Fasting, the Bible, and Prayer
“We feed our spirits and starve our flesh by practicing habits laid down by Jesus. As we do this over time, we not only grow our own willpower muscles, but more importantly, we open our minds and bodies to a power that is beyond us—that of God’s Spirit.”
– John Mark Comer
Fasting—abstaining from food for a set amount of time—is an ancient, (often-neglected), biblically-demonstrated practice to cultivate self-awareness, self-control, and dependence on God.
By denying the body, you live like you really believe God is the true sustainer. By resisting your own desires for immediate gratification, you build your ability to do so in other areas of life as well.
Matthew 4 reveals the key to fasting: reliance on God’s word.
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:4
Fasting from physical food works in tandem with feasting on the words of life. So, when you fast, you’re not merely denying yourself. You should be replacing a good gift from God that you regularly enjoy (food) with time with God himself.
The Bible is God’s way of speaking to you. When you read your Bible, you are hearing directly from the one who created you, loves you, and sustains you.
God wants you to join the conversation through prayer. The Bible also gives you words to offer back to God. Throughout its pages, we see models for faithful prayer. When you echo these words in your own prayer life, you cement the biblical truths in your heart as you send them to God in praise.
Want to try fasting for the first time? Check out these tips on how to fast to get started.
Bible Verses to Pray while Fasting
Here is a list of Bible verses to pray when you’re fasting. Use these passages as you bring your need to God, thank him for his provision, celebrate his love and sustaining presence, and step into the freedom from sin that accompanies life with God.
Read the verses below silently, meditating on what they reveal about God (and you!). Then read the verses aloud, offering them back to God in prayer. Use each verse as a starting point for more prayer, returning to lines that stick out to you and exploring follow-up thoughts with the Spirit’s help.
Your Need for God
When you fast temporarily from a good, necessary thing like food, the lack you feel in your body reminds you of your need for God. Just as your body aches for food, your soul aches for God to make the world right.
Bring your needs and your unmet desires to God in prayer, following these examples from scripture:
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;
heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
3 My soul is in deep anguish.
How long, Lord, how long?
6 I am worn out from my groaning.
All night long I flood my bed with weeping
and drench my couch with tears.
17 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;
I am troubled by my sin.
21 Lord, do not forsake me;
do not be far from me, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
my Lord and my Savior.
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
2 Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
24 ...“I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief!”
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Thanking God
Reflecting on the desires and hardships that make us long for God's powerful presence reminds us just how hopeless we are without him. This dependence on God is always there, but the comforts of the world often make us forget.
Use the following passages to remember and thank God for his provision:
3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
1 Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.
27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Matthew 6:9-15, 6:19-23, 6:31-34
Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom forever and ever. Amen.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Celebrating God
With an awareness of your deep need for God comes joy in the truth that God meets you and sustains you. All good things you enjoy point to the true, eternal gift of life with God. Fasting, therefore, is also a time to rejoice in the abundance and security God offers you.
Pray these words of celebration back to God:
20 We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.
14 Sing, Daughter Zion;
shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Freedom with God
Because of Jesus, we are no longer doomed to be ruled by our sin. Instead, we have the freedom to reject misleading desires and embrace the life God wants us to have. Fasting is a bodily example of the self-control required to say no to sin.
Use these verses to commit to living the life of thriving God offers you:
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Wondering how to become more aware of God's presence throughout your day? Read about the Prayer of Daily Examen and discover a way of praying that will help you grow in gratitude for God's presence in your life.
