12 Types of Fasting in the Bible-what can you Learn?
In the Biblical fasting Guide we explored 9 Bible fasting verses and also looked at how to apply spiritual fasting to everyday life.
In this blog post ’12 Types of fasting in the Bible- What can you learn’, we look at the different types of fasting in the Bible and the context in which the fasts take place. Explore 12 types of fasting in the Bible and the purpose behind the fast in more detail. These examples show both individuals including Jesus fasting as well as examples of corporate fasting; where groups come together in agreement to fast and pray. Let’s take a look;
12 Types of Fasting in the Bible
Jesus Christ Fast
Found in the Bible: Matthew 4: 2-4
Type: Complete fast: Full fast
Purpose of the fast: In preparation for his mission/ to overcome the devil (and therefore to defeat sin).
Context: At the beginning of his ministry Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit and fasts for 40 days in the wilderness ‘to be tempted by the devil’. He is led into the physical wilderness (and the wilderness of sin and world) by the Holy Spirit before his ministry begins. His death at the end of his ministry ends in Glory and a risen Christ. He is made weak by the fast, tempted by the devil but overcomes temptation and the devil. The word of God sustains him when he is weak and tempted.
Length of fast: 40 days
The Moses Fast
Found in the Bible: Exodus 34: 28 and Deuteronomy 9-18
Context: Moses fasts for 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai in the presence of God as he writes the Ten Commandments. In Deuteronomy 9-18 Moses fasts again after coming down from the mountain and seeing that his people had built and worshipped an idol in the form of a calf.
Type: Complete fast: Full fast/ Absolute fast
Purpose of the fast: Understanding and discernment (while Moses is in the presence of God) -Repentance/ forgiveness when he comes down and sees that his people are worshipping an idol.
Length of fast: 40 days
The Disciples Fast
Found in the Bible: New Testament: Acts 14:23
Context: Paul and Barnabas prayed and fasted when appointing elders to the church
Type: Not stated
Purpose of the fast: Wisdom, guidance, confirmation
Length of fast: Doesn’t say
The Queen Esther Fast
Found in the Bible: Esther 4:16 and 5:2
Context: To save the Jewish people from death Esther has to go before the King (her husband) and request an audience with him. To go before the King without his consent was against the law and punishable by death (unless the King showed mercy to her by holding out his golden scepter).
Esther asks her uncle Mordecai to gather all the Jews in Susa and to hold a fast for her before she makes the approach. The fast is to last 3 days and nights and Esther herself fasts at the same time as her people.
Type: Full fast & a corporate fast
Purpose of the fast: For God’s Protection and Strength (to do what she needed to do)
Length of fast: 3-day fast (Three days and three nights)
The Daniel Fast/ Partial Fast
Found in the Bible: Book of Daniel 1:5-21 and 10-3
Context: The prophet Daniel and the others were in captivity and training to serve the King. Daniel requested not to eat the king’s Babylonian ‘defiled’ food and wine for a set period. Daniel requested this period to prove their diet of vegetables and water was healthy.
Type: Partial fast (allowed to eat certain foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables.
Purpose of the fast: For health, wisdom, seeking God’s understanding and God’s favor.
Length of fast: Three weeks (21 days)/ fasted from ‘pleasant food’ wine and meat.
The Ezra Fast
Found in the Bible: Old Testament: Ezra 8 Verses 21-23
Context: Ezra was undertaking a long journey to deliver gold and silver to help rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
Type: Not stated
Purpose of the fast: Protection/Wisdom/ Direction: He needed God’s protection and God’s direction as to how to make the journey i.e. help and specific wisdom in the situation. God provided both.
Length of fast: Not specified
The Samuel Fast/ Corporate Fast
Found in the Bible: Old Testament: 1 Samuel 7: 3-6
Context: Samuel asks the Israelites (the nation of Israel) to gather to ask God for forgiveness for having served idol Gods/ and in preparation for battle against the Philistines
Type: Full
Purpose of the fast: To repent/ ask God for forgiveness-prepare their hearts and ask for God’s favor and God’s guidance
Length of fast: One day
The Apostle Paul Fast
Found in the Bible: New Testament: Acts 9: 9
Context: Paul having persecuted the disciples is on his way to Damascus. He hears the voice of the Lord in a miraculous event and conversion. God speaks to Paul dramatically and clearly, in the process he finds himself blinded and unable to see.
Type: Full
Purpose of the fast: Forgiveness/ healing/ clarity and understanding
Length of fast: Three days (no food or drink)
The John the Baptist Fast
Found in the Bible: New Testament: Luke 1:15
Context: An angel appears to Zechariah to announce that Elizabeth will give birth to a son to be called John (John the Baptist). The angel tells Zechariah that he is ‘never to take wine or other fermented drink’
Type: Partial-lifetime
Purpose of the fast: To keep him holy in his ordained and ‘separate’ mission
Length of fast: Lifetime- no wine/alcohol
The Widow Fast
Found in the Bible: Old Testament: 1 Kings 17: 9-16
Context: The widow provides food and drink to Elijah- going without herself. Because of her giving heart, God meets her needs.
Type: Full
Purpose of the fast: To provide for those in physical need
Length of fast: Not stated
The Isaiah Fast
Found in the Bible: Old Testament: Isaiah 58: Verse 1-9
Context: The prophet Isaiah speaks on what true fasting should and shouldn’t be.
Type: Not stated
Purpose of the fast: For breakthrough, to help those in need, to stop injustice
Length of fast: Not stated
The Nehemiah Fast
Found in the Bible: Old Testament: Nehemiah 1: 4
Context: Nehemiah fasts, mourns and prays when he hears that those who have survived exile and have returned to Jerusalem are in trouble and disgrace. He learns that the Jerusalem wall is broken down and its gates have been ‘burnt with fire’
Type: Not stated
Purpose of the fast: To prepare his request to God following his fasting and mourning (Nehemiah 1 verse 5 ‘THEN I SAID ) and to ask for forgiveness and favor.
Length of fast: Not stated
What can you learn from Biblical fasting?
By reading how and when fasts take place in the Bible we can learn how to apply the principles of fasting to our own lives. Through the Bible, we see that;
- Christian fasting is often used for preparation. Applied today this could be a challenging situation in your life, or to prepare your heart before giving your prayers and requests to God.
Fasting is also used to;
- Ask for God’s favor in your life or for someone else’s life.
- For wisdom and understanding in a situation or before making a decision
- To help those in need and to fight injustice
- To ask for forgiveness
- For a breakthrough to release addictions and strongholds in your life
- For health and healing
- For protection
- For strength in a situation
- For confirmation (being able to clearly discern what god wants you to do)
- We learn that there are many different lengths of fasts and that the length of time is often but not always specific – we can apply this to our own fasts.
Biblical Purposes of Fasting
fast for purpose
- For preparation
- Seeking God’s favor
- For wisdom
- For understanding
- To fight for injustice
- For forgiveness/ to repent
- To break strongholds in you life (such as addiction)
- For health and healing
- For protection
- For strength in a specific situation
- Seeking discernment
- Seeking confirmation
We also learn that there are many different lengths of fasts and that the length of time is often but not always specific – we can also apply this to our own fasts. (Note: The 40 day fasts are ‘supernatural’ fasts- for medical reasons we are not advised to undertake this length of fast)
You can see there are numerous examples of fasting (and the 12 examples given in this blog post aren’t all of them).
Isaiah’s words: True Fasting
The prophets Isaiah’s words below remind us that our hearts need to be turned to God and our motivation needs to be right before, during, and after the fast. Jesus affirms this in the New Testament in the book of Matthew verse 6:16.
The Bible shows us there is a right and wrong way to fast. We should fast knowing the reason for our fast and we should always fast with prayer, a distinct difference from a normal ‘physical’ fast.
TRUE FASTING: Isaiah 58:1-9
“Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
‘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.
Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[ will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
Types of Fasting in the Bible – What can you Learn?
Ultimately fasting is a powerful spiritual discipline when undertaken. On a personal level I have fasted for breakthrough, to break a stronghold, for justice, and for my own health. A spiritual fast with prayer for a specific period helps us re-focus on God, and helps us to connect on a deeper level.
Have you tried a spiritual fast? What was your experience?
Try Reading the Biblical Fasting Guide to learn how to apply Biblical fasting in your own spiritual life.
