The Greek term for "fast" and "fasting" in scripture is nesteuo and literally means "to abstain from food for a period of time for religious reasons." Most Christians today realize that they need to pray in some form or fashion, but few realize that believers are also commanded to fast, and there are just as many -- if not more -- examples of fasting in the scripture as there is about prayer and baptisms.

During the ministry of Jesus Christ, His disciples did not fast but the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees did, which led to one day the situation in Mark 2:

In scripture, the bridegroom, is representative of Jesus Christ and the church as His bride, or "children of the bridechamber." What Jesus was saying was that as long as He was with the disciples in flesh, that they did not have to fast, but one day when He would ascend into the heavens, THEN "shall they fast." So believers who are alive between the time of Jesus' first coming and the time of His return are to fast.

Indeed throughout the scripture, fasting was a habit of righteous men and women. Here are just some of the individuals who fasted: Moses, David, Daniel, Elijah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Darius, Paul, and most importantly: Jesus Christ. Also at times entire cities of Israel and even entire tribes fasted. There were also times that the entire Early Apostolic Church and all of the disciples in leadership fasted. In fact, Paul told the church in Corinth that he spent his life "in fastings often" (2 Corinthians 11:27). It is obvious from a simple scan of scripture that going without food for a period of time was not only an Old Testament principle but also one that was practiced by the Early Church of which we must be a part.

When a person receives the things of the Spirit, there is a war that begins in their life that has never been present before. It is the war between the person's fleshly nature and their new spiritual nature. This war begins to rage the moment that a person first hears the scriptures preached in truth, and intensifies when they receive the Holy Ghost, because for the first time in their lifetime, the sinful and fleshly desires that come from being "born into sin" have a rival voice instructing in righteousness. More simply put, a person who comes to God now has their fleshly desires and the Spirit of God vying for control of their life. Paul spoke about this struggle often in his writings:

That is why we must allow the Holy Ghost to bring some changes in our life in our everyday actions and habits. Whenever we feed the things of the Spirit (such as prayer, reading the scripture, going to church/bible studies), we enable the Holy Ghost to win in our lives over our sinful nature. We can also help the Spirit to be foremost in our lives by NOT FEEDING the flesh. That is true in the intangible (by not giving in to fleshly temptations and habits and submitting to the Word of God in every area) and also in the tangible. Simply put, when we deprive our body of food for religious reasons and we refuse to give into one of the most basic demands and needs of our flesh to draw closer to God, then we are allowing the Spirit to reign within our lives. This principle perhaps sounds simple, but it works, as any faithful Christian will tell you.

There are many purposes and reasons to fast in scripture. We will try to group most of them in a few general categories and give a scriptural example of each:

1. To make our prayer more effective.

David wrote that when he "humbled his soul with fasting," his "prayer returned into mine own bosom." In other words, David had been feeling as if his prayers were ineffective, insincere (not from his heart, or bosom) and not going anywhere. Those things changed when he combined his prayer with fasting. If you feel like God is not answering your prayers or that you are having trouble praying with your whole heart, then perhaps you need to fast with your prayers.

2. To seek answers from the Lord.

When Daniel was shown great and troubling prophecies about the future of Jerusalem and the world, he did not understand. In order to gain understanding, he began to pray and fast and humble himself before God. God eventually responded by sending an angel to explain the visions and prophecies.

3. To restore our relationship with God.

This long passage of scripture is just one of many scriptural examples of fasting to accompany the rededication of lives and people to God. The prophet Joel had prophesied that the Lord was going to destroy Jerusalem and Israel because of their idolatry, but that there was hope if the people would genuinely turn back to serving the Lord with all of their hearts. Part of that process of rededication was fasting (verse 15). For some other examples of this type of fasting see also Nehemiah 9:1-2; 1 Samuel 7:6.

4. To increase our faith and increase our spiritual power.

In this well-known example the disciples had been ministering as was normal when suddenly they found that they were unable to cast out a particular devil from a child. Jesus cast the devil out, and then when the disciples asked Him what had happened, He responded by telling them that their lack of faith was what caused them to not be able to cast the devil out, and that their faith was low because of a lack of "prayer and fasting."

This is another scriptural example of prayer and fasting going together and illustrates an important truth about fasting and faith: we must approach fasting with faith that and for the purpose that God is going to respond. Simply missing a meal or two because you were too busy to eat was not fasting. Fasting is more than just a physical action, but it is an act of faith, stepping out on the promises of God. Without the faith, the fasting is futile and vice versa.

You may not need to cast out a devil, but it may be something more subtle for which you need the victory or the ability to trust God. That kind of unwavering faith comes only through prayer AND fasting.

5. To receive the Holy Ghost, and everything else that God has for us.

The story of Cornelius' conversion reminds us of the importance of the Holy Ghost. Cornelius was a "just man" who prayed and gave to the church and saw visions and many other things, but yet he knew that God had something more for him than what he had. He began to pray and fast, and while he was fasting, God sent an angel to him to tell him to send for Peter who would preach to him about Jesus and subsequently not only Cornelius, but all of his house was filled with the Holy Ghost. In a similar manner, Saul/Paul fasted for three days before he received the Holy Ghost (Acts 9:9). There is also no record of food or fellowship in the 8 days that the 120 disciples spend "tarrying" or waiting on the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost.

You may have the Holy Ghost, but there is still blessings and anointings in the Spirit that God has for us. We get to the "next level" spiritually by prayer and fasting until our spiritual hunger matches our physical hunger!

6. To turn the judgment of God.

The city of Nineveh were Gentiles who were idolatrous and extremely sinful. God became so fed up with their wickedness that He decided to "toast" the entire city and destroy it. In His mercy, though, God decided to give them one chance to repent and sent His messenger, Jonah, to preach to them. When Jonah finally agreed to go and preach, the king of Nineveh and all of the people of the city fasted and repented to God. When this happened, God spared the city of the judgment! Generations later, the Ninevites would return to their sinful ways and the city was destroyed by God, but the people alive during Jonah's time found mercy and salvation because of their fasting.

7. To ask for God's will and help in time of danger and decision making.

Esther was the Jewish queen of the King of Persia who found herself having to risk her life by going unannounced before the king to beg for the lives of the Jewish people. Before she made her risky appearance, she asked the Jewish people to fast for three days and three nights. God responded to her faith and the fasting for when she went before the king, not only was her life spared, but all of the Jewish people were delivered from the evil plot to wipe them out!

8. Ordaining or commissioning ministers.

When appointing ministers, pastors, and missionaries for certain works and for certain positions, the Early Church always prayed and fasted for the Lord's help. For another example, see Acts 13:3.

9. The reasons of Isaiah 58.

At the end of this study, we will go verse by verse through one of the most powerful sermons on fasting in the scripture and find even more benefits and reasons to fast.

By strictest definition, fasting means to "go without food." That definition can be abused as it was by some people that I knew growing up who would put hamburgers in a blender and then proudly smile and say that they had "fasted." It is obvious from scripture, though, that fasting is not limited to simply one definition or time period. Below or the basic types of fast found throughout the Bible:

1. No food, no drink.

Jesus and Moses went forty days without food or water. Here are some important observations to note about those fasts: First, they both were specifically called by the Lord. Second, they were miraculously sustained by the Lord. Third, they did not work a job or have any interaction with the public for the entire time of their fast. Fourth, they were the institutors of a new covenant (dispensation) of God for the people, and fasted within that role.

With all of that in mind, let me warn you of this type of extreme fast. The human body can go several months without food and survive, it however cannot live beyond 3 or 4 days without water. It is obvious, then that God miraculously sustained and hydrated these men during those particular fasts. Chances are that you and I will never be called by God to such an extreme fast because we are not instituting a new covenant between God and man, and most of us would find it impossible to avoid human contact or responsibility for 40 days. Therefore a good guideline to normal fasting is "ALWAYS DRINK WATER!" God spoke through the prophet Isaiah and told us that the aim of fasting is not self-mutilation and to kill yourself, so we must drink water (Isaiah 58:5). If you feel that you must go on a fast without water because God is calling you to such a fast, then limit the time to under three days (Esther 4:16).

2. No food, water only. This is the most common "total fast" that most Christians today perform. It is better to drink water only or perhaps only some occasional fruit juice (V-8 or something similar) on an extended fast (something over 7 days).

3. No food, drink whatever. Typically this is a very casual fast and I usually use it if I am only going a short period (such as less than 48 hours). One good way to approach a longer fast is to use the first three days of your fast to gradually wean yourself off of caffeine and sugared drinks (sodas, which affect your body more than you might think) and then go to water only. If you have to work throughout the time of your fast (as most of us do), then perhaps fruit juices and V-8s will help you to be able to not cheat your employer of his labor.

4. The Daniel fast. When taken into Babylon, Daniel and Shadrach, Meschach, and Obednego, ate vegetables only with water (Daniel 1:8-16). After ten days of such a fast, their health was greater than the other captives. Notice that Daniel did not become a vegetarian for life, but simply did so for an appointed period of time.

5. John the Baptist fast - John the Baptist ate only wild locusts and honey (Mark 1:6). Of course, most people today are not going to make themselves eat insects, but the point is that John ate only what was absolutely required to live and fasted from "enjoyable and fattening" types of foods. If a person is a diabetic, then medically they will not be able to completely abstain from food. They can, however, fast by eating only things that are particularly their favorite food, and only eating enough to keep their blood sugar count in balance. In other words, someone might drink orange juice, eat rice cakes, or tuna fish only for the time of their fast and do away with candy bars, desserts, steaks, chicken, or whatever they normally "crave."

As the book of Ecclesiastes teaches us that there is a proper time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8), so is there a time when it is NOT proper to fast. A pregnant woman should not fast at all. There will be times when people must take medication that requires food on the stomach to absorb. If they feel led to fast during those times, then perhaps they could eat some crackers or fruit immediately before they take their medication. They should prayerfully consider postponing their fast until after their medication has been taken. "Let not your good be spoken evil of" and use some common sense when you fast in such situations. In our culture, December may not be the best month to go on a three week fast because then you would have to withdraw yourself from the celebration of Christ's birth and the fellowship of the local church in many areas.

While teaching on prayer (There is prayer and fasting again together!!) Jesus also taught on how to and how not to fast. Notice that Jesus told His followers in the Sermon on the Mount "when ye fast." Not "if ye fast." He was not talking to just the twelve or the seventy but to all who were following Him. We believe that the Lord's prayer and His many practical teachings within this sermon was for us today. If that is so, then we are expected to fast.

The Pharisees fasted regularly but when they fasted, they went around with a sad look on their face and were sure to let everyone know that they were being religious by abstaining from food. Jesus taught His believers to "wash your face," and "anoint thine head" or in modern day lingo "fix your hair and dress up" so that it is not obvious that you are fasting. Jesus' reasoning behind such commandments was that when the Pharisees fasted to be seen of men, "they have their reward." In other words, the praise of others for being religious would be the only thing that they reaped from their fasting. But by following Jesus' instructions and not advertising the fact that we are fasting, God will reward what has been done in secret openly. We reap much greater rewards.

The greatest scriptural passage on fasting is found in the book of Isaiah. God used the prophet to correct the Israelites who were fasting the wrong way and for the wrong reasons. He then gave us tremendous insight to the benefits of fasting the right way.

The first reason that God did not accept the Israelites fast was because "in the day of your fast ye find pleasure." In other words, the Israelites were fasting on days that they were having fun and thus did not really have time to think about it. They also fasted wrong because they "exact all your labours." In other words, they conducted their day as normal and tried to stay busy to keep their mind off the fact that they were fasting. This does not mean that you cannot do anything fun or pleasurable while fasting, nor does it mean that you cannot work while fasting, but it does show that when we fast, we must take time to spend alone in spiritual activity beyond normal, and that we must not try to make ourselves forget that we are fasting.

When you fast, your mind slows down and cannot function at the speed and ability that it normally does. Your physical drive slows down and causes you to desire to "be still and rest." God allows that so that we will slow down and spend time in prayer, study, or reading His Word. That is exactly the result in your life that God wanted.

The Israelites were also fasting for the wrong reasons. They were fasting to try to "twist God's arm" to strike their neighbor or curse somebody. They were trying to fast to "force God to do their will." Not only did it not work, but they were condemned for such an attitude toward the things of the Spirit. When we fast to receive guidance in a particular situation, then we must pray for "God's will to be revealed." We should not pray for "God to do such and such or else." Your will for the situation might not be God's will for the situation, and often times the fasting is to change our attitude toward the situation more than to get God to remove the storm!

God gives some of the things which are NOT the purpose of fasting. The two main reason listed here is that fasting is not self-mutilation or for the purpose of getting sympathy. God did not command us to fast to try to kill us, neither did He intend for it to be a ploy to receive the praise and the accolades of others.

Here are the reasons that God commanded us to fast:

1. To loose the bands of wickedness - to free us from any power that sin might have on us.

2. To undo the heavy burdens - to take off weights that are hindering our relationship with Him.

3. To let the oppressed go free - to bring liberty and freedom to those areas of our lives that seem to be oppressed by Satan.

4. To break every yoke - to get complete deliverance from anything in life of spirit that would try to hinder our work for Him.

5. To deal thy bread to the hungry - to change our attitude toward what we possess so that we will live unselfishly.

6. To bring the poor that are cast out to thy house - to change our attitude toward the needs of others and cause us to be more sympathetic and empathetic.

7. To cover the naked when we see them - to change our perspective so that we are quick to jump to the defense of others rather than to accuse.

8. To cause us to hide not from our own house - to change our attitudes and heal divisions between us and our family members.

Here the prophet then points out what will happen if we fast according to the will of God and for the correct reasons:

1. Thy light shall break forth as the morning - Literally in the original Hebrew "the scar of thy wounds will be speedily removed." God will heal the wounds of the past, both physically and spiritually; both in your relationship with God and your relationship with others.

2. Thine health shall spring forth speedily - Not only will there be spiritual benefits, but God will also use the fasting to heal you physically. After about three days of fasting, the body begins to "detoxicate" itself and remove poisons and impurities that have been removed from food.

3. Thy righteousness shall go before thee - As your life begins to exhibit more of the characteristics of Godliness, your reputation will go before you.

4. The glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward - "Rereward" refers to the soldiers who were assigned in an army to guard the rear, lest the enemy would sneak up behind you during battle. In modern day vernacular, Isaiah was saying "God's got your back!"

5. When you call, the Lord will answer - When you call out to the Lord in prayer and need, He will answer. The effectiveness of your prayers will be increased.

6. When you cry, He will say "here I am!" - When you "cry" out to the Lord in a time of distress or trouble, he will immediately be there to help you!

Fasting has so many tremendous benefits, that we cannot live victoriously without it! Everyone gets headaches from our caffeine habits and high sugar intake, but we must learn to fast regularly for the blessings that it brings. A good guide to fasting, is for an established Christian (especially the ministry) to fast at least a day a week (on average), with a special fast once every month or so (of about 3 to 4 days) and one extended fast (over 7 days) a year. Many people find January/February an excellent time to renew their commitment with the Lord with an extended fast. There will be times that you will know that you need to fast, and, of course, when the Spirit leads you to do so, obey it! You will know you need to fast when you feel "lazy spiritually" and that you are constantly battling your flesh in areas that you thought that you had conquered. There may be times that you are facing one the situation that we discussed above such as a particular tough decision or distressful time. In such cases, it is best to not set a limit on how long you are going to fast and fast until you feel a release from the circumstances or feelings that told you need to do so in the first place.

Fasting is never fun, but in time you will learn to appreciate the benefits that come from a disciplined life and obeying the Word of the Lord in this area. If you persist, you will eventually fast because you want to receive one of the benefits that we have talked about in this lesson. Do not wait for a minister or someone else to call you to fast, but be willing to draw closer to God in your personal everyday life willingly.