Christian Fasting: What is It? What Does the Bible Says About It?

In a nutshell, Christian fasting is commanded to be done for two reasons: 1- To enable the Believer to get their body under subjection to God, and 2- To enable the Believer to have more power, more anointing from God.

Let's talk about reason #1. Christian fasting is commanded, in Matthew 6:16, Jesus said...when you fast. Not if you fast. Fasting should be done as a regular part of a Christian's life so that our belly will not become our God. Romans 16: 18...For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and Philippians 3:19, Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly.

That seems like a ridiculous thought, that our belly could become our God, but it's not. Think about how our lives revolve around food. This is true for the dieters, regular eaters, binge eaters, health food eaters, ad infinitum. Everybody, everywhere, has their life revolving around their belly, we constantly are thinking about what we are going to put into our bellies, how we are going to get funds to buy something to put into our bellies, we work so we can eat. God wants the Believer's life to revolve around Him, not our belly, and the way to accomplish that is through Christian fasting. Denying ourselves food, using that time and effort to seek God through prayer. This brings our bodies under subjection to God, so our thoughts and actions are not all about our belly and what we are going to put into it. Jesus said in Matthew 6:25...Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for the body, what ye shall put on. Is not life more than meat, (food) and the body more than raiment? Jesus is telling us that life is much more than being consumed with thoughts of food and clothing. Paraphrasing Matthew 6:26, Jesus says that our Heavenly Father feeds the birds, and we are worth more than the birds.

Now to address reason # 2. What are the benefits of Christian fasting, what's in it for you?

Christian fasting Spiritually empowers the Believer, clear plans of action are received to solve a problem through fasting. In Esther chapter 4, during a three day fast, God gave Esther the plan to save the Jews. Demonic spirits can only be cast out by the Believer that has spent time in prayer and fasting, Matthew 17:14-21. Jesus, whose life is the Christian's example, fasted. Immediately after His 40 day fast, He was tempted of the devil, but He was well able to overcome the temptation because He had fasted.

There are physical benefits of fasting also, after a 10 day partial fast, eating nothing but vegetables and drinking water, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, (better known as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) looked better and fatter than their peers who had been eating meat, bread and sweets. The four Hebrew boys were also smarter than their peers, this account can be found in Daniel chapter 1. The medical field now concurs with what God said through the Bible many years ago, and extols the virtues of fasting for physical health.

There are different types, and durations of Christian fasting mentioned in the Bible. There are total fasts, in which the faster eats no food or drinks no liquids for a specified time frame. There is the partial fast that I mentioned above in which the faster only drinks water and eats vegetables for a specific amount of time. The Bible mentions 3 day, 7 day, 10 day, 21 day and 40 day fasts. The duration and type of Christian fast is left up to the Believer to decide upon, according to how one may feel 'led of the Spirit'. Even fasting for one meal and spending that time in prayer will yield Spiritual benefits as well.

Christian fasting is not dieting in Jesus' name, you will lose weight, but that is not the goal. Christian fasting is for the benefit of the Believer, it empowers and enables us Spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically.