Bible Verses About Fasting
Scripture on fasting — hunger turned toward God, humility, and seeking his face.
Fasting is one of the quiet disciplines of Scripture — going without so as to seek God more earnestly. It is never for show, always for the heart. These verses gather what the Bible teaches about the practice and its purpose.
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
When ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance.
Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting.
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, and that ye break every yoke?
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness.
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: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Anoint thine head... that thou appear not unto men to fast.
As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said...
So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.
We fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated.
And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer... with fasting.
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
When he had fasted forty days... he was afterward an hungred.
Fasting is not a hunger strike to move God; it is emptying the hands to hold onto him. Do it quietly, do it for his face and not men's eyes, and let the hunger point your heart home.
