BIBLICAL FASTING
-- WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO DO IT

Let's begin with a little quiz on the subject of fasting:

1. Who was the first person who fasted in the Bible?
2. What was the longest length of time of a fast?
3. Who were the three people who fasted for 40 days each?
4. Do you fast on a periodic basis?

Now you probably knew that Moses was the first recorded faster in the Bible. And perhaps you also knew that the longest time of fasting was for 40 days. You may have even guessed all three of the men who fasted for 40 days. [The answer is in the section below entitled "Some Biblical Principles on Fasting."] But the last question is a bit different from the first three. It may even be a little threatening, because it involves an evaluation of our life - not just head knowledge of Biblical facts. If you are like me, I would try and squirm out of it by asking what you mean by "a periodic basis." But we should not avoid the question. This fourth question is very important. Even more important than the other three.

Fasting has been out of vogue for at least 150 years. In the twentieth century church, the idea seems alien to us. God's Word assumes that fasting will be a regular part of a Christian's life. Yet for most of us, it's not. If we were to make a study of fasting in the Bible most of us would find ourselves very challenged about this neglected area of Christian discipline. I'd like to encourage you to do something about that problem. But before I make that challenge I want to talk to you about what fasting really is, some Biblical principles on fasting, and some of the appropriate occasions for fasting according to the Scripture.

I don't know if you ever thought much about a Biblical perspective on food. 'Why did God give us food?' 'How are we to think about food?' 'Can we enjoy eating?' The Bible gives us answers to these questions. According to the Scripture, food is given to us as a gift from God for four reasons. Food is given to us for:

Enjoyment -- The variety of tastes found in creation is not an accident. God gave us such a wide variety of eatable types of food and a highly developed taste system, so that man would find pleasure in eating. Sometimes Christians, especially when we have been raised in more legalistic churches, have a hard time believing that we are allowed to enjoy anything! But we are! Food is meant to be a source of joy (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25; 5:18). And so are a lot of other things in God's creation. We are allowed to enjoy our food.

Sustenance -- Even in the garden of Eden, Adam needed food to sustain his life and give him energy to do the tasks God had assigned him. Plants were given to Adam and Eve for this purpose: Genesis 1:30. Later on animals were given for the same purpose: Genesis 9:3. Both plants and animals are God's provision for our nourishment.

Fellowship -- Genesis 18:1-8 gives us one of the first examples of fellowship and food. All through the Old Testament the people of God came together for fellowship over food. God made food for fellowship. He even commanded that some of the sacrifices offered to Him at the temple were to be shared with others. These were communal meals -- meals in which the whole community sat down and ate together (see Deuteronomy 12:6,7,18). Families still find a resource of love, fellowship, discussion, and understanding when they come together to eat.

In fact, in my childhood home, the dining table was one of the few times that we were all together as a family. The meal became a focal point for conversation, communication, discussion and teaching in our household. That's the way God intended it.

The Family of Christ still breaks bread together in the Lord's Supper and one of the purposes of the Eucharist is for fellowship (1 Corinthians 10:17). In Revelation 3:20 Jesus Christ's fellowship with believers is described as a meal. And at Christ's second coming we all get invited to a banquet (Revelation 19:9)! Food was made by God to bring us together.

Worship -- Food also is a source of worship. We should be very conscious of the fact that food is a gift from God (Matthew 6:11 & 1 Timothy 4:3b-4). In fact, Paul says that every bit of food "should be received with thanksgiving" (1 Timothy 4:3). Hence, every meal becomes an occasion for thanksgiving. When we put food to our mouths at the beginning of the meal (Acts 27:35) and when we sit back in our chair with satisfaction (Deuteronomy 8:10), our natural reaction should be Godward gratitude. According to the Bible food was created to be a source of thanksgiving and worship.

The Bible tells us that food was given for four reasons. God has created food for the purpose of enjoyment, sustenance, fellowship, and worship. Yet God also has a place for fasting in our lives. But before we find out where that place is, let's see exactly what the Bible means when it talks about "fasting".

Some people take even the most pure of religious exercises and twist it to their own ends. Fasting is one of those religious acts which people have often misunderstood and misused. So let's be sure that we are clear on what Biblical fasting is not:

(1) A Physical or Psychological Discipline -- God never tells people to fast as a purely physical discipline, i.e. dieting for the purpose of making the body beautiful or for some other physical benefit. I'm not saying that dieting is wrong -- only that this is not found in the Bible. Dieting may or may not be helpful to you personally, but the Bible never encourages "fasting" for that reason alone. When the Bible uses the term "fasting" it has spiritual goals in mind -- something very different than Weight Watchers or Low Carb diets.

As a side comment, let me add that you need to be careful of using Biblical fasting as a spiritual smoke screen for problems such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia. In the case of bulimia, fasting was never meant as a preparation (or a penance) for gluttony. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are usually evidences of deeper emotional needs which can be met through the help of a competent Christian counselor. Don't "spiritualize" what is really a need for emotional healing. Seek help from those who care.

Of course, I am not denying that fasting can have physical and psychological benefits. At age 34 I began putting on weight around the middle. I grew 20 pounds in one year. Since I have been fasting on a regular basis the weight gain has stopped and I feel and look better. But I don't fast to keep my weight down. I fast to seek God.

Additionally, many Christians testify to possessing a greater amount of discipline in their lives once they began fasting on a regular basis. The discipline of conquering the desire to eat transfers over to other areas. This is a helpful by-product of fasting, but should not be an end in itself. God never encourages fasting for solely discipline or self-denial reasons. Some of the monks and spiritual hermits of days-gone-by used fasting in this manner. But that is not a Biblical reason for fasting. God has a higher purpose in mind for fasting.

(2) A Manipulative Tool -- Sometimes fasting is viewed as an attempt to twist God's arm or to win His approval. But God doesn't respond to pressure. One group of people in the book of Acts tried to get God on their side by manipulative fasting: "In the morning some of the Jews made a plan to kill Paul, and they took an oath not to eat or drink anything until they had killed him. They went to the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders and said, 'We have taken an oath not to eat or drink until we have killed Paul'" (Acts 23:12,14). But God did not hear their prayer and their plan did not work.

Using fasting in a manipulative way was done by the people in Jeremiah's day too. God said,  "Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burn offerings and grain offering, I will not accept them. I will destroy them with the sword, famine, and plague"  (Jeremiah 14:12). Fasting didn't move God one iota.

We must never think of fasting as a hunger strike designed to force God's hand and get our own way! We don't need to strong arm God. God is good (Psalm 119:8) and eager to answer our prayers. He is generous (James 1:5) and eager to give us 'good things' (Matthew 7:11). Don't use fasting to try to push God into a corner. Maybe God would rather let you starve and join Him in heaven!

(3) A Hypocritical Religious Exercise -- By Jesus' time fasting had become a very important part of the Jewish life. Perhaps overly important would be a better way of saying it. Based on Luke 18:12a, we know the Pharisees fasted twice a week. The Talmud tells us that this was on the 2nd and 5th day (Monday and Thursday). Why those days? According to the Pharisees it was because Moses went up on Mt. Sinai to get the Law on the 5th day and returned on the 2nd. At least that's what they said.

But if you look closely into Jewish history, you find another possible reason for the Pharisees fasting on Monday and Thursday. Market day in the city of Jerusalem was on the 2nd and 5th day! Everyone from the countryside came to town on those days. It was on these two days that the Pharisees chose to hold their fasts. They would walk through the streets with their hair disheveled; they would put on old clothes and cover themselves with dirt; they would cover their faces with white chalk in order to look pale; and they would dump ashes over their head as a sign of their humility!! Fasting had become a "look-at-how-spiritual-I-am" exercise. It was a hypocrisy.

Biblical fasting is not hypocrisy. It is not a manipulative tool. It is not a physical discipline.

First of all, let's look at the root word which is used for "fasting." The Greek word for fasting is nesteia -- a compound of ne (a negative prefix) and esthio which means "to eat." So the basic root meaning of the word simply means "not to eat."

But what does this "not eating" food mean? Why did people in the Bible "not eat?" We find a clue in Leviticus 16:29. This verse says that fasting is synonymous with "afflicting one's soul." We gain some insight here about how the Hebrews viewed fasting. Fasting is more than just "afflicting one's body". It is "afflicting one's soul." In other words, fasting in the Hebrew mind is something my soul participates in. Fasting is denying my self. It is denying not only my own body, but also my own wants. It is a way of saying that food and my desires are secondary to something else. Fasting is "afflicting one's soul" -- an act of self-denial. But it is not only an act of self-denial and here is where the monks and hermits went wrong.

Biblical fasting is "not eating" with spiritual communication in mind. How do we know this? Because Biblical fasting always occurs together with prayer in the Bible - ALWAYS. You can pray without fasting, but you cannot fast (Biblically speaking) without praying. Biblical fasting is deliberately abstaining from food for a spiritual reason: communication and relationship with the Father.

Let's take a look at the different types of fasting in the Bible, because I don't want you to feel overwhelmed by the thought of going without food for days and days. There are types of fasting that don't involve such a radical commitment. The Bible gives examples of many different kinds of fasting. (The terms "normal fast," "partial fast," and "radical fast" which appear below are not Biblical terms. They are entirely of my own making and simply a way to categorize the different fasts we see in the Bible.)

The Normal Fast: There are very few rules when it comes to fasting. What you do is really between you and the Lord. There is only one fast command in the Bible and that was the fast on the Day of Atonement. This fast was from sunset of one day to sunset of the next (Leviticus 16:29;23:32). Since, people usually don't eat during the night that makes the fast fairly easy, since you can eat again in the evening before retiring to bed. According to the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible: "The rabbis ruled that one could not eat a quantity as large as a date on this day...According to the Mishna, Yoma 8:1, on the Day of Atonement it is forbidden to eat, or drink, or bathe, or anoint oneself, or wear sandals, or to indulge in conjugal intercourse" (Zondervan Encyclopedia, vol 2, 502). Of course, this direction is not from the Bible, but perhaps we can look at that as a template for a "normal fast." So in this type of fast the person abstained from food and liquid for a period of one day (from sunset to sunset). This is a normal fast.

The Partial Fast: In this type of fast, the emphasis is placed on restriction of diet, rather than abstaining completely from eating. Examples are: Daniel, Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego eating only vegetables and drinking only water (Daniel 1:15) and later on when Daniel alone practiced a limited diet for three weeks (Daniel 10:3). Some people would argue that this isn't really a fast at all, but Daniel 10:3 does use the word "mourned" which is a Biblical occasion for fasting (see below) and a common synonym for fasting.

The Radical Fast: This type of fast is one in which the person refrains from both food and water OR simply food (but not water) for an extended period of time. A radical fast can be harmful to your health and in most cases should not exceed three days. An example of a radical fast can be found with Esther and her household. Esther decided to fast for three days abstaining from both "food and water" both "day and night" (Esther 4:15-16). The rabbi Ezra and the apostle Paul also went without food and water for three days (Ezra 10:6-9; Acts 9:9). David is another example of a radical fast. He went seven days without food (but probably with liquid) as a plea to God to save the life of his child (2 Samuel 12:15-20). Fasts that extend beyond three or seven days can be found in the Bible, but these exceptions were based upon direct guidance from God or a supernatural ability given by God to complete the fast. Examples of these extreme fasts are: Moses (Deuteronomy 9:9-18 and Exodus 34:28); Elijah (1 Kings 19:8); and Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11).

God said, "When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you" (Jeremiah 29:13,14). When a man or woman is willing to set aside the legitimate appetites of the body to concentrate on the work of praying, they are demonstrating that they mean business, that they are seeking God with all their heart.

Fasting is an expression of wholeheartedness. This is clear from Joel's call to the nation of Israel: "Yet even now," says the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting. . ." (Joel 2:12).

Andrew Murray said, "Fasting helps to express, to deepen, and to confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything - to sacrifice ourselves - to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God."

How do you know when to pray and fast and when to just pray? That is not a question that someone else can always answer for you. But here is a principle: In God's word we always find fasting connected with a very troubled spirit or a very anxious heart before the Lord. So a reason for fasting is not something you choose on the spur of the moment. Rather the reason is a consuming one. In a sense, it's not something you choose, so much as something that chooses you, because it's that important.

So why fast? To demonstrate that we are seeking God "with all our heart." Fasting puts things in proper focus. It is a physical way of saying, "Food and the things of this life are not as important to me now as (fill in the blank) ."

Of course, denying yourself food to focus on God and His program shows humility. That is why fasting is also the equivalent of the phrase "to humble oneself before the Lord" (Psalm 35:13; 1 Kings 21:29; Ezra 8:21). When a person is really concerned about the things of God, he will humble himself. There will be times when he will abstain from the enjoyment of food to continue concentration and focus on that which is important to God.

Fasting is Assumed by the New Testament: When Jesus spoke about fasting, he didn't say if you fast, but "when you fast" (Matthew 6:16). Our Lord assumes that Christians will fast. And from the rest of the books in the New Testament we know that they did.

There once was an inappropriate time for fasting though: when our Lord was here on earth. During that time Jesus' disciples never fasted and that seemed unusual to the religious leaders and John the Baptist's friends. "Then the followers of John came to Jesus and said, 'Why do we and the Pharisees often fast for a certain time, but your followers don't?' Jesus answered, 'The friends of the bridegroom are not sad while he is with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.'" (Matthew 9:14-15).

Now Jesus is no longer physically present with us. He will not be until His second coming. So until the rapture, our Lord knows there will be times when fasting is an appropriate response. He is not here and because of that there will be spiritual struggle, and tribulation, and a need to fast.

The Occasion for a Fast is Voluntary: Fasting was looked upon as a very great virtue in the early church. In fact, they thought so highly of fasting that they inserted the term "fasting" into the Biblical text even though it wasn't in the original manuscripts (check various translations or margin notes for Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:29; Acts 10:30; 1 Corinthians 7:5)! This emphasis upon fasting also caused them to do the very thing the Pharisees had done, which was to prescribe certain set times for fasting: twice a week on Wednesday and Friday!

We need to be careful to avoid pitfalls of legalism like this. Surprisingly, a particular day for fasting was commanded in Scripture only once -- on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). The fast on the Day of Atonement was connected with a deep mournful spirit in confessing sin. Now in the New Covenant, Jesus Christ has become our atonement offering, so we no longer even need to observe the Leviticus 16 Day of Atonement! In all the rest of the Bible there are no other Scriptures which command fasting at a specific time or on a specific occasion! None!

So when should a Christian fast? When he or she feels the Spirit of God leading them to fast. The occasion for fasting is a totally voluntary decision. Some of the specific times when people in the Bible fasted are listed in the next section. But basically we can say a Christian may decide to fast whenever there is a spiritual concern or struggle in his or her life. Of course, there may be times when those in authority over us proclaim a fast, as was done by King Saul (1 Samuel 14:24) or Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:3). But normally and ultimately that decision is solely between us and the Lord.

The Length of a Fast is Voluntary: When we were looking at a "normal fast" (see above) we noted that a fast was usually for one day. In addition to the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:32) you can see examples of one day fasts in Judges 20:26; 1 Samuel 14:24; 2 Samuel 1:12; and 2 Samuel 3:35. The Jewish day was counted from sunset to sunset, so this meant that the fast would be broken (that is, food could be eaten) after sundown. However, some fasts were longer. The fast of Esther continued 3 days, both day and night. At the burial of Saul the fast was seven days (1 Samuel 31:13) and David also fasted seven days when his child was ill (2 Samuel 12:16-18). The longest fasts we find in the Bible are for forty days: Moses (3 times -- Deuteronomy 9:9,18; Exodus 34:28), Elijah (once -- 1 Kings 19:8), and Jesus (once -- Matthew 4:2). The Biblical principle here is that the length of time you fast is determined by your own desires and the occasion or purpose of the fast. The duration can be that which the individual or group feels led to set. There is a great deal of freedom in the Lord here. However, the more common practice of a "normal fast" appears to be one day.

How You Spend Your Time While Fasting is a Personal Decision Too: My ideas about fasting were shaped more by the world and what I saw in the media than by God's Word. So I grew up with the idea that fasting was something done by cloistered monks in prayer cells, hermits in caves, and very spiritual people on sacred retreats. But that's not the way the Bible thinks about fasting. In the Bible, fasting often occurs as something you do while carrying on your everyday activities!

Matthew 6:16-18 demonstrates this, since Jesus pictures a situation in which Christians are among other people going about their normal duties and activities. In fact, soldiers involved in the activity of warfare sometimes fasted (1 Samuel 14:24) as well as the sailors on the ship with Paul (Acts 27:33). There is a certain sense in which fasting, even in the midst of your daily activities, becomes a constant prayer to the Lord. And in the actual experience of fasting, a periodic pang of hunger can become a good reminder to send up a short "arrow prayer" for the particular thing about which you are fasting.

What a marvelous freedom God gives us in the area of fasting. Jesus assumes that we will fast, yet he leaves the choice of when to fast, the length of our fast, and the decision of how we will spend our time while fasting completely up to us!

Fasting Does Not Negate Our Responsibility to be Obedient to God: We cannot fast and pray expecting God to bless when there is known sin in our lives. Fasting does not impress God with our spirituality to the point that he ignores our disobedience. On the contrary, genuine fasting will always cause us to examine our hearts to make sure everything is right with Him.

The people of Isaiah's day thought that they could fast in disobedience and God would hear them. But God said, "on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high". (Isaiah 58:3b-4).

'When is it appropriate to fast?' 'What types of situations should induce a fast?' 'What is a good Biblical reason for going without food?' The Bible has answers to those questions. We find seven occasions when the people of God fasted. God's people fasted in these situations:

Mourning someone's death: We see fasting and mourning connected in 1 Samuel 31:13; 1 Chronicles 10:12; 2 Samuel 1:12; and 2 Samuel 3:35. In these situations fasting showed the sorrow that the people felt over the loss of someone God used in their lives. In fact, the custom of fasting in mourning was considered normal behavior among the Israelites. That's why the servants of David were so astonished when David got up and ate following the death of his son: "David's servants said to him, 'Why are you doing this? When the baby was still alive, you refused to eat and you cried. Now that the baby is dead, you get up and eat food?!'" (2 Samuel 12:21).

When someone experiences the loss of a close friend or relative, they usually don't feel like eating. This is a normal, natural reaction in the initial stages of grief. It is a perfectly good reason to fast.

Mourning sin, i.e. in repentance and confession: Examples of this are found in Deuteronomy 9:18; 1 Samuel 7:6; 1 Kings 21:27; Ezra 10:6; Jonah 3:5; and Acts 9:3-9. When people wished to demonstrate that they were serious about repenting from their sin, they fasted. Our willingness to sacrifice shows the depth of our commitment and in this case fasting is a pictorial way of saying to the Lord, "I care more about getting right with You, God, than I do about even my own life." So a good occasion for fasting is when we are truly grieving over our sins.

A situation of impending danger; for protection: There are occasions when death or danger threaten us. We see from the Scripture that it is certainly appropriate to employ fasting as a means of receiving God's protection during these times. When Ezra was carrying a large consignment of gold and silver to the temple in Jerusalem along a route infested with bandits, he records: "I proclaimed a fast...that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a straight way for ourselves, our children, and all our goods" (Ezra 8:21,23,31). Other examples of fasting for protection are found in Jeremiah 36:9 and Esther 4:3.

Direction: Fasting helps us find God's will. If we expect God to reveal his direction for our lives, we must put Him first. Often this means putting aside the fulfillment of our physical appetites, so that we can focus our attention on Him.

We find an example of fasting for direction in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30. Three nations were coming against Judah to destroy them. King Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, proclaimed a fast for the whole nation and they asked the Lord what they should do. God heard their prayer and their fast and gave the people prophetic direction through one of the choir members! God told them what to do.

Acts 13:2 is another example of direction being given by God during a fast. Here we find the leaders of the church of Antioch worshipping and fasting. The Holy Spirit used this occasion to tell the church leaders to choose Paul and Barnabas from among their group and send them out to spread the gospel among the Gentiles. So fasting is one of the ways we seek God's guidance and direction in our lives.

Sickness: There are two examples in Scripture of fasting on behalf of those who are sick: 2 Samuel 12:15-23; Psalm 35:13. Both of these examples come from the life of David. In Psalm 35:13 David says, "Yet when they were sick, I put on clothes of sadness and showed my sorrow by going without food." David saw fasting as a way to ask God for physical healing in the lives of other people.

The ordination of missionaries or church leaders: Fasting appears to have been a regular part of the ordination of church leaders and missionaries. We have already looked at Acts 13, the calling of Paul and Barnabas for missionary service. Verse 3 tells us that after they received this direction from the Lord, then they ordained them for missionary service by prayer, fasting and laying their hands upon them.

We find the same thing later on in the book of Acts -- Paul and Barnabas fasted at the selection of the first elders for the new churches they planted (Acts 14:23). It would appear that fasting in these cases is a way of seriously seeking God's blessing, anointing, and power upon the leaders of the church.

Special revelation: The final occasion for fasting is for special revelation. Exceptional insights from God were sometimes given to the prophets and others during periods of fasting. Daniel sought God with fasting to ask God to fulfill His promise to restore Jerusalem (see Daniel 9:9,18 and compare with Jeremiah 29:10-13). He received through the angel Gabriel a wonderful unfolding of God's plan for Israel. If we have sought God in vain for the fulfillment of some promise, it could be that He is waiting for us to humble ourselves by fasting and seek Him as Daniel did.

Other examples of prophetic revelation during times of fasting are found in Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9,18; and Daniel 10:1-3. God decided to speak to these men while they were in the midst of a fast. For those seeking prophetic guidance or revelation today, God may also use the occasion of fasting to speak to them in a very unique way.

As we look at the Bible it becomes evident that fasting was practiced more often than Christians usually practice it today. In fact, among most American Christians fasting is entirely neglected. I want to challenge you today to begin the practice of fasting. If you accept the challenge of God's Word to fast, I would like to provide some guidelines for you as you begin to make this a more regular part of your Christian life. The Lord will reward your efforts at fasting. Here are some individual guidelines for fasting:

1. Reach a personal conviction on the subject through careful Bible study. -- Get into the Word on your own. See what the Bible really says about fasting. Check the things that have been said here, read the Scripture references listed in this article and the ones listed below, and go deeper.

2. A physician's note: Make sure you are medically able to fast before attempting it. Some brothers and sisters that I know can only do a one-day partial fast. They drink different types of juice, but take no food or other liquid. God knows and understands their medical condition and does not expect them to harm their "temple" (1 Corinthians 6:19) in order to be spiritual. There are no rigid standards about fasting in the Bible that say you must do this or that.

3. Begin with short fasts and gradually move to larger periods of time if you desire. If you've never fasted before, you need to start slow. Don't start with a three day fast!

4. Be prepared for some dizziness, headache, or nausea in the early going. Most of our bodies have never gone without food for longer than a few hours.

5. Break a prolonged fast gradually with meals that are light and easy to digest. Trying to gorge yourself following a fast will only make you sick and will leave you with an unpleasant memory of fasting.

6. Enter with a positive faith that God will reward those who fast with the right motives. - Jesus gave this promise: "When you fast, your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matthew 6:18).

7. Sometime during your fast, mix your fast with prayer, time in Scripture reading, singing, or devotional reading. Remember: fasting is not an end in itself. Seek the Lord, not the experience of fasting.

8. Keep checking your motives concerning your fasts. Hypocrisy and spiritual pride can easily creep in. There is a reward for fasting, but only fasting done with the right motives (Matthew 23:28).

SOME BIBLICAL REFERENCES ON FASTING
TO GET YOU STARTED

Copyright 2005 by Dennis Rupert.
Permission is granted to distribute to others, but not for commercial purposes.



WARNINGS ABOUT FASTING

Fasting is not for salvation

"And he speak this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not life up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Luke 18:9-14).

In this parable, the Lord Jesus Christ teaches that salvation cannot be attained through religious works and good deeds. The self-righteous Pharisee left the temple in an unsaved condition before God. The repentant publican was saved by humbling himself and seeking God's mercy. Christ is not making light of the importance of fasting here any more than He is making light of the importance of tithing. But neither fasting, nor tithing, nor any other religious duty can justify a man before a holy God.

Fasting must not be for show

"Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly" (Matthew 6:16-18).

God hates hypocritical religion, which is man's attempt to appear holy before other men without possessing true holiness before God. In this passage, Christ rebukes the kind of fasting that is done for the sake of appearing spiritual before men. Yet again, He is not making light of the practice of fasting itself when done properly. In fact, He takes for granted the fact that His followers will fast. He did not say "IF thou fastest," but rather, "WHEN thou fastest." And He made a wonderful and definite promise that those who practice biblical fasting will be rewarded openly by God the Father.

Fasting is not to be a religious ritual

"I fast twice in the week..." (Luke 18:12).

This is that statement of a Pharisee who was practicing religion in an attempt to justify himself before God. He observed a regular period of fasting. Nowhere, though, does the Bible require such a practice. Fasting is not to be simply a ritual observed once a week, or once a month, or prior to the Lord's Supper, etc. Fasting, rather, is something that is practiced when a special need arises and when the Holy Spirit leads.

Fasting is unacceptable and ineffectual without a right relationship with God

"Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. "Is it such a fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?" (Isaiah 58:3-9).

"But unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?" (Zechariah 7:5-6).

God rebukes the hypocritical fasts of the apostate children of Israel. They were going through the motions of true religion, but their hearts were far from God and they were living in direct disobedience to His law. No religious duty is acceptable before God which does not proceed from a regenerate life and which is not guided by the Bible and the Holy Spirit.

Biblical fasting is not for physical health.

Though various sorts of fastings may or may not promote better health, this is never the purpose given in the Bible for fasting. Many popular Christian books emphasize the importance of fasting for physical benefit, but such fasting is not biblical fasting. We cannot say that fasting is or is not good for the health, and we cannot say it either is wrong or right to fast for health. We are saying, simply, that the Bible does not speak of fasting in light of health.

Fasting is not an ascetic practice

"Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh" (Colossians 2:20-23).

There were false teachers in Colosse who were promoting the idea that spirituality is achieved through various ascetic practices, through following a manmade list of does and don'ts. This included special dietary rules and fasting as a means of denying the body. The Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox monks of certain orders practice this type of thing. They cloister themselves apart from normal interaction with people; they follow rigid schedules of work, diet, and meditation; they observe regular times of fasting, solitude, and quietness; they punish their bodies in various ways, some even beating themselves with whips. This ascetic life is thought to be a means whereby the individual monks can work out their salvation and draw nearer to God. Hindu and Buddhist priests also practice asceticism in an attempt to attain higher levels of spirituality in their false religious systems.

The Apostle Paul warned against this type of thing. Neither salvation nor spirituality are achieved through asceticism. One is forgiven of sin and given eternal life through a saving relationship with Christ, through repentance and faith in Christ's death upon the cross. And one grows in practical holiness through walking in fellowship with the resurrected Christ. This is what the Apostle Paul reminded the Christians at Colosse who were in danger of being deceived by the false ascetics:

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In Whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross ... Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ" (Colossians 2:8-16).

Fasting is an important part of the Christian life and ministry, but we must be careful that we do not think that spirituality comes through punishing the body and observing various rituals and dietary laws. Spirituality is being in fellowship with Jesus Christ.

Fasting does not necessarily guarantee that one's prayers will be answered.

In 2 Samuel 12 we have the record of how David fasted and prayed in an attempt to get God to preserve the life of the child which had been conceived through the adulterous relationship with Bathsheba. God did not answer that prayer nor honor David's fast in that particular case. This reminds us that fasting, while an important practice in spiritual warfare, is not a guarantee that we will get what we are desiring from God. Earnest prayer with fasting does often result in the answer one is seeking from God, but it is no absolute guarantee. God is always sovereign in answering prayer, and we must always submit to His will.

Fasting is a personal matter.

Fasting is important and useful in Christian life and service, but it is not something that can be commanded and it is not something by which we are to judge the spiritual condition of others. The Nazarite vow is an illustration of this. God did not demand that people take a Nazarite vow (except in a few unusual cases, such as that of Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist). It was a free will vow an individual could make to God beyond the required duties of the law. Fasting is of this nature.

THE IMPORTANCE OF FASTING

The importance of fasting is seen in the number of positive references in the Old and New Testaments.

There are over 30 positive examples, commands, and instructions in Scripture about fasting.

* Judges 20:26--Israel fasted for victory in war. * 1 Samuel 1:6-7--Hannah fasted for a son * 1 Samuel 7:6--Israel fasted in repentance * 1 Samuel 31:13--Men of Jabeshgilead fasted in mourning for Saul * 2 Samuel 1:12--David and his men fasted in mourning for Saul, Jonathan, and the fallen of Israel * 2 Samuel 12--David fasted for mercy upon his child * 1 Kings 21:27--Ahab fasted for mercy * 2 Chronicles 20:3--Jehoshaphat and Israel fasted for help and protection * Ezra 8:21-23--Ezra and the people fasted for help and protection * Nehemiah 1:4--Nehemiah fasted in mourning and for help upon Jerusalem * Nehemiah 9:1,2--Israel fasting in mourning and repentance * Esther 4:16--Esther and friends fasted for victory * Esther 9:3--Fasting is mentioned as having had a role in the victory * Psalm 35:13,14--Fasting in prayer and mourning * Psalm 69: 10,11--Fasting in prayer and mourning * Isaiah 58:6-8--The fast which pleases God * Jeremiah 36:9--Israel fasted for mercy * Joel 1:14; 2:12,15--God commanded fasting and repentance * Jonah 3:5--The Ninevites fasted in repentance for mercy * Daniel 9:3--Daniel fasted for wisdom * Matthew 4:2--Jesus fasted when tempted in the wilderness * Matthew 6:17-18--Jesus promised that the Father would bless fasting * Matthew 9:14-15--Jesus said his disciples would fast * Matthew 17:21--Fasting is necessary for overcoming some demonic strongholds * Mark 9:29--Fasting is necessary for overcoming some demonic powers * Luke 2:37--Fasting was part of Anna's service to God * Acts 13:2--Fasting was part of the ministry of the workers at Antioch * Acts 13:3--Ordination was accompanied by fasting * Acts 14:23--Ordination was accompanied by fasting * 1 Cor. 7:5--Fasting and prayer is the only proper reason for abstinence from the marital relationship * 2 Cor. 6:5--Fasting was one way Paul approved himself as a minister of Jesus Christ * 2 Cor. 11:27--Paul fasted often

These examples and instructions regarding fasting cannot be taken lightly. We are told that the examples of Scripture are as important as are its direct commands--1 Corinthians 10:11; Romans 15:4--and these verses speak specifically of the Old Testament examples. The Lord Jesus Christ is our Pattern (1 Peter 1:21). Christ's fasting during His temptation in the wilderness is our example, just as His prayers during the temptations in the garden are our examples. Also we are told that the Apostle Paul is to be imitated--Philippians 3:17; 4:9. Paul put before us the example of frequent fasting (2 Corinthians 11:27).

The simple fact that the Holy Spirit chose to put before God's people so many positive examples of fasting in itself reveals the importance of this spiritual practice.

Fasting is one of the ways whereby a minister of Christ approves himself.

"But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings" (2 Corinthians 6:4-5).

Here, fasting is mentioned right alongside such things as patience, pureness, and knowledge. Paul obviously considered fasting to be a very important part of the ministry.

The Lord Jesus made a definite promise about fasting.

When one fasts in the proper manner for the proper reason, "the Father which seeth in secret SHALL reward thee openly" (Matthew 6:17-18). This is one of the most wonderful promises in the Bible and cannot be dismissed lightly. God would not make such a promise if He did not consider fasting important. Christ never discouraged proper fasting. He condemned and corrected false practices, but never did He discourage scriptural fasting. In fact, He took for granted that His followers would fast. In Matthew 6:17, He did not say, "IF thou fastest." He said, "WHEN thou fastest."

The Lord Jesus said very plainly that His disciples WOULD fast after His departure from the earthly scene.

"Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast" (Matthew 9:14-15).

Jesus never discouraged fasting. He practiced it and said His followers would practice it. Like all other aspects of spiritual living, Christ corrected false ideas and abuses surrounding fasting, but He did not discourage it nor treat it as something unimportant.

God's choicest servants have practiced fasting throughout the centuries.

If fasting is unnecessary or unimportant, the Lord's best people have been greatly misled in their thinking! Behold Samuel's mother fasting while others were feasting (1 Samuel 1:6-7). Behold David, the man after God's own heart, fasting. Behold Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther and Mordecai, the godly king Jehoshaphat, Daniel, Samuel, Anna the prophetess, Paul--all fasting. Behold the Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, fasting. Christians today who practice fasting for biblical reasons are in excellent company! It is obvious that God's people of all ages who fasted knew something which those today who do not fast, or who say fasting is unnecessary, or who relegate the practice to an Old Testament or Jewish custom, do not know.

Fasting and prayer is the only spiritual practice that is to interfere with the physical aspect of the marital relationship.

"Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency" (1 Corinthians 7:1-5).

God warns that husbands and wives must be careful to meet one another's physical needs. This is one of the divinely ordained functions of marriage: "... to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband" (1 Corinthians 7:2).Only one thing is to be allowed to break into regular sexual relationship between married couples, and that is fasting and prayer. Again, we note that the Bible does not command that Christians fast, but it takes it for granted that they will and sets out to regulate the practice.

Fasting is essential for the breaking down of certain demonic strongholds.

"And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall removed; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting" (Matthew 17:18-21).

This should settle the question of whether or not fasting is an important part of the Christian life. The Lord Jesus said it is an essential part of spiritual warfare, and those who war against satanic strongholds know this to be a fact! There are indeed demonic strongholds that can be broken by NOTHING but prayer AND fasting.

WHEN SHOULD WE FAST?

Fast when sorely tempted (Matthew 4:2).

Fast when wisdom is earnestly desired (Dan. 9:3).

Fast when help and protection are needed (Ezra 8:21-23; 2 Chronicles 20:3; Jeremiah 36:9).

Fast when victory is desired over strong demonic powers (Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:29).

Fast when victory is desired in seemingly impossible situations (Esther 4:10-17; 9:31; Nehemiah 1:4).

Fast when something is earnestly desired from God and the answer has not come through prayer alone (1 Samuel 1:6-7).

Fast when in mourning for loved ones or the defeat of God's people (2 Samuel 1:12).

Fast when new ministries are launched and when men go forth to proclaim God's Word and battle spiritual enemies (Acts 13:2-3; 14:23).

Fast when involved in spiritual ministry (2 Corinthians 6:5; 11:27)

Fast during times of special repentance, confession, and revival (Joel 1:14; 2:12; 2:15; Nehemiah 9:1-2).

WHY IS FASTING IMPORTANT?

Fasting is important because of spiritual warfare (Matthew 17:21).

When we fast, we are not forcing God to do something but are resisting supernatural strongholds and powers. Someone might say, "Why is this necessary when Christ has all power?" I do not know the answer to this question, but I do know that Christ said, "This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."

Fasting demonstrates the earnestness and desire of the heart--Hebrews 11:6.

God sees the hearts of men, but the Bible says He requires open evidence of the heart's desire--Joel 2:12. "Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning."

This is seen in Abraham's offering of Isaac. God knew that Abraham would obey and give up the beloved son, but He required Abraham to go through with the act up to the very point of driving the knife into Isaac's heart. Only then did God say, "For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me" (Genesis 22:12).

Fasting can be seen as one way of evidencing the earnestness and sincerity of our hearts toward God in matters of prayer. We can say that such things as fasting are not necessary since God knows our hearts, but examples such as the one about Abraham and his son show that God does require evidence of our faith and earnestness.

Fasting helps keep the body under subjection.

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

The body continually desires its own way. Its lusts cry out for fulfillment, and the process of fasting is in itself a subduing of the bodily appetites. The Apostle Paul knew that big battles are won through victory in small skirmishes, and wars are won through victory in individual battles. Daniel first had to conquer the small skirmish of his own bodily appetites as a young man before he could conquer the larger battle of refusing to obey the solemn law of the king regarding prayer as an old man. Victory had to be gained over food before victory could be gained over the lions.

This is one reason so few church members attend prayer meetings. Too often, we haven't won the victory of prayer in our daily lives. Too often, we aren't in the regular habit of subduing the flesh in order to serve the Spirit. The Bible says Eli the priest was fat (1 Samuel 4:18). He did not subdue his bodily craving for rich food. The fearful truth is that his carelessness in the area of food carried over into every area of his life and ministry. He allowed his bodily craving for sleep to keep him from maintaining the lamp in the tabernacle through the night. The lamp went out each night, although it was to be kept lit. The failure to subdue his own body was kin to and connected with his failure to discipline his sons. God said that Eli loved the fat offerings just as much as his wicked sons did (1 Samuel 2:29). Eli was not committing immorality with the women at the door of the tabernacle as his sons were, but his unsubdued love for food and ease was hurtful to his ministry. Eli should have been fasting and working instead of feasting and sitting!

HOW LONG IS A BIBLICAL FAST?

The Bible sets no specific time length for fasting. Daniel fasted 21 days. Esther and Mordecai fasted 3 days and nights. The Lord Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness. But frequently the Bible simply does not say how long people fasted. We are not told, for example, how long Ezra fasted before making the journey to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:21-23). Fasting must be a matter of individual freedom under the direction of the Holy Spirit. It can be one meal or many meals, according to the need of the hour and the direction of God. Romans 14 speaks of this sort of thing and says, "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (Romans 14:5).

WHAT IS A BIBLICAL FAST?

Again, there are no rigid guidelines for fasting. In Daniel's fast of 21 days, we are told that he ate "no pleasant bread, nor flesh, nor wine" (Daniel 10:3). Apparently, Daniel did eat something, but he abstained from pleasant foods. God has not given specific instructions about fasting because it is to be a private matter between an individual and the Lord. A nursing mother, for example, would be unwise to go entirely without food for any significant length of time, because not only is she dependent upon that food, but her infant is also. God has promised, "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye" (Psalm 32:8). This precious promise applies to fasting. When should you fast? For how long? What should you abstain from as you fast? God will lead you very personally and clearly in all of these things if you are walking in fellowship with Him.

While the Bible does not spell out every detail of fasting, it does give the following basic guidelines, as follows:

Abstinence from food and normal physical pleasures (Daniel 10:3; 1 Corinthians 7:5).

Note again that Daniel did not abstain from food completely, but only from "pleasant bread." From this example, we see that there are many ways of observing a fast. One can abstain entirely from all foods and drinks, or abstain only from those that are more tasteful and desirable. This apparently is what Daniel did. Scriptural fasting is a private and special matter between an individual and God. God might lead us to observe a fast one way at a particular time and an entirely different way another time. Some who have medical problems such as diabetes have asked me how they can fast. I believe it is possible for such a person to fast by determining before God to abstain from certain favorite foods and pleasures for a specified period.

Prayer "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer AND fasting" (Matthew 17:21).

Biblical fasting is always connected with an increased attention to prayer and communion with God. Fasting divorced from prayer is not biblical fasting.

Confession of sins

"And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from the precepts and from thy judgments: Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land" (Daniel 9:3-6; see entire chapter).

Biblical examples of fasting are often connected with periods of special repentance and confession of sins.

Service toward God (Isaiah 58:6-8).

Christian fasting is temporary abstinence from food and perhaps other physical pleasures in order to concentrate on a definite spiritual problem or need. It is not a ritual to be performed in a superstitious manner, hoping that the very act of going without food would bring some form of blessing, but is a special period of devotion toward God in prayer and abstinence of normal pleasures for a clear objective.

DOES IT MATTER IF WE FAST?

If fasting is an individual, private matter, something not specifically commanded by God, is it really important? Can't it simply be left undone? No! The Lord Jesus Christ said that there are spiritual battles that can be won by NOTHING but by prayer AND fasting--not prayer alone, but prayer AND fasting. This means spiritual, biblical fasting is essential at times for victory over the enemy.

Paul no doubt considered fasting essential for victory in ministry and life. It is doubtful that he received some strange enjoyment from going without meals.

What if we were to ask Hannah if fasting is essential. What would she reply? Surely, she would tell us that fasting is important. Was it not through prayer with fasting that God gave her the son she so longed for?

And what would we hear from Esther and Mordecai? Why didn't she call a prayer meeting rather than going to the trouble to fast three days and three nights? Her reply most doubtless would be, that prayer alone is not always enough. There are spiritual victories that cannot be won without prayer and fasting.

Ezra, too, would certainly add his Amen to the truth that fasting is sometimes essential for victory. Why didn't he just gather the people together at the river of Ahava and have a few hours of prayer without the sacrifice of fasting? Apparently, he felt that it would require fasting as well as prayer for safety in travel through those dangerous lands? "So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us" (Ezra 8:23).

But what do these ancient events have to do with Christians who live in these busy, modern times? "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come" (1 Corinthians 10:11).

MODERN ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS ATTACK THE DOCTRINE OF FASTING

The new versions make a strange attack against the New Testament teaching of fasting. Though some references to fasting remain, several significant references are removed.

Matthew 17:21--KJV "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." This entire verse is omitted in the New American Standard Version [NASV], Revised Standard Version [RSV], New International Version [NIV], New English Bible, Jerusalem Bible, and Phillips translation. The Today's English Version [TEV] puts the verse in brackets.

Mark 9:29--KJV reads "And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." The Bible Society Greek text and the new versions based on this text omit the words "and fasting." This is true in the NIV, NASV, RSV, Living Bible, Phillips, New English Bible, and Jerusalem Bible.

These two verses about fasting are not the only references to this doctrine in Scripture, but they are the only references which specifically, directly teach the importance of fasting as an aspect of spiritual warfare. Those who have fought spiritual battles against the powers of darkness know the precious truth of what Jesus is saying in these passages. Prayer is a powerful spiritual resource, but there ARE demonic strongholds that cannot be broken by prayer alone without fasting. It is a fact, and it is a part of the Bible!

To remove these references from the Bible is folly and evil. It is equal to removing part of the essential armament from a soldier's equipment before sending him into battle.

The textual evidence in support of the references on fasting is overwhelming. It is largely a matter of the vast majority of textual witnesses on one hand (which support the fasting readings) against the flimsy, questionable testimony of the two manuscripts preferred by Westcott and Hort--Vaticanus and Sinaiticus.

Personally, I will require much stronger witness than this before allowing someone to remove these blessed Scriptures from my Bible. In fact, you will not take them from my Bible, thank you! I consider these references so important spiritually, that the removal of these two passages alone demonstrate to me the error of following the Westcott-Hort textual principles which allow the Sinaitic and Vaticanus manuscripts to overthrow the testimony of multitudes of other witnesses.

There are four other passages dealing with the doctrine of fasting which are removed in the new versions:

Acts 10:30--Here we read in the King James Version and most of the old Protestant translations in various languages that Cornelius was fasting and praying. The new versions, following the lead of the Westcott-Hort Greek text, removes the word fasting. This is true for the RSV, NASV, NIV, Living Bible, TEV, New English Bible, Jerusalem Bible, the New Berkeley Version, and Phillips.

1 Corinthians 7:5--The KJV reads, "Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency." Again turning against the majority of textual witnesses, the new versions remove fasting from this important passage. This is true for all of the versions we have been checking as mentioned above.

2 Corinthians 6:5--The KJV reading, "fasting," has been changed in the new versions to "hunger." Obviously, hunger and fasting are two different things. In 2 Corinthians 11:27, where the Apostle Paul gives a similar listing of some aspects of his ministry, he mentions both hunger AND fasting. We see from this that the Holy Spirit is not using these terms synonymously. This, therefore, is another attack upon the biblical doctrine of the spiritual benefit of fasting.

2 Corinthians 11:27--The KJV reading, "fastings often," is replaced in the new versions with "often without food." The comment on 2 Corinthians 6:5 above applies here as well. Being hungry and going without food does not have to be connected with the spiritual life and warfare. Going without food is not necessarily fasting. To change this reading without overwhelming proof that the King James translators were wrong--proof which modern translators do not have--is dangerous at best. The KJV reading says, "in hunger and thirst, in fastings often." A clear distinction is made between the hunger Paul often endured because of lack of food, and his frequent times of spiritual fasting. If in these two passages the Holy Spirit is referring to the apostle's spiritual battles, to spiritual fasting, which is most probable since such a distinction is made, the modern translators have done a great evil in removing this teaching through their versions.

When the reading of these six verses is taken together, a definite pattern of attack appears in the new Greek texts and versions upon the doctrine of fasting as a spiritual weapon. And this is even more serious in light of the fact that we are warned in Scripture that spiritual warfare will grow in intensity as the time of Christ's return draws near. "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. ... But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Timothy 3:1,13). Don't be deceived, dear Christian friend, into accepting a Bible version that removes these important spiritual weapons from your life.

The fact is that there ARE demonic strongholds that cannot be broken down without biblical fasting. While the churches are feasting, the devil runs rampant.

We have experienced the truth of this. There were many times that we have been at the point of total despair in our ministry in the idolatrous country of Nepal. I recall such an experience at the beginning of our work there. It seemed that an impenetrable dark wall stood before us. We were proclaiming the Gospel and some Hindus had shown interest; many were coming to meetings, and some had made professions of faith. But not one idolater had repented of his sin and idolatry and been born again.

Troubles were also bearing in upon us from many directions that held the potential of ending our ministry in that difficult land. The national ecumenical fellowship slandered us and called for a total boycott of our ministry. Our work was illegal and we were in constant danger of being evicted by the Nepali government. It appeared that our desire to establish a Nepali church that would glorify Jesus Christ would never be fulfilled.

We determined to have a time of prayer with fasting. It was the first time, really, that I had practiced this with such serious intent, and I must admit that I didn't find it easy. Soon thereafter a Nepali fellow came to our house and was saved in our living room soon after we met him. Then he led a friend to Christ, and the friend led his sister to Christ. All of these showed real evidence of repentance. They made a complete break with idolatry and began to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in spite of many persecutions. Soon others were saved, and the Lord brought a faithful evangelist to join hands with us as a much needed co-laborer in the ministry. Today that fellowship has grown in the midst of much hardship and poverty and has become a lively New Testament church. It has its own leadership, pays its own bills, and has zealous evangelistic, missionary vision. All of the first converts are still serving the Lord today, most in leadership positions.

Prayer with fasting is a normal part of the ministry of that church. Would the victory have been won without the fasting? Not according to the testimony of the Son of God. He said, "This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."

The wall we faced in that heathen land was a supernatural wall. The Scriptures lift the curtain that hides the supernatural realm from our eyes and identifies our foe. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).

Many other illustrations could be given, but this is enough. We have seen what the Word of God says. We have seen the example of godly people of all ages. We have seen the example of the Son of God. We must face these things and realize that spiritual fasting is very important in the Christian life and ministry and is a practice urgently needed in our day.

We have felt the power of the enemy. We have heard his fearful roar. And we believe the warning of the Lord Jesus Christ and the many examples of the infallible Scriptures. Spiritual fasting is essential.

Praise God for the sure promise of the Bible: "But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: AND THY FATHER, WHICH SEETH IN SECRET, SHALL REWARD THEE OPENLY" (Matthew 6:17-18).

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