Prayer and Fasting
Fasting and prayers have a mysterious connection that is understood by those who practice the discipline of a fast. The Bible is clear that Christians are to incorporate these practices into a life's routine, and when the two are practiced in unison and for a spiritual purpose, God promises a special reward. Participating in a fast, whether corporate or private, will sharpen the focus of prayers and create a more intense passion to intercession. There are several types of fast documented in the Bible and it is apparent that God calls His people to fast and pray for different reasons, but all of which are for a spiritual nature. Learn more by taking our Prayer and Fasting Quiz.
Christ told the disciples in the book of Matthew: "Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites..." (Matthew 6:16a) Christ used the "when" and not the word "if" presenting the assumption that Christians participate in fasts. The religious leaders of that time attempted to catch Christ in heresy by questioning Him and the disciples about the practice. It seems that on a day that was set aside for a fast, Christ's disciples ate, and worse yet, Christ was eating and enjoying the company of sinners when fasting would have presented a more spiritual facade. Christ's response is again, an assumption about the practiced discipline of a fast. "And Jesus said unto them, can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But, the day shall come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast." (Matthew 9:15)
There seems to be a direct correlation between abstaining from eating and spiritual matters, according to Christ's statement. Once the bridegroom has been taken away, then we are to fast. Obviously, there would be a specific reason encrypted in this statement, and it is tied to our need for spiritual strength in the absence of our groom, Christ Jesus. We can associate the need for spiritual strength by Christ's example of a fast in the desert for forty days. Christ's sacrifice and prayers seem to equip him for the magnitude of the temptations that were hurled at him, by Satan, during the time appointed Him to dwell in the desert.
There are many other examples of physical sacrifice and prayer in the Old and New Testaments. In the book of Ester, Queen Ester called a corporate fast of the people of Israel for the purpose of intercession during a crisis. In the book of Jonah, the community of Nineveh proclaimed a fast in a repentant response to Jonah's message of God's judgments. Paul, after experiencing the supernatural event of seeing Christ on the road to Damascus fasted for three days, seeking God's revelations concerning Christ's appearance. There are many, many other examples of those who fasted throughout scripture, and a study of the different reasons for fasting and the different types of fasts can help us better grasp the spiritual reasons that Christians are called to participate in this practice. Discover what God's Word reveals through our Bible resources.
Fasts can be practiced by any Christian at any time. There are examples in the Bible of fasts that were restricted to no food or drink, as in the corporate fast called by Ester, and there are also examples of partial food intake, as Daniel and his companions practiced at the beginning of their exile. We can also assume that Christ might have had an intake of water during his time in the desert, because scripture refers to this fast as "eating nothing" in Luke 4:2. Today, the most common fasting exercise practiced by Christians includes abstaining from foods, but drinking water and fruit juices for periods of twelve to forty-eight hours.
The most important point to remember is that these practices are done for the purposes of God, and not to gain Gods favor or not for spiritual pride. As a matter of fact, scripture records an arrogant Pharisee congratulating himself on his legalistic recognition of fasts. Fasting and prayers, unless done for a communal purpose, is to be a private matter between the one abstaining from a substance and our Creator.
God promises a reward for this physical sacrifice. Christ said, "But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6:17-18) Christ continues this teaching with an appeal for his followers to lay up treasures in heaven and not on earth, equating fasts and prayers to spiritual treasures; rewards of the heart and riches for an eternal future. We are not to fast for selfish reasons or personal material gain.
Christ referred to Himself as the Bread of Heaven, our complete sustenance, in the book of John. He also made references to His ability to be all that we need for life, at the table of the Lord's Supper. A call to fast is a call to live on God's spiritual food for a period of time. To pray and fast is to show God that you rely on Him for your every provision, and have complete trust in Him. A fast is the perfect time to make prayer requests to God, demonstrating your faith in Him. In a society where we are use to excess and gluttony, practicing self-denial may seem out of date or like a crazy religious activity, but in reality, to fast with prayer is timeless and the benefits are eternal.
Christ told the disciples in the book of Matthew: "Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites..." (Matthew 6:16a) Christ used the "when" and not the word "if" presenting the assumption that Christians participate in fasts. The religious leaders of that time attempted to catch Christ in heresy by questioning Him and the disciples about the practice. It seems that on a day that was set aside for a fast, Christ's disciples ate, and worse yet, Christ was eating and enjoying the company of sinners when fasting would have presented a more spiritual facade. Christ's response is again, an assumption about the practiced discipline of a fast. "And Jesus said unto them, can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But, the day shall come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast." (Matthew 9:15)
There seems to be a direct correlation between abstaining from eating and spiritual matters, according to Christ's statement. Once the bridegroom has been taken away, then we are to fast. Obviously, there would be a specific reason encrypted in this statement, and it is tied to our need for spiritual strength in the absence of our groom, Christ Jesus. We can associate the need for spiritual strength by Christ's example of a fast in the desert for forty days. Christ's sacrifice and prayers seem to equip him for the magnitude of the temptations that were hurled at him, by Satan, during the time appointed Him to dwell in the desert.
There are many other examples of physical sacrifice and prayer in the Old and New Testaments. In the book of Ester, Queen Ester called a corporate fast of the people of Israel for the purpose of intercession during a crisis. In the book of Jonah, the community of Nineveh proclaimed a fast in a repentant response to Jonah's message of God's judgments. Paul, after experiencing the supernatural event of seeing Christ on the road to Damascus fasted for three days, seeking God's revelations concerning Christ's appearance. There are many, many other examples of those who fasted throughout scripture, and a study of the different reasons for fasting and the different types of fasts can help us better grasp the spiritual reasons that Christians are called to participate in this practice. Discover what God's Word reveals through our Bible resources.
Fasts can be practiced by any Christian at any time. There are examples in the Bible of fasts that were restricted to no food or drink, as in the corporate fast called by Ester, and there are also examples of partial food intake, as Daniel and his companions practiced at the beginning of their exile. We can also assume that Christ might have had an intake of water during his time in the desert, because scripture refers to this fast as "eating nothing" in Luke 4:2. Today, the most common fasting exercise practiced by Christians includes abstaining from foods, but drinking water and fruit juices for periods of twelve to forty-eight hours.
The most important point to remember is that these practices are done for the purposes of God, and not to gain Gods favor or not for spiritual pride. As a matter of fact, scripture records an arrogant Pharisee congratulating himself on his legalistic recognition of fasts. Fasting and prayers, unless done for a communal purpose, is to be a private matter between the one abstaining from a substance and our Creator.
God promises a reward for this physical sacrifice. Christ said, "But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6:17-18) Christ continues this teaching with an appeal for his followers to lay up treasures in heaven and not on earth, equating fasts and prayers to spiritual treasures; rewards of the heart and riches for an eternal future. We are not to fast for selfish reasons or personal material gain.
Christ referred to Himself as the Bread of Heaven, our complete sustenance, in the book of John. He also made references to His ability to be all that we need for life, at the table of the Lord's Supper. A call to fast is a call to live on God's spiritual food for a period of time. To pray and fast is to show God that you rely on Him for your every provision, and have complete trust in Him. A fast is the perfect time to make prayer requests to God, demonstrating your faith in Him. In a society where we are use to excess and gluttony, practicing self-denial may seem out of date or like a crazy religious activity, but in reality, to fast with prayer is timeless and the benefits are eternal.
Prayer and Fasting
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