66 Bible verses about the power of Fasting

The power of fasting really lies in honestly opening your heart to the Lord. It's in that space where His love shines through and transforms every part of who you are. Fasting is something you do when you’re truly seeking Jesus, when you're willing to sacrifice physical needs to ask for a deeper connection with Him.

It strengthens your spirit, grows your faith, and draws you closer to God. By saying "no" to the physical demands of your body, you're saying "yes" to a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him. It's about prioritizing that connection above all else.

When you abstain from food or drink for a set time, it’s like a spiritual and physical cleanse. It helps to clear away anything that might be holding you back or weighing you down.

Remember what Matthew 6:16-17¹ says – it's not about showing off or seeking attention when you fast. It's about humility and sincerity before the Lord.

But the time will come when he will be taken from them. Then they will go without eating.

Daniel, don't be afraid! God has listened to your prayers since the first day you humbly asked for understanding, and he has sent me here.

Tell the leaders and people to come together at the temple. Order them to go without eating and to pray sincerely.

Cornelius answered: Four days ago at about three o'clock in the afternoon I was praying at home. Suddenly a man in bright clothes stood in front of me.

Jesus answered: The friends of a bridegroom don't go without eating while he is still with them. But the time will come when he will be taken from them. Then they will go without eating.

Jesus touched their eyes and said, "Because of your faith, you will be healed."

Do you think the LORD wants you to give up eating and to act as humble as a bent-over bush? Or to dress in sackcloth and sit in ashes? Is this really what he wants on a day of worship?

You wonder why the LORD pays no attention when you go without eating and act humble. But on those same days that you give up eating, you think only of yourselves and abuse your workers.

The LORD said: It isn't too late. You can still return to me with all your heart. Start crying and mourning! Go without eating.

When you go without eating, don't try to look gloomy as those show-offs do when they go without eating. I can assure you that they already have their reward.Instead, comb your hair and wash your face.Then others won't know that you are going without eating. But your Father sees what is done in private, and he will reward you.

I'll tell you what it really means to worship the LORD. Remove the chains of prisoners who are chained unjustly. Free those who are abused!Share your food with everyone who is hungry; share your home with the poor and homeless. Give clothes to those in need; don't turn away your relatives.

The LORD said: It isn't too late. You can still return to me with all your heart. Start crying and mourning! Go without eating.Don't rip your clothes to show your sorrow. Instead, turn back to me with broken hearts. I am merciful, kind, and caring. I don't easily lose my temper, and I don't like to punish.

Sound the trumpet on Zion! Call the people together. Show your sorrow by going without food.

I'll tell you what it really means to worship the LORD. Remove the chains of prisoners who are chained unjustly. Free those who are abused!

They believed God's message and set a time when they would go without eating to show their sorrow. Then everyone in the city, no matter who they were, dressed in sackcloth.

While they were worshiping the Lord and going without eating, the Holy Spirit told them, "Appoint Barnabas and Saul to do the work for which I have chosen them."Everyone prayed and went without eating for a while longer. Next, they placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul to show that they had been appointed to do this work. Then everyone sent them on their way.

Moses stayed on the mountain with the LORD for forty days and nights, without eating or drinking. And he wrote down the Ten Commandments, the most important part of God's agreement with his people.

When they were sick, I wore sackcloth and went without food. I truly prayed for them,

Paul and Barnabas chose some leaders for each of the churches. Then they went without eating and prayed that the Lord would take good care of these leaders.

When you beg the LORD for help, he will answer, "Here I am!" Don't mistreat others or falsely accuse them or say something cruel.Give your food to the hungry and care for the homeless. Then your light will shine in the dark; your darkest hour will be like the noonday sun.The LORD will always guide you and provide good things to eat when you are in the desert. He will make you healthy. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water or like a stream that never runs dry.

Beside the Ahava River, I asked the people to go without eating and to pray. We humbled ourselves and asked God to bring us and our children safely to Jerusalem with all of our possessions.I was ashamed to ask the king to send soldiers and cavalry to protect us against enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king that our God takes care of everyone who truly worships him, but that he gets very angry and punishes anyone who refuses to obey.So we went without food and asked God himself to protect us, and he answered our prayers.

When Jesus returned from the Jordan River, the power of the Holy Spirit was with him, and the Spirit led him into the desert.For forty days Jesus was tested by the devil, and during that time he went without eating. When it was all over, he was hungry.

Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he asked the LORD what to do. He then told the people of Judah to go without eating to show their sorrow.They immediately left for Jerusalem to ask for the LORD's help.

I cried and went without food, but they still insulted me.

The people of Israel went to the place of worship at Bethel, where the sacred chest was being kept. They sat on the ground, crying and not eating for the rest of the day. Then about sunset, they offered sacrifices to please the LORD and to ask his blessing. Phinehas the priest then prayed, "Our LORD, the people of Benjamin are our relatives. Should we stop fighting or attack them again?" "Attack!" the LORD answered. "Tomorrow I will let you defeat them."

So don't refuse sex to each other, unless you agree not to have sex for a little while, in order to spend time in prayer. Then Satan won't be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

The Israelites met together at Mizpah with Samuel as their leader. They drew water from the well and poured it out as an offering to the LORD. On that same day they went without eating to show their sorrow, and they confessed they had been unfaithful to the LORD.

After Jesus had gone without eating for forty days and nights, he was very hungry.

Some people said to Jesus, "John's followers often pray and go without eating, and so do the followers of the Pharisees. But your disciples never go without eating or drinking."Jesus told them, "The friends of a bridegroom don't go without eating while he is still with them.But the time will come when he will be taken from them. Then they will go without eating."

(SEE 7:4)

When I heard this, I sat down and cried. Then for several days, I mourned; I went without eating to show my sorrow, and I prayed:

When you beg the LORD for help, he will answer, "Here I am!" Don't mistreat others or falsely accuse them or say something cruel.Give your food to the hungry and care for the homeless. Then your light will shine in the dark; your darkest hour will be like the noonday sun.

Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he asked the LORD what to do. He then told the people of Judah to go without eating to show their sorrow.

Be humble in the Lord's presence, and he will honor you.

(SEE 7:4)And when you eat and drink, isn't it for your own enjoyment?

They believed God's message and set a time when they would go without eating to show their sorrow. Then everyone in the city, no matter who they were, dressed in sackcloth.When the king of Nineveh heard what was happening, he also dressed in sackcloth; he left the royal palace and sat in dust.Then he and his officials sent out an order for everyone in the city to obey. It said: None of you or your animals may eat or drink a thing. Each of you must wear sackcloth, and you must even put sackcloth on your animals. You must also pray to the LORD God with all your heart and stop being sinful and cruel. Maybe God will change his mind and have mercy on us, so we won't be destroyed.(SEE 3:7)(SEE 3:7)When God saw that the people had stopped doing evil things, he had pity and did not destroy them as he had planned.

About that time Jesus went off to a mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night there.

What offering should I bring when I bow down to worship the LORD God Most High? Should I try to please him by sacrificing calves a year old?Will thousands of sheep or rivers of olive oil make God satisfied with me? Should I sacrifice to the LORD my first-born child as payment for my terrible sins?The LORD God has told us what is right and what he demands: "See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God."

One day some followers of John the Baptist came and asked Jesus, "Why do we and the Pharisees often go without eating, while your disciples never do?"Jesus answered: The friends of a bridegroom don't go without eating while he is still with them. But the time will come when he will be taken from them. Then they will go without eating.

The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should.

Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God.Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.

Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God.Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.

But those who trust the LORD will find new strength. They will be strong like eagles soaring upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired.

Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak."

When they were sick, I wore sackcloth and went without food. I truly prayed for them,as I would for a friend or a relative. I was in sorrow and mourned, as I would for my mother.

Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God.

I go without eating for two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all I earn."

or fight our battles with the weapons of this world. Instead, we use God's power that can destroy fortresses. We destroy argumentsand every bit of pride that keeps anyone from knowing God. We capture people's thoughts and make them obey Christ.

(A special psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader.) As a deer gets thirsty for streams of water, I truly am thirsty for you, my God.In my heart, I am thirsty for you, the living God. When will I see your face?

I have gone without eating, until my knees are weak, and my body is bony.

Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won't let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us.

Daniel wrote: For three weeks I was in sorrow.I ate no fancy food or meat, I drank no wine, and I put no olive oil on my face or hair.

I often warned you that many people are living as enemies of the cross of Christ. And now with tears in my eyes, I warn you againthat they are headed for hell! They worship their stomachs and brag about the disgusting things they do. All they can think about are the things of this world.

Watch out and keep praying that you can escape all that is going to happen and that the Son of Man will be pleased with you.

May God do what you want most and let all go well for you.

But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.

Create pure thoughts in me and make me faithful again.Don't chase me away from you or take your Holy Spirit away from me.Make me as happy as you did when you saved me; make me want to obey!

If you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires.The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should.

So we went without food and asked God himself to protect us, and he answered our prayers.

Jesus answered, "Only prayer can force out that kind of demon."

Beside the Ahava River, I asked the people to go without eating and to pray. We humbled ourselves and asked God to bring us and our children safely to Jerusalem with all of our possessions.

Instead, comb your hair and wash your face.Then others won't know that you are going without eating. But your Father sees what is done in private, and he will reward you.

(SEE 17:20)

When you go without eating, don't try to look gloomy as those show-offs do when they go without eating. I can assure you that they already have their reward.

Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever.I don't run without a goal. And I don't box by beating my fists in the air.I keep my body under control and make it my slave, so I won't lose out after telling the good news to others.

Then, to show my sorrow, I went without eating and dressed in sackcloth and sat in ashes. I confessed my sins and earnestly prayed to the LORD my God: Our Lord, you are a great and fearsome God, and you faithfully keep your agreement with those who love and obey you.

Prayer