Fasting 101

FASTING 101

Fasting is often times confusing and there are so many different opinions about what it is or is not. I’ve included many Biblical references below, so definitely take the time to read and prayerfully consider each example. Forty is also a very profound number in the Bible and relates to many significant events. For the purposes of this 40 day corporate prayer leading up to Election Day, I ask that each of you prayerfully inquire God’s will for your time of fasting and prayer for the Country. Ask God to show you from what you need to fast and He definitely will. Don’t make it overly complicated or risk your health, and be prepared to be tempted a lot! When you are, turn to God immediately and He will make a way for you to get through it and provide peace for your mind and soul. You will experience many spiritual insights and breakthroughs. Be assured it is so worth the sacrifice to experience the Spiritual growth in your life.
The toughest challenges to change are done through prayer and fasting. This is an amazing gift that God has given us and a powerful weapon against the enemy. Spiritual strongholds are broken through fasting and prayer.
Let’s do this for our God, the values we hold so dear and our future descendants. WE CAN get through this time of spiritual coldness in our land but only through the vigilance and diligent prayer and fasting of its people. God WILL notice and WILL change the situation through us if we come together now.
Let’s also be certain to pray for one another during this time so that we will not be tempted beyond what we can bear and that God will be with us as one and He will finish the good work He has started in each one of us. God bless each of you my dear brothers and sisters and God bless your selfless journey to save our land and the Christian heritage of our country.
Just in case you’re curious, I’m personally fasting from wine (I drink a glass of red wine most nights) and from all meat except fish. I’m also restricting myself to whole, organic real foods that are minimally processed with little or no preservatives.
Again, fasting is between you and God. Make sure you do something you feel that’s realistic and won’t jeopardize your health. This is about drawing nearer to God and not a diet or anything else. Think simple!

Reference Extent Summary
Exod 24:18, 34:28; Deut 9:9, 18, 10:10 individual Moses twice spends forty days on Mount Sinai without eating or drinking, and in mourning over Israel’s sin.
Judg 20:26 corporate Israel fasts until evening to inquire of YHWH after loss to Benjamin.
1 Sam 1:7-8 individual Hannah weeps and refuses to eat when her husband’s other wife provokes her, and she prays for a son.
1 Sam 7:6 corporate Israel fasts for a day to repent, Samuel prays, YHWH delivers them from the Philistines.
1 Sam 14:24-46 corporate Saul places the army under oath not to eat until evening on the day of battle with the Philistines.
1 Sam 20:34 individual Jonathan refuses to eat because of his grief over his father’s mistreatment of David.
1 Sam 28:20 individual Saul eats nothing all day and night when he consults with the witch of En-dor.
1 Sam 31:13;
1 Chr 10:12 corporate Men of Jabesh fast seven days after recovering the bodies of Saul and Jonathan from the Philistines.
2 Sam 1:12 corporate David’s men fast until evening upon hearing the news of the death of Saul and Jonathan.
2 Sam 3:35 individual(?) David refuses to eat food until evening when he heard of the death of Abner.
2 Sam 12:16-23 individual David fasts and weeps seven days during the terminal illness of his son by Bathsheba.
1 Kgs 13:1-22 individual An unnamed prophet is instructed by God not to eat or drink while on a mission to prophesy against Jeroboam’s idolatry.
1 Kgs 19:8 individual Elijah goes forty days on the strength of the food provided to him by an angel.
1 Kgs 21:4 individual Ahab eats no food because he is sullen after Naboth refused to sell his vineyard.
1 Kgs 21:9-12 corporate Jezebel calls a false day of fasting to accuse Naboth of cursing God.
1 Kgs 21:27-29 individual Ahab fasts and puts on sackcloth in repentance after Elijah rebuked him, and God recognized Ahab’s humility.
2 Chr 20:3 corporate Jehoshaphat proclaims a fast throughout Judah to seek YHWH for fear of the armies of Ammon and Moab.
Ezra 8:21-23 corporate Ezra calls a fast to seek God’s protection for those leaving Babylon for Israel.
Ezra 10:6 individual Ezra eats and drinks nothing because of his mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
Neh 1:4 individual Nehemiah mourns and fasts for days over the news of the state of Jerusalem, confessing national sin.
Neh 9:1 corporate The people of Israel assemble with fasting to confess their sin after Ezra reads from the law.
Esth 4:3 corporate The Jews weep and fast when they hear of the king’s decree for their destruction.
Esth 4:16 corporate Esther, her maidens, and the Jews of Susa fast from food and drink for three days before she goes to the king.
Esth 9:31 corporate Purim is established for the Jews with instructions for fasting and lamentations.
Job 3:24 individual Job groans at the sight of food, and experiences great affliction and pain.
Job 33:19-20 individual Elihu suggests that man (specifically, Job) is afflicted by God and unable to eat because God is chastening him.
Ps 35:13 individual David defends his honor by saying that he fasted and prayed when his enemies were sick.
Ps 42:3 individual The psalmist (Sons of Korah) says that tears are his food day and night.
Ps 69:10 individual David’s fasting, weeping and prayer was an object of scorn by his enemies.
Ps 102:4 individual The afflicted psalmist forgets to eat bread because of his great grief.
Ps 107:17-18 individual People in distress are pictured as near death, unable to eat, but YHWH saves them.
Ps 109:24 individual David says his knees are weak from fasting, and his flesh has grown lean during his affliction from his enemies.
Isa 58:3-6 corporate Israel’s fasts are not heard by God because of their oppression and hypocrisy; He desires righteousness first.
Jer 14:12 corporate Israel’s fasts are not heard by God because of their oppression and hypocrisy.
Jer 36:6-9 corporate The people of Judah assemble in Jerusalem for a fast, and Baruch reads Jeremiah’s prophecy to them.
Ezek 24:18 individual Ezekiel is instructed in special mourning rites, that include fasting, for the death of his wife.
Dan 6:18 individual Darius fasts from food, entertainment, and sleep through the night while worrying for Daniel in the lion’s den.
Dan 9:3 individual Daniel fasts, confessing Israel’s sin, upon reading Jeremiah’s prophecy of the seventy weeks.
Dan 10:2-3 individual Daniel mourns for three weeks, abstaining from tasty food, meat, wine, and ointment.
Joel 1:14 corporate Joel calls for a nation-wide fast because of famine that is destroying the land.
Joel 2:12-15 corporate YHWH calls the people to return to Him with fasting, rending their hearts, not garments; Joel again calls for a fast.
Jonah 3:5 corporate All of Nineveh fasts, repenting at the preaching of Jonah of the destruction of the city.
Zech 7:5 corporate YHWH rebukes the priests for their ritual fasts that were done more for themselves than for Him.
Zech 8:19 corporate YHWH will transform the ritual fasts into feasts of joy when God’s people have repented of sin and He grants them favor.
Matt 4:2; Luke 4:2 individual Jesus fasts forty days in the wilderness, being tempted by the devil.
Matt 6:16-18 individual Jesus teaches that fasting should be done privately for God, not for the purpose of being seen to be fasting, like the hypocrites.
Matt 9:14-15;
Mark 2:18-20;
Luke 5:33-35 corporate Jesus tells John’s disciples that his do not fast because the bridegroom is present, but when He is taken away they will.
Matt 15:32;
Mark 8:3 corporate Jesus did not wish to send the crowd away fasting,855 since they had been with Him three days and have nothing (more?) to eat.
Matt 17:21;856
Mark 9:29857
individual? Jesus says that this kind of demon goes out only by means of prayer and fasting.858

Luke 2:37 individual Anna serves in the temple night and day with fastings and prayers.
Luke 18:12 individual The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable shows his self-righteousness by boasting that he fasts twice a week and tithes.
Acts 9:9 individual Saul fasted from food and water three days after the Damascus Road experience.
Acts 10:30859
individual Cornelius was fasting and praying when an angel instructed him to go to Peter.
Acts 13:2-3 corporate Prophets and teachers in Antioch were ministering to the Lord and fasting before and after the Holy Spirit set apart Saul and Barnabas.
Acts 14:23 corporate Paul and Barnabas appoint elders in the churches, having prayed with fasting.
Acts 23:12 corporate Certain Jews bind themselves by oath not to eat or drink until they kill Paul.
Acts 27:9 corporate Paul’s voyage to Rome takes place after “the fast” was over, a reference to the Day of Atonement.
Acts 27:33 corporate Paul encourages the ship’s crew to eat, since they had gone 14 days fasting.860

1 Cor 7:5861
couples Paul tells couples not to deprive one another sexually, except for brief periods devoted to prayer and fasting.
2 Cor 6:5;
2 Cor 11:27 individual Paul lists “fastings”862 among the hardships he suffered as a mark of his apostleship.