Ask Your Preacher - Archives
“When To Fast”
Categories: DOCTRINE, RELATIONSHIPS, SELF, WORSHIPHow do you know fasting wasn't required in the New Testament? All we have are the examples; should we follow them?Sincerely,
Not So Fast!
Dear Not So Fast,
Fasting is a Biblical practice, but there are no specific guidelines for when to do it. Fasting is the practice of not eating for a designated period of time. Jesus once fasted for forty days (Matt 4:2). Fasting is often associated with times of grief and difficult decisions (Joel 2:12)… but not every grieving person fasted in the Bible. The New Testament doesn’t require fasting, but it also shows the benefits of fasting during times of difficulty or when important decisions needed to be made (Acts 14:23). If anything, Jesus’ disciples were noted for not fasting as often as the rest of the Jewish community (Matt 9:14), an indication that fasting doesn’t have the same level of emphasis in the New Testament. There is a time for fasting, but it is purely up to personal discretion.
