Fasting for Spiritual Breakthroughs: Stories and Scripture (Part 1) – Episode 496

The Bible mentions fasting in various contexts, providing insights into its practice, purpose, and spiritual significance. Here are some key passages and themes related to fasting:

Old Testament

• ✦ Moses’ Fast: Moses fasted for forty days and nights twice while receiving the Law from God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 9:9, 18).
  
  
• ✦ David’s Fast: David fasted and mourned for his child born to Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:16-23).
  
  
• ✦ Esther’s Fast: Esther called for a fast among the Jews before she approached King Xerxes to plead for her people (Esther 4:16).
  
  
• ✦ National Fasts: The Israelites were called to fast in times of national repentance or crisis, such as in the days of Ezra (Ezra 8:21-23) and Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:4).
  
  
• ✦ Day of Atonement: Leviticus 16:29-31 and 23:27-32 prescribe fasting as part of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, where the community atones for sins.
  
  
• ✦ Ahab’s Fast: King Ahab fasted and humbled himself after Elijah’s prophecy of his doom, which led to a delay in the judgment (1 Kings 21:27-29).
  
  
• ✦ Jehoshaphat’s Fast: When Judah faced a vast army, King Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah to seek help from the Lord (2 Chronicles 20:3-4).
  
  
• ✦ Daniel’s Fast: Daniel fasted for three weeks (21 days) after receiving a vision, eating no choice food, meat, or wine, and not anointing himself (Daniel 10:2-3).
  
  
• ✦ Jonah and Nineveh: The people of Nineveh, including the king, fasted and put on sackcloth in response to Jonah’s prophecy of destruction (Jonah 3:5-10).
  
  
• ✦ Hannah’s Fast: Though not explicitly called a fast, Hannah’s intense prayer and abstaining from food in her distress over her barrenness can be seen as a form of fasting (1 Samuel 1:7-18).
  
  
• ✦ Ezra’s Fast: Before leaving Babylon to return to Jerusalem, Ezra proclaimed a fast to seek God’s protection for their journey (Ezra 8:21-23).

New Testament

• ✦ Jesus’ Fast: Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness before beginning His ministry, facing temptation by Satan (Matthew 4:1-2, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-2).
  
  
• ✦ Jesus’ Teaching on Fasting: Jesus assumes His followers will fast, not if, but when they fast (Matthew 6:16-18). He teaches to fast in secret, not for show. When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
  
  
• ✦ Fasting and Prayer: The early church combined fasting with prayer for guidance, as seen when the church at Antioch fasted before sending out Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13:2-3).
  
  
• ✦ Fasting in Conflict: In Matthew 17:21 (in some translations), Jesus suggests that certain kinds of spiritual battles require prayer and fasting (though this verse is not found in all manuscripts).
  
  
• ✦ Paul’s Fast: After his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul (later Paul) was without sight and did not eat or drink for three days (Acts 9:9).
  
  
• ✦ Cornelius’ Fast: Cornelius, a Gentile centurion, fasted and prayed before receiving a vision from God, which led to Peter’s visit and the inclusion of Gentiles in the early church (Acts 10:30).

Themes and Principles of Fasting:

• ✦ Humility and Repentance: Fasting often accompanies repentance, showing a heart turned towards God in humility.
  
  
• ✦ Seeking God’s Will: It’s used to seek divine guidance or intervention, as in the case of Esther or the early church.
  
  
• ✦ Spiritual Warfare: Fasting can be a weapon in spiritual battles, enhancing prayer and spiritual focus.
  
  
• ✦ Community and Solidarity: Fasting can be communal, uniting people in a shared spiritual purpose or crisis.
  
  
• ✦ Private and Personal: Jesus emphasized the private nature of fasting, warning against using it for public recognition.
  
  
• ✦ Not an End in Itself: Fasting is not just about abstaining from food but about drawing closer to God, often accompanied by prayer, repentance, or seeking God’s face.
  
  
• ✦ Fasts for Mourning: Fasting often accompanied times of mourning or national calamity, as seen in various instances where the people mourned over sin or disaster.
  
  
• ✦ Fasts for Seeking God’s Favor: Leaders and prophets often fasted to seek God’s favor, guidance, or intervention in critical situations.
  
  
• ✦ Fasts for Spiritual Preparation: Like Jesus’ fast before His ministry, fasting could prepare individuals for significant spiritual endeavors or revelations.
  
  
• ✦ Fasts for Deliverance: In times of threat or oppression, fasting was used to seek deliverance, as in the case of Jehoshaphat or Esther.
  
  
• ✦ Fasts for Repentance: National or personal repentance often involved fasting, showing a sincere change of heart.
  
  

The Bible does not prescribe fasting as a regular ritualistic requirement for all believers (unlike prayer or giving), but it presents it as a powerful spiritual discipline for various occasions, emphasizing its voluntary and personal nature.