In thinking about the topic of fasting, I tried to cull through the Bible to find different references to fasting. Here is a mostly unedited list of references to fasting from the Old Testament with brief comments about what we can learn about fasting from these words. You can also read the companion post on …
Types of Fasting
In his book Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life, Donald Whitney offers a helpful list of different types of fasting that I found particularly helpful. I have distilled Whitney's comments down here in hopes of giving a basic framework for understanding the variety of fasting seen in the Scriptures. Normal fast – abstaining from all …
Fasting: Why Do We Do It?
Throughout the Bible, there are many reasons given for fasting, from personal spiritual renewal to community repentance before God. Some churches will take focused times of prayer and fasting based on times in the Bible where God’s people pray and fast in order to express deep needs before God. As a community, churches will stand …
Fasting: Some practical guidelines
Here are some very practical guidelines on fasting that have been helpful for me from Adele Calhoun’s book Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Don’t fast when you are sick, traveling, pregnant or nursing. People with diabetes, gout, liver disease, kidney disease, ulcers, hypoglycemia, cancer and blood diseases should not fast. Don’t fast if you are in a …
What is Fasting?
Fasting is simply voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes. It is the opportunity to express to God in a very tangible way that we need Him more than anything else, even a physical meal. Fasting is always accompanied by focused prayer. How Long is a Fast? When you read the Bible, you will find …
Matthew Erickson 