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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 the bridegroom will leave them. The friends are sad when the bridegroom leaves. Then they will fast.
Then the man in the vision started talking again. He said, ‘Daniel, don’t be afraid. From the very first day you decided to have wisdom and to be humble in front of God. He has been listening to your prayers. I came to you because you have been praying.
Tell the people that there will be a special time for not eating food. Call the people together for a special meeting. Bring the leaders and all the people that live in the land together. Bring them to the temple {\cf2\super [7]} of the Lord your God, and pray to the Lord.
Cornelius said, “Four days ago, I was praying in my house. It was at this same time—three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, there was a man (angel) standing before me. He was wearing bright, shiny clothes.
Jesus answered, “\{When there is a wedding,\} the friends of the bridegroom {\cf2\super [110]} are not sad while he is with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will leave them. The friends are sad when the bridegroom leaves. Then they will fast. {\cf2\super [111]}
Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, “You believe that I can make you see again, so this will happen.”
Do you think on those special days for not eating food that all I want is to see people punish their bodies? Do you think I want people to look sad? Do you think I want people to bow their heads like dead plants and wear clothes of sadness? Do you think I want people to sit in ashes to show their sadness? That is what you do on your special days for not eating food. Do you think that is what the Lord wants?
Now those people say, “We stop eating food to show honor to you. Why don’t you see us? We hurt our bodies to show honor to you. Why don’t you notice us?”
This is the Lord’s message:\par “Now come back to me with all your heart,\par \{You did bad things,\}\par cry, cry and don’t eat any food!\par
“When you fast, {\cf2\super [78]} don’t make yourselves look sad. The hypocrites {\cf2\super [79]} do that. Don’t be like the hypocrites. They make their faces look strange to show people that they are fasting. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward.So when you fast, make yourself look nice. Wash your face.Then people will not know that you are fasting. But your Father that you cannot see will see you. Your Father sees the things that are done in secret. And he will reward you.
“I will tell you the kind of special day I want—a day to make people free. I want a day that you take the burdens off people. I want a day when you make the troubled people free. I want a day when you take the burdens from their shoulders.I want you to share your food with the hungry people. I want you to find poor people that don’t have homes, and I want you to bring them into your own homes. When you see a man that has no clothes—give him your clothes! Don’t hide \{from helping those people\}; they are just like you.”
This is the Lord’s message:\par “Now come back to me with all your heart,\par \{You did bad things,\}\par cry, cry and don’t eat any food!\parTear your hearts, not your clothes.” {\cf2\super [13]} \par Come back to the Lord your God.\par He is kind and merciful.\par He does not become angry quickly.\par He has great love.\par Maybe he will change his mind\par about the bad \{punishment he planned\}.\par
Blow the trumpet at Zion. {\cf2\super [14]} \par Call for a special meeting.\par Call for a special time for not eating.\par
“I will tell you the kind of special day I want—a day to make people free. I want a day that you take the burdens off people. I want a day when you make the troubled people free. I want a day when you take the burdens from their shoulders.
The people of Nineveh believed \{the message from\} God. The people decided to stop eating for a time \{to think about their sins\}. The people put on special clothes \{to show that they were sorry\}. All the people in the city did this—the most important people and the least important people.
These men were all serving the Lord and fasting. {\cf2\super [245]} The Holy Spirit {\cf2\super [246]} said to them, “Give Barnabas and Saul to me to do a special work. I have chosen them to do this work.”So the church fasted {\cf2\super [247]} and prayed. They put their hands on {\cf2\super [248]} Barnabas and Saul and sent them out.
Moses stayed there with the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights. Moses did not eat any food or drink any water. And he (the Lord)} wrote the words of the Agreement (the Ten Commandments) on the two flat stones.
When those people were sick,\par I was sad for them.\par I showed my sadness by not eating.\par Is this what I get for praying for them?\par
Paul and Barnabas chose elders {\cf2\super [292]} for each church (group of believers). They fasted {\cf2\super [293]} and prayed for these elders. These elders were men who had trusted the Lord \{Jesus\}. So Paul and Barnabas put them in the Lord’s care.
Then you will call to the Lord, and the Lord will answer you. You will shout to the Lord, and he will say, “Here I am.”You should feel sorry for hungry people and give them food. You should help the people that are troubled—satisfy their needs. Then your light will shine in the darkness. And you will have no sadness. You will be bright like sunshine at noon.The Lord will always lead you. He will satisfy your soul in dry lands. The Lord will give strength to your bones. You will be like a garden that has much water. You will be like a spring that always has water.
There near the Ahava River, I (Ezra) announced that we all should fast. {\cf2\super [53]} We should fast to make ourselves humble before our God. We wanted to ask God for a safe trip for ourselves, our children, and for all the things we owned.I was embarrassed to ask King Artaxerxes for soldiers and horsemen to protect us as we traveled. There were enemies on the road. The reason I was embarrassed to ask for protection was because of what we had told the king. We had said to King Artaxerxes, “Our God is with every person that trusts him. But God is very angry with every person that turns away from him.”So we fasted and prayed to our God about our trip. He answered our prayers.
Jesus returned from the Jordan River. He was full of the Holy Spirit. {\cf2\super [61]} The Spirit led Jesus into the desert.There the devil tempted Jesus for 40 days. Jesus ate nothing during that time. When those days were finished, Jesus was very hungry.
Jehoshaphat became afraid, and he decided to ask the Lord what to do. He announced a time of fasting {\cf2\super [223]} for everyone in Judah.The people of Judah came together to ask for help from the Lord. They came from out of all the towns of Judah to ask for the Lord’s help.
Then all the people of Israel went up to the city of Bethel. At that place they sat down and cried to the Lord. They did not eat anything all day, until evening. They also offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord.
Don’t refuse to give your bodies to each other. But you might both agree to stay away \{from sex\} for a time. You might do this so that you can give your time to prayer. Then come together again. This is so that Satan (the Devil) cannot tempt you in your weakness.
The Israelites met together at Mizpah. They got water and poured it out before the Lord. {In this way, they began a time of fasting.} They did not eat any food that day and they confessed their sins. They said, “We have sinned against the Lord.” So Samuel served as a judge [86] of Israel at Mizpah.
They said to Jesus, “John’s followers often fast {\cf2\super [100]} and pray, the same as the followers of the Pharisees. {\cf2\super [101]} But your followers eat and drink all the time.”Jesus said to them, \{“When there is a wedding\}, you cannot make the friends of the bridegroom {\cf2\super [102]} fast {\cf2\super [103]} while he is still with them.But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then his friends will fast.”
“Tell the priests and the other people in this country these things: For seventy years you fasted and showed your sadness in the fifth month and in the seventh month. But was that fasting really for me? No!
When I heard those things about the people of Jerusalem and about the wall, I was very upset. I sat down and cried. I was very sad. I fasted {\cf2\super [2]} and prayed to the God of Heaven for several days.
Then you will call to the Lord, and the Lord will answer you. You will shout to the Lord, and he will say, “Here I am.”You should feel sorry for hungry people and give them food. You should help the people that are troubled—satisfy their needs. Then your light will shine in the darkness. And you will have no sadness. You will be bright like sunshine at noon.
Jehoshaphat became afraid, and he decided to ask the Lord what to do. He announced a time of fasting {\cf2\super [223]} for everyone in Judah.
“Tell the priests and the other people in this country these things: For seventy years you fasted and showed your sadness in the fifth month and in the seventh month. But was that fasting really for me? No!And when you ate and drank, was that for me? No! It was for your own good.
The people of Nineveh believed \{the message from\} God. The people decided to stop eating for a time \{to think about their sins\}. The people put on special clothes \{to show that they were sorry\}. All the people in the city did this—the most important people and the least important people.The king of Nineveh heard about these things. And the king was also sorry for the bad things he did. So the king left his throne. {\cf2\super [13]} The king removed his robe and put on special clothes \{to show he was sorry\}. Then the king sat in ashes. {\cf2\super [14]}The king wrote a special message. The king sent this message through the city:But every person and every animal must be covered with a special cloth \{to show he is sad\}. People must cry loudly to God. Every person must change his life and stop doing bad things.Then maybe God will change and not do the things he had planned. Maybe God will change and not be angry. Then maybe we will not be punished.God saw the things the people did. God saw that the people stopped doing evil things. So God changed and did not do what he planned. God did not punish the people.
At that time Jesus went out to a mountain to pray. He stayed there all night praying to God.
What must I bring when I come\par to meet with the Lord?\par What must I do when I bow down\par to God above?\par Should I come to the Lord\par with burnt offerings and a year-old calf?\parWill the Lord be pleased\par with 1,000 rams or 10,000 rivers of oil?\par Should I give my first child\par as payment for my crimes?\par Should I give the child\par that came from my body\par as payment for my sins?\parMan, the Lord told you what goodness is.\par This is what the Lord wants from you:\par Be fair to other people.\par Love kindness and loyalty.\par Live humbly with your God.\par \{Don’t try to impress him with gifts.\}\par
Then the followers of John {\cf2\super [107]} came to Jesus. They said to Jesus, “We and the Pharisees {\cf2\super [108]} fast {\cf2\super [109]} often. But your followers don’t fast. Why?”Jesus answered, “\{When there is a wedding,\} the friends of the bridegroom {\cf2\super [110]} are not sad while he is with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will leave them. The friends are sad when the bridegroom leaves. Then they will fast. {\cf2\super [111]}
Our sinful selves want things that are against the Spirit. The Spirit wants things that are against our sinful selves. These two different things are against each other. So you don’t do the things you really want to do.
So brothers and sisters, I beg you to do something. God has shown us great mercy. So offer your lives as a living sacrifice {\cf2\super [130]} to God. Your offering must be only for God and will be pleasing to him. This offering of yourselves is the spiritual way for you to worship (serve) God.Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world. But let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what things are good and pleasing to God and what things are perfect.
Don’t worry about anything. But pray and ask God for everything you need. And when you pray, always give thanks.And God’s peace will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. That peace which God gives is so great that we cannot understand it.
But people that trust the Lord\par become strong again\par like eagles that grow new feathers.\par These people run without becoming weak.\par These people walk without becoming tired.\par
Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right. But your body is weak.”
When those people were sick,\par I was sad for them.\par I showed my sadness by not eating.\par Is this what I get for praying for them?\parI wore clothes of sadness for those people.\par I treated those people like my friends or even like brothers.\par I was sad, like a man crying because his mother had died.\par I wore black clothes to show my sadness for those people.\par I walked with my head bowed in sadness.\par
So brothers and sisters, I beg you to do something. God has shown us great mercy. So offer your lives as a living sacrifice {\cf2\super [130]} to God. Your offering must be only for God and will be pleasing to him. This offering of yourselves is the spiritual way for you to worship (serve) God.
\{I am good;\} I fast {\cf2\super [287]} twice a week, and I give one-tenth of everything I earn!’
We fight with weapons that are different from the weapons the world uses. Our weapons have power from God. These weapons can destroy \{the enemy’s\} strong places. We destroy \{people’s\} arguments.And we destroy every proud thing that raises itself against the knowledge of God. And we capture (catch) every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.
A deer gets thirsty\par for water from a stream.\par In the same way, my soul is thirsty\par for you, God.\parMy soul is thirsty for the Living God.\par When can I go to meet with him?\par
We have those many people \{of faith\} around us. Their lives tell us what faith means. So we should be like them. We too should run the race that is before us and never stop trying. We should take away \{from our lives\} anything that would stop us. And we should take away the sin that so easily catches us.
\{Daniel says,\} “At that time, I, Daniel, was very sad for three weeks.During those three weeks, I didn’t eat any fancy food. I didn’t eat any meat. I didn’t drink any wine. I didn’t put any oil on my head. I didn’t do any of these things for three weeks.
Many people live like enemies of the cross of Christ. I have often told you about these people. And it makes me cry to tell you about them now.The way these people live is leading them to destruction. They don’t serve God. Those people live only to please themselves. They do shameful things, and they are proud of those things. They think only about earthly things.
So be ready all the time. Pray that you will be strong enough to continue safely through all these things that will happen. And pray that you will be able to stand before the Son of Man. {\cf2\super [336]} ”
The thing you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing the good things God wants you to do. Then all these other things you need will be given to you.
God, create a pure heart in me!\par Make my spirit strong again!\parDon’t push me away!\par And don’t take your Holy Spirit\par away from me!\parYour help made me so happy!\par Give me that joy again.\par Make my spirit strong\par and ready to obey you.\par
So I tell you: Live by following the Spirit. {\cf2\super [71]} Then you will not do the evil things your sinful selves want.Our sinful selves want things that are against the Spirit. The Spirit wants things that are against our sinful selves. These two different things are against each other. So you don’t do the things you really want to do.
There near the Ahava River, I (Ezra) announced that we all should fast. {\cf2\super [53]} We should fast to make ourselves humble before our God. We wanted to ask God for a safe trip for ourselves, our children, and for all the things we owned.
So when you fast, make yourself look nice. Wash your face.Then people will not know that you are fasting. But your Father that you cannot see will see you. Your Father sees the things that are done in secret. And he will reward you.
“When you fast, {\cf2\super [78]} don’t make yourselves look sad. The hypocrites {\cf2\super [79]} do that. Don’t be like the hypocrites. They make their faces look strange to show people that they are fasting. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward.
All people that compete in the games use strict training. They do this so that they can win a crown (reward). That crown is an earthly thing that lasts only a short time. But our crown (reward) will continue forever.So I run like a person that has a goal. I fight like a boxer that is hitting something—not just the air.It is my own body that I hit. I make it my slave. I do this so that I myself will not be thrown out \{by God\} after I have told other people \{about his blessings\}.
Then I turned to God, my Master. I prayed to him and asked him for help. I did not eat any food, and I put on the clothes that showed I was sad. And I put dirt on my head.