Biblical Fasting is Not: 

Fasting has a spiritual purpose and, as with every religious practice, there are those who misunderstand and misuse fasting in an attempt to twist the purpose to fit their own purposes.  Let me give you examples of what fasting is not! 

Fasting is not a "physical" or "psychological" discipline 

God never tells anyone to fast for physical purposes.  There is no scripture that gives you spiritual authority or instruction to "diet to lose weight" or for any other physical benefit.  Don't misunderstand me, I don't believe dieting is wrong, however, the Bible never allows fasting to be used for the purposes of losing weight or other physical benefit.  When the Bible speaks of fasting, the goals and purposes are always spiritual! 

Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia have absolutely nothing to do with fasting!  Many people plagued with Anorexia attempt to using "fasting" as an excuse.  Those with Bulimia should understand that fasting is NOT permitted before a gluttonous meal in order for you to appear to be eating properly.  These two problems are indicators of much deeper spiritual and emotional problems.  Do not confuse these with proper biblical fasting. 

For those of you who are overweight, fasting is NOT allowed, promoted or encouraged in the Bible for the purposes of losing weight.  Of course, if you fast regularly you will most likely lose weight, however, fasting is never to be used in order to "lose weight or keep your weight down".  

The Bible never encourages fasting for solely discipline or self-denial reasons. Many people have used fasting for just such purposes, but those are not Biblical reasons for fasting.  

 Fasting is not a Manipulative Tool 

Many people in today's church try to use fasting in an attempt to "twist" God's arm or to win His approval.  Friend, that is pure, blatant witchcraft and God doesn't respond to manipulation of this type!  Allow me to give you an biblical example of such people:  

Acts 23:12-14:  "And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.  And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.  And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul." 

Of course the plan didn't work and as a result, God moved the chief captain to protect Paul with 470 soldiers, spearmen and horsemen. Such fasting and attempts at manipulation are NOT honored by God!  People in Jeremiah's day attempted to fast in order to manipulate God, but fasting didn't move God in the least because the people had already rejected God's counsel  (Jeremiah 14:12).   

God has a sure word to speak to us when it comes to such motivations!   

2 Timothy 2:5:  "And if a man also strive for masteries, [yet] is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. " 

We must never think of fasting as a hunger strike designed to force God's hand in order for us to get our own way! All such attempts to manipulate God will ultimately fail!   

Fasting is not a "religious exercise" 

By Jesus' time fasting had become a ritualistic part of the Jewish life.  Luke 18:12 leads us to believe that at least some Pharisees fasted twice a week.  According to the Jewish Talmud, we understand that there were 2 days of fasting per week:  the 2nd and 5th day (Monday and Thursday). According to the traditions of the Pharisees, Moses went up on Mt. Sinai to get the Law on the 5th day and returned on the 2nd day, hence the reason for these days of fasting.

If Jewish history is closely examined, however, you find what is quite possibly the REAL reason for the Pharisees fasting on Monday and Thursday.  Considering the rebukes of Jesus toward the "outward" show put on by the Pharisees, it is the latter reason that is likely the truth.  Market day in the city of Jerusalem was on the 2nd and 5th day!  On these days, all the people living in the surrounding countryside came into Jerusalem.  They had fallen into the "religious showcasing" that we are warned about as far back as in the book of Isaiah.   In the 58th chapter of Isaiah, we read that God is rebuking the children of Israel for putting on a show when they fasted.  This is the same spiritual attitude that Jesus warned about and subsequently labelled the Pharisees as hypocrites over this type of religion.   

The Pharisees would walk through the streets with their hair uncombed, 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 (in the manner of the old-tyme prophets) as a sign of their humility!   Fasting had become a "look-at-how-spiritual-I-am" exercise.  It was a hypocrisy. 

God condemns all manner of these actions. 

Let's examine what the bible teaches us about fasting.