16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. — Matthew 6:16-18 ESV
What is fasting?
A cursory Bible search will pull up verses such as Ezra 8:23, Nehemiah 1:4, Acts 13:2, and Matthew 6:16-18—but what is “fasting” really all about?
When I started writing my book on Christian behavior, I unconsciously left out the principle of fasting. I think that is because I didn’t understand it. In fact, I still don’t fully understand it. But it is my hope that writing this Q&A about some of the questions I had will help you and I to grow in our understanding of this important topic.
Q: What examples of fasting do we see in the Bible?
A: Well, when we look at the verses above—Nehemiah 1, Ezra 8, and Acts 13—we see pictures of fasting being a part of mourning, of seeking God’s protection, and of seeking His will.
And in the above verse from Matthew, we see a picture described by Jesus of what fasting is not. It is not something you do for the sake of getting public praise from others.
Q: What was fasting like back then?
A: According to Fausset’s Bible Dictionary, the Bible describes three main forms of fasting:
- The Normal Fast, involving the total abstinence of food. Luke 4:2 reveals that Jesus “did eat nothing.” Afterwards “He was hungered.” Jesus abstained from food but not from water.
- The Absolute Fast in Acts 9:9 where for three days He “neither did eat nor drink.” The abstinence from both food and water seems to have lasted no more than three days (Ezra 10:6; Esther 4:16).
- The Partial Fast in Daniel 10:3 where the emphasis is upon the restriction of diet rather than complete abstinence. The context implies that there were physical benefits resulting from this partial fast. However, this verse indicates that there was a revelation given to Daniel as a result of this time of fasting.
Moreover, Fausset’s Bible Dictionary defines fasting as “something to be done as an act before God in the privacy of one’s own pursuit of God (Exodus 34:28; 1 Samuel 7:6; 1 Kings 19:8). Fasting relates to a time of confession (Psalms 69:10). Fasting can be a time of seeking a deeper prayer experience and drawing near to God in prevailing prayer (Ezra 8:23; Joel 2:12). The early church often fasted in seeking God’s will for leadership in the local church (Acts 13:2). When the early church wanted to know the mind of God, there was a time of prayer and fasting.”
Ligonier Ministries also gives several examples of fasting as seen in the Bible:
“There are several examples of fasting in the Old Testament wherein people abstained from food while they repented for sin (Nehemiah 9:1–3; Jonah 3). We do not find this surprising, as the one mandatory fast prescribed in the Old Testament occurred in conjunction with confession of sin on the Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 16:29–34, where “afflict yourselves” is equivalent to fasting).
With regard to the Pharisees, first-century Jews regarded fasting as a mark of general piety, not just repentance, and the Pharisees were known for fasting on Mondays and Thursdays.”
Q: Why did Jesus condemn the “hypocrites” for being seen by others?
A: Because their fast became a means of public praise for them, their fast became meaningless. It was no longer about honoring God but about looking pious in front of others.
We are not to fast for the pride of being seen by others or the pride of labeling ourselves as someone religious.
Q: What is fasting now?
A: Fasting retains its common meaning of abstaining from food (and occasionally water) for a period of time. And while we can fast for the same reasons that our brothers and sisters fasted for before the time of Jesus, we who come after the time of Jesus also have the additional reason which is the longing for His return.
Fasting is an expression of our need for God—our need for His comfort in our mourning, His covering when we are under distress, and His clarity and involvement over the plans of our lives. Our fasting invites us to hear from God on each of these fronts.
Q: Should I fast?
A: The above verse in Matthew assumes that fasting should be a part of our spiritual lives. Note that Jesus is not saying IF you fast but rather WHEN you fast.
The examples we see in the New Testament also show that this was a regular part of the Church’s life (Acts 13:1–3, Acts 14:21–23).
And the examples in the Old Testament showing that fasting is not new, it has always been a part of God’s relationship with His holy people (Leviticus 23:26–32, Judges 20:26, 1 Samuel 7:6).
Q: Am I allowed to tell others that I am “on fast”?
A: Traditionally, the answer I’ve heard is “No. It must be kept a secret, otherwise, your fast is ruined and God will be displeased.” Personally, for years, I used to think that if I was on “fast”, I could not eat, nor drink, and I also could not tell anyone about it. This leads to some awkward situations at home and at work when my father would bring home food from an event and wonder why I would not eat it until midnight or when my friends at work would see me actively avoiding the water area.
However, as I look at the above passage and others on fasting, I am not sure that the traditional answer is the right answer. I do agree, we should not be making a public spectacle of our fasting. That is indeed a shameful activity. But I think there are several reasons we do not need to fear that we are going to disappoint God if someone knows about our fast.
- For one thing, Jesus is using the plural you here which implies a group of people.
- Another reason is that in the Old Testament examples we referenced, we see one as a corporate call to fasting and another as a recorded instance of individual fasting (which if it was secret, how would we know he was fasting).
- And third, in the example we see in Acts, it is a group activity which would mean that it’s highly likely they would know about each other’s fasting.
- There is a fourth reason I believe the traditional answer of keeping it a secret is wrong—and that is to include the brothers and sisters.
Q: Why include the brothers and sisters?
A: Although there is no Scripture explicitly stating it, I believe there is sufficient evidence in the way we are called to pray for and lift one another up to support it. The reason is that if in a spirit of genuine humility we share with our close brothers and sisters what we are going through (in this case our fasting), that will enable them to pray for us and in a sense join us on this journey of fasting. And that support might just be what we need to get through it.
Q: What Should I Do While I’m Fasting?
A: Do life as normal. But spend the time you would be thinking about food, preparing food, and eating food—thinking about God, talking to God about what’s on your heart, and listening to Him instead.
Q: How long should I fast?
A: While there isn’t a set time for the majority of fasts nowadays, the several examples we see in Scripture could depend on the reason for the fast, the risk of what is at stake, or the intimacy of the one being mourned for.
And while each of these may have a period of time attached to them, that by no means restricts us to fitting to a predetermined mold. In fact, when we say to ourselves we MUST fast for x period of time, we can create a dangerous situation not only for our bodies if we are not equipped for it, but for our pride as well.
Faith Lawyer has an important reminder for all of us with regards to how long we should fast:
Remember, the point of fasting is to connect with God. It is not about how many days one can fast or to what extreme. Fasting is completely intimate with the Lord. Therefore, there is no need to compare yourself to how long others are fasting.
All that being said, the duration of your fast should be as long as you need to hear from God and as short as you need to not do detrimental harm to your body and mind. It is not reasonable to think that we must harm ourselves to hear from God by doing severe fasts for long durations. Or that He would want us to. He might call you to a longer period of fasting but He might not. Sometimes all that is needed is for you to go to the prayer room instead of the dinner table for a day.
For more from Tom, check out his new book, No Fake Christians!: Paving A Way To Genuine Faith.
What’s genuine faith all about? Does the way we live our lives truly reflect our claim as followers of Jesus?
Inside these pages is an open and loving rebuke as it talks about the things that we, Christians, should and should not do. It challenges us to take a hard look at our own spiritual life and how that is played out in our actions and attitudes.
Even though there are areas in our Christian life that we’re currently failing at, there’s hope as Jesus is more than willing to turn that around if we willingly submit that to Him.
