways to lose weight.
In religious contexts, fasting in the Bible is to refrain from something that satisfies you to seek satisfaction in God alone.
The purpose of fasting in the Bible is that it helped in spiritual breakthroughs, especially when someone was trying to overcome negative emotions and habits, like Elijah. Some Bible verses about fasting have described it as forms of atonement and sacrifice.
These days, religious fasting is not limited to food alone. A lot of people choose to give up certain things they enjoy, such as screen time, material indulgences, or leisurely habits in order to dedicate more time to prayer and reflection.
This is especially common during the Lenten season, to mimic the 40-day fasting that Jesus went through. During this period, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays are obligatory days of fasting.
While Jesus’ 40-day complete fasting is one of the most familiar accounts of fasting in the Bible, there are more types of fasting documented. Here are some that were written in the Bible.
- Complete Fasting
A complete fast is when you fully abstain from both food and water. Jesus performed this for 40 days in the wilderness, where he was led by the Spirit and endured temptation from the devil. Matthew 4:2 states,“And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.”
Moses had a similar endeavor on Mount Sinai, isolating himself to be spiritually closer to the Lord before he wrote The Ten Commandments. A Bible verse about this fasting states,
“So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.” — Exodus 34:28
A complete fast is extreme and should not be undertaken without the supervision of a doctor. Even then, 40 days would be too long without water and would cause damage to the various systems in your body.
Several studies have proven that humans can only last up to three to four days without water because water is critical for health, allowing our bodies to function.
- Partial Fasting
A partial fast is when you restrict yourself from certain dishes. The most concrete and talked-about example of a partial fast is from Daniel, who did it for 21 days.“In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.” — Daniel 10:12-13
The Daniel Fast was recently popularized by the Hollywood actor Chris Pratt. This practice is very similar to a vegan diet in that it’s plant-based, with least-processed foods. It is easily doable by anyone just by limiting oneself to vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and whole grains.
Another common method of a partial fast is abstaining from meat during Lent season, especially on Fridays as well as Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
- Non-Food Fasting
Similar to modern non-food fasts, Biblical writings also discuss giving up on indulgences, specifically unholy things. In the same Daniel verse above, the prophet references anointment, which contextually means with oils or lotions—a luxury in those times.Meanwhile, 1 Corinthians 7:5 alludes to abstinence from sex:
“Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
Similarly, the Bible verse Exodus 19:15 also references fasting from sexual relations, stating:
“He said to the people, ‘Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.'”
People often have varying understandings when it comes to sexual abstinence. For some, it can mean no intercourse, although other sexual relations are allowed.
As for others, it can mean absolutely no sexual activities of any kind are allowed. There are also a significant number of people who believe in not engaging in sex before marriage.
- Group Fasting
In the Bible, a group fast is done as a community, often with a shared goal. A concrete reference of this is in the Book of Esther:“Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.” — Esther 4:16
The three-day group fast Queen Esther instigated was a fasting prayer to plead for the lives of the Jewish people after her husband the King issued a decree to wipe them all out.
In that culture, she could be sentenced to death by approaching the King without being summoned, hence her saying, “and if I perish, I perish.”
These days, group fasts occur between members of the same church, as well as groups that are working towards the same goal. It is often utilized as a form of protest for certain socio-political issues.
- Isolation Fasting
More prevalent than group fasting is isolation fasting, in which someone distanced themselves from other people and sought solace to find spiritual breakthroughs.
Moses and Jesus were in isolation for 40 days for their fasting, and so was the prophet Elijah.
“So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.” — 1 Kings 19:8
Elijah’s fast was preluded by emotional problems after having killed the prophets of Baal. Wallowing in self-pity, he wandered into the wilderness where he fell into depression until the Lord intervened and gave him a renewed purpose.
While it’s accompanied by food fasting in Moses, Elijah, and Jesus’ case, retreating into isolation fasting promotes an opportunity to overcome emotional problems as you seek comfort in God.
The solace also gives room to reflect on your previous actions or current mindset in the hopes of finding strength and focus to move forward.
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