Food is an idol in this world. We look to food for comfort and pleasure in ways we shouldn’t. Often when we are down and depressed, we use food to fill a void in our lives and to take away the pain in our hearts. For many their god is their belly. While food is a good gift of God and meant to be enjoyed, it shouldn’t replace God in our lives.  

In order to curb this tendency, fasting is a great antidote. Fasting is practiced the world over, by Christians and non-Christian’s alike. It is not uniquely Christian, but it is taught in the Bible.

So what is Christian fasting?

Donald Whitney writes, “Christian fasting is a believer’s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes….It is for believers in Christ, and the discipline must be rooted in a relationship with Christ and practiced with the desire to become more like Christ. Believers should fast according to biblical teaching and with purposes that are God-centered. It is voluntary in that fasting should not be coerced” (Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life).

When we fast, we forgo the enjoyment of food to draw near to God. Christian fasting is all about God. The health benefits that might accompany fasting are always secondary. 

Food isn’t the only thing you can fast from. You can fast from TV, social media, or anything that you feel is pulling your attention away from God. 

Fasting is assumed 

Jesus said in Matthew 6:16-18, “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.” Nowhere in Scripture do we read, “Thou shalt fast.” But what is striking is how often fasting comes up in the pages of Scripture. Nehemiah 9 says that the people assembled together, after having fasted for some time. This was part of their spiritual preparation before their assembly. Before entering the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, Jesus fasted for 40 days. Think about how vulnerable Jesus was after fasting for that long. Yet he resisted the devil, firm in his faith.  

Since fasting appears often in the Bible, we shouldn’t be surprised at the words of Jesus in our passage. Jesus clearly assumes that Christians will fast. We shouldn’t get legalistic and require fasting once a month or once a week, etc., but it is assumed.    

In Matthew 9:15 Jesus told his disciples he would leave them, and then they would fast. That time was fulfilled after his ascension. And it continues to the present day so we fast. Believers fast because Jesus is not with them. We long for Him and fasting is a way of expressing that desire. In fasting we are essentially saying Jesus is better than food. 

Fasting is not a show

Matthew 9:16: “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” 

Jesus calls the Pharisees “hypocrites.” The word that is translated “hypocrite” comes from the Greek word for “theatre.” It concerns putting on a mask to shield one’s true identity. Everything the religious leaders did was for other people to see. When they gave to the poor, prayed, and fasted it was a show. 

Their intent was not to draw near to God and honor Him. Their religion was a sham and a mockery. What they wanted was the approval of man. Jesus says of them, “They have received their reward.” Their acting performance was successful in that sense. They were able to fool most people into thinking they were spiritual and that God was pleased with them. 

Christianity is a religion of the heart. While man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart. And God knew the true state of their hearts. Fasting is not a show. If you are going to fast, test your motives. 

There are still hypocrites in our churches. On the outside they appear holy, but on the inside, they are dead. These religious hypocrites fool a lot of people but they cannot fool God.  

Fasting is God-oriented 

Instead of making yourself look worse when you fast, Jesus says, improve your appearance. Or at least do the things you ordinarily do when you go out in public. Don’t draw attention to yourself. Jesus said, “But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret” (Matthew 6:17-18).

Our sinful hearts crave attention and praise. We often practice spiritual disciplines for the wrong reasons. But Jesus forces us to look into the motives of our hearts. The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds” (Jeremiah 17:9-10). 

Our fasting must be God oriented. Fasting is often connected with prayer in the Bible (Acts 13:2-3, Mark 9:29) and prayer is often done in secret (Matthew 6:6). Fasting should never be a show. Rather, we fast to draw near to God and express our hunger for God.

Biblical fasting will be rewarded 

God knows our hearts better than we do. We don’t need an audience to fast. We already have an audience of One, and that is the Creator God. If you fast with a humble and contrite heart, God will reward you. 

As to the reward, there are two categories: our future eternal reward – the reward that will be given to all the faithful in heaven, and the present rewards. Some present rewards (or benefits) include strengthening prayer, seeking God’s guidance, expressing repentance, overcoming temptation, drawing near to God, or asking for deliverance.

I encourage you to fast, but make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Search your heart, test your motives, and all the while know that that fasting is all about pursuing God! As it says in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”  

Recommended Resource: A Hunger for God by John Piper.