Why Do We Fast?
There are so many biblical reasons to fast. Fasting has been done in the bible to seek answers from God, to get our heart in alignment with His, to mourn, to prepare for battle, to overcome temptation, to show our love and devotion to Him, and so much more.
Fasting is never to be done out of pride, a religious spirit, or because of what others will think. Fasting is between you and the Lord. God cares more about our hearts than he does the legalistic rules of fasting.
Here are just a few scriptural examples from the Bible:
Ezra 8:23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.
Judges 20: 26 Then all the Israelites, the whole army, went up to Bethel, and there they sat weeping before the Lord. They fasted that day until evening and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord.
1 Samuel 31: 13 Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
1 Samuel 7:6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader[a] of Israel at Mizpah.
2 Chronicles 3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
1 Kings 21: 27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. 28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29 “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”
Luke 2: 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[a] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
What Types of Fasts Are There?
There are 3 Main Types of Fasts in the Bible
Standard Fast: No food, but only drinking liquids
Matthew 4:2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
Daniel Fast: Vegetables and Water
Daniel 1:8-16
Total Fast: No food or Drink
Acts 9:9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
Exodus 34:28 Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.
**It’s important to check with your doctor before you fast to make sure it’s safe for you. **
If you’re unable to fast food, another type of fasting to consider would be doing a media fast:
Young people, between the ages of 12 - 18, spend an average of 63 hours a week on social media. This shows just how distracting and addicting social media is. What if in fasting this, we dedicated a portion of time normally spent on social media to spending before the Lord.
Fasting For Kids
It’s crucial that we start to teach our children what it means to fast and pray. Although they may not do a complete fast or even a daniel fast, it’s good for your child to recognize the value behind personal sacrifice. This exercise encourages them to set aside special times to disconnect from some of the extracurricular activities and treats they enjoy on a regular basis, and to connect to God in a closer way. Every day they’ll pick something from the cup they’ll “give up” and then they’ll pick something from the second cup that they’ll “fill up.” Click here to download.