Where in the Bible do Christians get the concept of fasting from?

Question

Please give some specific verses for this? Is the concept of the fasting in the Bible the same as what they do today by giving up something for Lent, not eating meat on Fridays, etc? Or is it truly fasting (abstaining from food, water, desires, etc.).

Thanks!

Answer 1

http://www.gotquestions.org/fasting-Christian.html

Answer 2

This is what a quick search in an online Bible topical Guide turned up on fasting:

Ex. 34: 28 (Deut. 9: 9; 1 Kgs. 19: 8) forty days . . . he did neither eat bread, nor drink water.
2 Sam. 12: 16David . . . besought God for the child, and David fasted.
1 Kgs. 21: 9Proclaim a fast.
2 Chr. 20: 3set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
Ezra 8: 23we fasted and besought our God.
Ezra 10: 6Ezra . . . did eat no bread, nor drink water.
Neh. 1: 4I . . . fasted, and prayed before the God.
Neh. 9: 1children of Israel were assembled with fasting.
Esth. 4: 16fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink.
Esth. 9: 31they had decreed . . . the matters of the fastings.
Ps. 35: 13I humbled my soul with fasting.
Ps. 69: 10I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting.
Ps. 109: 24My knees are weak through fasting.
Isa. 58: 3in the day of your fast ye find pleasure.
Jer. 36: 6in the Lord’s house upon the fasting day.
Dan. 6: 18king . . . passed the night fasting.
Dan. 9: 3to seek by prayer and supplication, with fasting.
Joel 1: 14Sanctify ye a fast.
Joel 2: 12turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting.
Jonah 3: 5Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast.
Zech. 8: 19the fast . . . shall be . . . joy and gladness.
Matt. 4: 2(Luke 4: 2) when he had fasted forty days and forty nights.
Matt. 6: 18(3 Ne. 13: 16) appear not unto men to fast.
Matt. 9: 15(Mark 2: 20) bridegroom shall be taken . . . then shall they fast.
Matt. 15: 32(Mark 8: 3) not send them away fasting.
Matt. 17: 21this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
Mark 9: 29come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
Luke 2: 37a widow . . . served God with fastings and prayers.
Luke 5: 34Can ye make the children . . . fast.
Luke 18: 12I fast twice in the week.
Acts 10: 30Four days ago I was fasting.
Acts 13: 2they ministered to the Lord, and fasted.
Acts 14: 23ordained them elders . . . and had prayed with fasting.
Acts 27: 9because the fast was now already past.
Acts 27: 33fourteenth day . . . continued fasting.
1 Cor. 7: 5give yourselves to fasting and prayer.
2 Cor. 11: 27

Hope that helps a bit.

Answer 3

there isnt room on here togive you all the references to fasting that are in the bible so here are but a few!
(
Deut.9:18 And I fell down before the Lord, as at the first, forty
days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.

Neh.9:1-2;
1 Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.

(Matt.4:1-2
1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

Answer 4

Dan 10:3, Mt 9:15, Mt 6:16-18, Mk 7:19, 1 Tim 4:4-5

Roman Catholic perception of fasting and the bible.

Answer 5

Isaiah 58 specifically mentions fasting, its purposes, and the beautiful blessings that can result. It's one of my favorite Biblical passages.

In my church we are taught to fast by giving up food and water for 24 hours or two meals. During this time, we should pray and express to God the desires of our hearts. Fasting is an appropriate way to show our gratitude to God and also ask Him for special blessings for ourselves and/or others. People are invited to fast once a month on special fast days, when able, and as part of the fast we contribute money to a fund that helps the needy. I personally have found a lot of spiritual strength through fasting and I know that it's very powerful.

Answer 6

"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. {2} And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered..." (Matt. 4:1-2)

That's where.

True fasting (no food for the day) is reserved for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The other practices (like on Friday with meat) are better referred to as days of "abstinence" rather than fasting

Answer 7

Early Christian writers would fast and even Jesus fasted. There is a verse in the bible that Jesus states that if a person is fasting he should energized not tired like the "hypocrites". Is a way of showing your devotion to Christ and remember the sacrifices he made for you.

Answer 8

No, lent is a catholic thing. Some protestants do it also.
There are 13 references to fasting in the Old Testament and 8 in the New Testament. Look in you concordance.

Answer 9

I was told that you only need to give up something that is not necessary to be eaten(or stuff that will tempt you)! My catholic friend told me that you don't fast like the Muslims...it only lasts for 40 days and is sometime in February...hope this helped=)

the verse is somewhere in the early part of the NT, but not sure where it is! It's where jesus was in the desert and the devil was tepmting him!

Answer 10

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


Fasting

16 “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.



17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,


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.



Jesus Questioned About Fasting

14 Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”



15 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.



Jesus Questioned About Fasting

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”



19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them.


20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.



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


Jesus Questioned About Fasting

33 They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”



34 Jesus answered, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?


35 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”



12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’



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.”


3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.



23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.


9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast. So Paul warned them,


41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.



Final Greetings

12 With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.

Answer 11

2 Samuel 3:35, 1 Samuel 31:13, Daniel 10:2-6, Exodus 34:28 and many others if you need