Fasting Scriptures

Fasting is ceasing from eating and drinking. According to scriptures fasting is a spiritual practice done by true believers to draw closer to the God. When people fast individually or in groups they should pray to develop spiritual strength and understand God’s will. Following are some of the fasting scriptures.

Mt 6:16

“When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.”

When you are fasting do not look dull and depressed as how hypocrites try to do. They pretend to show people they are fasting. But the fact is they received their reward fully.

Mt 6:18

“so that it will not be obvious to men 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.”

When you fast, apply oil to your head and wash your face, so that no one will know that you are fasting. And only God the Father will know it. God will surely reward you for what you done in secret.

Acts 27:33
And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying,

“Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing.”

Paul encourages the ship’s crew to eat, since they had gone 14 days fasting.

According to 1 Corinthians (7:3-5):
Fasting is not only concerned with food but also other things. The wife should fulfill her marital duty to her husband, and in the same way the husband to his wife. The wife’s body not only belongs to her alone but also to her husband. Likewise, the husband’s body not only belongs to him alone but also to his wife.

“Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer”.