What does the bible teach about fasting?

Answer 1

Jesus is said to have fasted for forty days.

Matthew 4:2
After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Matthew 6:16
[ Fasting ] "When you fast, do not look somber 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.

Matthew 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

Luke 2:37
and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.

Luke 18:12
I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

Acts 13:2
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."



Zechariah 7:3
by asking the priests of the house of the LORD Almighty and the prophets, "Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?"



Ezra 8:21
There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.

Esther 4:16
"Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."

Psalm 35:13
Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered,

Isaiah 58:3
'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?' "Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.



Judges 20:26
Then the Israelites, all the people, 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 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." And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah.

2 Samuel 12:16
David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground.


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.

Answer 2

Is Fasting for Christians?

Even though Jesus Christ never commanded his disciples to fast, he and his followers fasted on Atonement Day because they were under the Mosaic Law. Additionally, some of his disciples fasted voluntarily on other occasions, since Jesus did not direct them to avoid the practice altogether. (Acts 13:2, 3; 14:23) Yet, they were never to ‘disfigure their faces that they might appear to men to be fasting.’ (Matthew 6:16) Such an external display of piety might bring admiring glances and approving nods from other humans. Nevertheless, God is not pleased with such a showy display.—Matthew 6:17, 18.

Jesus also spoke of his followers’ fasting at the time of his death. He was not thereby instituting a ritual fast. Instead, he was indicating a reaction to the deep sorrow they would experience. Once he was resurrected, he would be with them again, and there would no longer be such a reason for them to fast.—Luke 5:34, 35.

The Mosaic Law ended when “the Christ was offered once for all time to bear the sins of many.” (Hebrews 9:24-28) And with the end of the Law, the command to fast on Atonement Day ended. Thus, the only obligatory fast mentioned in the Bible was removed.

Answer 3

Jesus taught that we ought to fast, it's a good way to get closer to him and the principle behind it is that we show our dependence on God. I don't fast often but when I do I get answers to prayers that weren't being answered before. We are to fast secretly, so we don't boast about it to others. Fasting doesn't have to be total, you can fast one or two meals a day for a period of time, or you can merely give up something else like computor time, TV or sex as a way to show God He is important and you mean business.

Answer 4

Some christians do do Lent which is 40 days of fasting.

Answer 5

The bible does not teach anything, it is a book full of fairy tales.

Answer 6

the old testament teach bout it, but the christians throw that away.They trust the so called divine insipratian human who wrote the new testament.

Answer 7

you must not eat during it or it doesnt count.

Actually all christians should refrain from food for 40 days, starting now.

Answer 8

Which Bible, the ORIGINAL bible or the one that we have nowadays (the CORRUPT one)?

Answer 9

You want the Koran mate..

Answer 10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3sKTjPdzSo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzDG84y3p0E