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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.
“Don't be afraid, Daniel,” he said. “From the first day you concentrated on trying to understand this, and to humble yourself before God, your prayer was heard, and I have come to answer you.
Proclaim a fast; call a sacred assembly. Have the elders and all people of the land gather in the Temple, and cry out to your God, to the Lord.
“Four days ago, at about this time—three in the afternoon—I was praying in my house,” Cornelius explained. “Suddenly I saw a man standing in front of me, dressed in clothes that shone brightly.
“Do wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is with them?” Jesus responded. “But the time is coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.
Is this the kind of fast I want when people act out their humility by bowing their heads down like a reed and by lying around in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day the Lord appreciates?
“Didn't you see that we fasted?” they ask. “Didn't you notice how we denied ourselves?” That's because whenever you fast you still do whatever you want, and you treat your workers badly.
“Yet even now,” says the Lord, “Come back to me while there is still time. Come to me with all your heart, with fasting and prayer.
When you fast, don't be like the hypocrites who put on sad faces and make themselves look terrible so that everyone can see they're fasting. I tell you the truth, they already have their reward.Instead, when you fast, wash your face and look smart,so that people won't see you're fasting, and your unseen Father who sees what happens in private will reward you.
No, this is the fast I want: set free those who have been unjustly imprisoned, untie the cords of the yoke used to burden people, set free those who are oppressed, and get rid of every form of abuse.Share your food with the hungry, take the poor and homeless into your house. When you see people naked, give them clothes, and don't reject your own relatives.
“Yet even now,” says the Lord, “Come back to me while there is still time. Come to me with all your heart, with fasting and prayer.Repent in your minds, and not by tearing your clothes.” Come back to the Lord your God for he is gracious and kind. He is slow to get angry and full of faithful love, and changes his mind about sending punishment.
No, this is the fast I want: set free those who have been unjustly imprisoned, untie the cords of the yoke used to burden people, set free those who are oppressed, and get rid of every form of abuse.
The people of Nineveh believed in God. They announced a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart Barnabas and Saul to do the work I've called them to.”Then he provided them with judges as leaders until the time of the prophet Samuel.Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled for forty years.Then God removed Saul, and made David their king. God approved of David, saying ‘I found David the son of Jesse to be a man according to my own heart; he will do everything I intend.’ Jesus is David's descendant; he is the Savior that God promised to bring to Israel.Before Jesus came, John announced the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.As John was completing his mission, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the one you're looking for. But after me one is coming whose sandals I'm not worthy to untie.’ My brothers, children of Abraham and those of you who have reverence for God: the message of this salvation has been sent to us!The people living in Jerusalem and their leaders didn't recognize Jesus or understand the words spoken by the prophets that are read every Sabbath. In fact they fulfilled the prophetic words by condemning him!Even though they couldn't find any evidence to sentence him to death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.After they had fulfilled everything predicted that they would do to him, they took him down from the cross and buried him in a tomb.After they had fasted, prayed, and placed their hands on them in blessing, they sent them on their way.
Moses spent forty days and forty nights there with the Lord without eating bread or drinking water. He wrote down on the tablets the words of the agreement, the Ten Commandments.
But when they were sick, I put on clothes of sackcloth in sympathy. I denied myself through fasting. May my prayer for them return to bless me too.
After they had appointed elders for every church, and had prayed and fasted with them, Paul and Barnabas left them in the Lord's care, the one that they trusted in.
At the Ahava Canal I called for a fast so we could confess our sins before God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, along with all our possessions.I had been reluctant to ask the king to give us a military escort to protect us from enemies on the way. We had told the king, “Our gracious God takes care of everyone who follows him, but shows his anger against anyone who abandons him.”So we fasted and asked God to protect us, and he answered our prayers.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River and was led by the Spirit into the desert,For it is written in Scripture, ‘He will order his angels to care for you,holding you up to protect you from stumbling over a stone.’” “It is written in Scripture, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God,’” Jesus replied.When the devil had completed all his temptations, he waited for another opportunity. Jesus returned to Galilee, full of the Spirit's power. News about him spread everywhere.Jesus taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.When he arrived in Nazareth, where he had grown up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day as usual.The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Jesus unrolled the scroll and found the place where it's written:“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to announce good news to the destitute. He has sent me to proclaim that prisoners will be released, the blind will see, the oppressed will be freed,and to proclaim the time of the Lord's favor.”where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. He didn't eat anything during that whole time, so at the end he was starving.
Jehoshaphat was afraid, and went to ask the Lord what to do. He also ordered everyone throughout Judah to fast.Jehoshaphat and his kingdom were at peace, for God gave him rest—there were no attacks from any direction.So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah, having become king when he was thirty-five years old, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi.Jehoshaphat followed the way of his father Asa and did not turn away from it. He did what was right in the Lord's sight.However, the high places were not removed, and the people were not committed to the God of their forefathers.The rest of what Jehoshaphat did, from beginning to end, is written down in the chronicles of Jehu, son of Hanani, recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel.Later in his life, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, allied himself with Ahaziah, king of Israel, who did wicked things.They agreed to work together and send ships to Tarshish. The ships were built in Ezion-geber.But Eliezer, son of Dodavahu of Mareshah, prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you're doing.” The ships were wrecked and couldn't sail to Tarshish.So the people of Judah gathered in Jerusalem to pray to the Lord—in fact, they came from all the towns of Judah to commit themselves to him.
Then all the Israelites and all their army went to Bethel, and sat crying there before the Lord. That day they fasted until evening and gave burnt offerings and friendship offerings to the Lord.
So don't deprive each other, except by mutual consent for a while—for example because you want to spend time in prayer. Afterwards come together again so that Satan won't tempt you to sin because of your lack of self-control.
Once they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted that day, and admitted, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Samuel became the leader of the Israelites at Mizpah.
“Well, John's disciples often fast and pray, and the Pharisees' disciples do so as well. But your disciples don't—they go on eating and drinking,” they told him.“Should the groomsmen fast while the bridegroom is with them?” Jesus asked.“No—but the time is coming when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they can fast.”
Tell everyone in the land and the priests, when you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and the seventh month during these seventy years, was it really me you were fasting for?
When I heard the news, I sat down, weeping and mourning for days, fasting and praying to the God of heaven.
Jehoshaphat was afraid, and went to ask the Lord what to do. He also ordered everyone throughout Judah to fast.
Tell everyone in the land and the priests, when you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and the seventh month during these seventy years, was it really me you were fasting for?And when you eat and drink, don't you eat and drink for yourselves?
One day shortly after, Jesus went up a mountain to pray. He remained there all night, praying to God.
What should I take with me when I approach the Lord, when I bow down before the God of heaven? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I sacrifice my firstborn child for my rebellion, my own flesh and blood for the sins I have committed?The Lord has told you what is good, and what the Lord asks from you: to do what is right, to love kindness, and to walk in humility with your God.
Then the disciples of John came and asked, “Why is that we and the Pharisees fast frequently, but your disciples don't?”“Do wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is with them?” Jesus responded. “But the time is coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.
For the desires of the sinful nature are opposed to the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are opposed to the sinful nature. They fight one another, so you don't do what you want to do.
So I encourage you, my brothers and sisters, because of God's compassion for you, to dedicate your bodies as a living offering that is holy and pleasing to God. This is the logical way to worship.Be completely dedicated to each other in your love as family; value others more than yourselves.Don't be unwilling to work hard; serve the Lord with an enthusiastic spirit.Remain cheerful in the hope you have, put up with the troubles that come, keep on praying.Share in providing for the needs of God's people, and welcome strangers with hospitality.Bless those who persecute you—bless them, and don't curse them.Be happy with those who are happy; cry with those who are crying.Think about one another. Don't consider yourself more important than others; live humbly. Don't be conceited.Don't pay back anyone evil for evil. Make sure you show everybody that what you're doing is good,and as far as it's up to you, live at peace with everyone.My dear friends, don't seek revenge, but leave it to God to execute judgment—as Scripture points out, “‘It's for me to dispense justice, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”Don't follow the ways of this world; instead be transformed by the spiritual renewal of your mind so you can demonstrate what God's will really is—good, pleasing, and perfect.
Don't worry about anything, but take everything to God in prayer, explaining your requests to him and thanking him for all he does.Then the peace that comes from God, which is better than we can ever imagine, will protect your thoughts and attitudes in Christ Jesus.
But those who trust in the Lord will have their strength renewed. They will fly high with wings like eagles. They will run and not be tired. They will walk and not be worn out.
Stay awake and pray, so that you don't fall into temptation. Yes, the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
But when they were sick, I put on clothes of sackcloth in sympathy. I denied myself through fasting. May my prayer for them return to bless me too. I was upset for them, as if they were my own friends or family; I bowed down in grief as if I was mourning my own mother.
So I encourage you, my brothers and sisters, because of God's compassion for you, to dedicate your bodies as a living offering that is holy and pleasing to God. This is the logical way to worship.
Our weapons are not of this world but God's mighty power that destroys fortresses of human thinking, demolishing misleading theories.Every high wall that stands tall and proud against the knowledge of God is knocked down. Every rebel idea is captured and brought into obedient agreement with Christ.
As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God.The mocking of my attackers crushes my bones. They're always asking me, “Where is your God?”Why am I so discouraged? Why do I feel so sad? I will hope in God; I will praise him because he is the one who saves me—my God!I am thirsty for God, the living God. When can I go and see God's face?
For that reason, since we are surrounded by such a great crowd of people who gave evidence of their trust in God, let's get rid of everything that holds us back, the seductive sins that trip us up, and let's keep on running the race placed before us.
When this happened, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three full weeks.“Do you know why I've come to you?” he asked. “Shortly I will have to go back and fight the prince of Persia, and after that the prince of Greece will come.But before that I will tell you what is written down in the Book of Truth. No one helps me fight against these princes except Michael your prince.”I ate no fine food. No meat or wine passed my lips. I used no perfumed oils until those three weeks were over.
The way some people live makes them enemies of the cross of Christ—as I've often told you before and repeat again though it pains me so much I want to weep.They will end up being completely lost, these people whose “god” is their physical desires and who are proud of what they should be ashamed of, thinking only about the things of this world.
Always keep watch and pray, so that you may be able to escape all that will happen and stand before the Son of man.”
Seek his kingdom first, and his way of living right, and everything will be given to you.
Create a pure mind in me, God, and make me trustworthy again.Don't expel me from your presence; don't take away your Holy Spirit from me.Give me back the happiness of your salvation; help me to have a willing nature.
My advice is to walk by the Spirit. Don't satisfy the desires of your sinful human nature.For the desires of the sinful nature are opposed to the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are opposed to the sinful nature. They fight one another, so you don't do what you want to do.
At the Ahava Canal I called for a fast so we could confess our sins before God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, along with all our possessions.
Instead, when you fast, wash your face and look smart,so that people won't see you're fasting, and your unseen Father who sees what happens in private will reward you.
When you fast, don't be like the hypocrites who put on sad faces and make themselves look terrible so that everyone can see they're fasting. I tell you the truth, they already have their reward.
Every competitor who participates in the games maintains a strict training discipline. Of course they do so to win a crown that doesn't last. But our crowns will last forever!That's why I run straight in the right direction. I fight accurately, not punching the air.I also treat my body severely to bring it under my control, for I don't want somehow to be disqualified after sharing the good news with everybody else.
So I turned to the Lord God in prayer. I fasted and wore sackcloth and ashes, and I pleaded with him in prayer to act.