DEFINITION OF FASTING
SOME BIBLE CHARACTERS WHO FASTED
Many people in the Bible fasted. Moses, David, & Daniel in the Old Testament and Anna, Paul, and Jesus Christ in the New Testament all fasted.
REASONS FOR FASTING
Repentance: Biblical fasting is often closely linked to repentance, as in the examples of David, the nation of Israel, and the city of Nineveh. Passionate prayer: fasting is also related to serious prayer, as King Jehoshaphat and Queen Esther did. Biblical fasting comes from a humble heart seeking God Isaiah 58:3–7.
TYPES OF FASTING
The regular fast is abstinence from all types of food, both solid and liquid, except water. This was the type of fasting Judah’s King Jehoshaphat called for when his country was under confrontation 2 Chronicles 20:3. The Lord defeated their enemies, and the men of Judah blessed the Lord 2 Chronicles 20:24–27. After Captivity in Babylon, the people who returned to Jerusalem prayed and fasted, seeking God for protection on their journey Ezra 8:21. Jesus Christ also fasted during His forty days in the wilderness being tempted by Satan Luke 4:2. When Jesus was hungry, Satan tempted Him to turn stones into bread, to which Jesus replied, “Man shall not live by bread alone” Luke 4:4.
Partial fast: This is the same type of fast prophet Daniel went through by spending three weeks fasting from certain foods. In Daniel 10, the prophet says, “I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over” Daniel 10:2–3. Daniel abstained from “choice” food, he further relinquished the use of oils and “lotions” for refreshment. Though many believers
REASONS FOR FASTING
Repentance: Biblical fasting is often closely linked to repentance, as in the examples of David, the nation of Israel, and the city of Nineveh. Passionate prayer: fasting is also related to serious prayer, as King Jehoshaphat and Queen Esther did. Biblical fasting comes from a humble heart seeking God Isaiah 58:3–7.
TYPES OF FASTING
The regular fast is abstinence from all types of food, both solid and liquid, except water. This was the type of fasting Judah’s King Jehoshaphat called for when his country was under confrontation 2 Chronicles 20:3. The Lord defeated their enemies, and the men of Judah blessed the Lord 2 Chronicles 20:24–27. After Captivity in Babylon, the people who returned to Jerusalem prayed and fasted, seeking God for protection on their journey Ezra 8:21. Jesus Christ also fasted during His forty days in the wilderness being tempted by Satan Luke 4:2. When Jesus was hungry, Satan tempted Him to turn stones into bread, to which Jesus replied, “Man shall not live by bread alone” Luke 4:4.
Partial fast: This is the same type of fast prophet Daniel went through by spending three weeks fasting from certain foods. In Daniel 10, the prophet says, “I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over” Daniel 10:2–3. Daniel abstained from “choice” food, he further relinquished the use of oils and “lotions” for refreshment. Though many believers
today follow this example and abstain from certain foods or activities but just for a short time.
Absolute or the full fast: This is where no food or water is consumed. For example when Esther found out the plan for all the Jews to be destroyed in Persia, she fasted with fellow Jews by not eating food and water for three days before she entered the king’s courts to ask for his mercy Esther 4:16. Another typical example of an absolute fast is in the story of Saul’s conversion. Murderous Saul encountered Jesus in His glory on the road to Damascus. “For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything” Acts 9:9. Immediately after that time of blindness and fasting, Saul dedicated his life to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
For Esther and Saul, the absolute fast only lasted three days. But, Moses and Elijah miraculously fasted for forty-days. When Moses also met God on the mountain top to receive the tablets of stone, he neither ate bread nor drank water Deuteronomy 9:9. And, after Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, fleeing from Queen Jezebel, Elijah spent forty days of fasting in the wilderness (1 Kings 19).
Sexual fast:
In Exodus 19:15, the people of Israel's preparation for their encounter with the Lord at Mt. Sinai partly was to abstain from sexual relations for three days. And in 1 Corinthians 7:5 Paul added that a married couple can together agree to abstain from sex for a period of time in order to devote themselves to prayer. But then they are to “come together again so that Satan won't tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
CONCLUSION
For Esther and Saul, the absolute fast only lasted three days. But, Moses and Elijah miraculously fasted for forty-days. When Moses also met God on the mountain top to receive the tablets of stone, he neither ate bread nor drank water Deuteronomy 9:9. And, after Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, fleeing from Queen Jezebel, Elijah spent forty days of fasting in the wilderness (1 Kings 19).
Sexual fast:
In Exodus 19:15, the people of Israel's preparation for their encounter with the Lord at Mt. Sinai partly was to abstain from sexual relations for three days. And in 1 Corinthians 7:5 Paul added that a married couple can together agree to abstain from sex for a period of time in order to devote themselves to prayer. But then they are to “come together again so that Satan won't tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
CONCLUSION
Fasting, whether regular, partial, absolute, or sexual, is seeking after God, all other blessings and benefits will be secondary to God alone. This is what sets apart sincere biblical fast from other religious and cultural practices around the globe.
Thanks
By Andama Godfrey
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