Generally fasting is little spoken about in Reformed circles. It is often either associated with a bygone age or with Roman Catholicism or other religions. Calvin already noted the dangers both of superstition in fasting and of a complete rejection of fasting.¹  Since we are called to discern whether the practice is Scriptural and what guidance Scripture gives concerning it, below are several thought-provoking quotations to consider. For further reading you may turn to the works that are cited.

The Scriptural Basis of Fasting⤒🔗

Fasting is mentioned as a New Testament practice some 15 times. Jesus fasted (Matt. 4:2), the apostles fasted (Acts 10:30; 14:23; 2 Cor. 6:5; 11:27), and so did the early church (Acts 13:2, 3). It is spoken of both as an individual and private duty (Matt. 6:16-18; 1 Cor. 7:5) and as something that can be done by some or all of the members of the church together (Acts 13:2, 3; 14:23).

Established as a legitimate New Testament practice, therefore, there is much that can be learned about it from the Old Testament. The difference between the Old and New Testament is only that in the New Testament there are no set times for fasting (cf. Zech. 8:19), but that does not mean that there is no place at all for fasting in our lives. It has or ought to have an important place. Jesus takes it for granted in Matthew 6:16-18 that we do fast, with the words "When ye fast..."

We should note that in Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus is not condemning fasting but the practice of the Pharisees who fasted for the wrong reasons and who made a proud public show of fasting by gloomy faces and dust on their heads. Indeed, in Matthew 6, fasting is listed with prayer and alms as the three great spiritual duties of the citizens of the kingdom of heaven: alms in relation to others, prayer in relation to God, and fasting in relation to ourselves.

Matthew 9:14, 15 might also be taken as speaking against fasting, but Jesus is not denying the practice altogether, only saying that there was no reason for His disciples to fast while He, the Bridegroom, was with them. In fact, the plain statement of Jesus is that when He is gone, there will be reason and occasion for His disciples to fast.

In describing fasting, Scripture speaks of shorter and longer fasts and of partial and full fasts.²

The Manner of Fasting←⤒🔗

Fasting consists in an abstinence from meat and drink, yet not such an abstinence as would impair health or injure the body — which is forbidden in Colossians 2:23, and would clash with Christ's directions that we should pray for our "daily bread." It is the abstinence from such meals as would interfere with an uninterrupted and earnest waiting upon God. Such fasting would primari­ly be a denying ourselves of all dainties, as Daniel "ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in his mouth, neither did he anoint himself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled" (10:3). Coupled with the sparsest possible diet, there must also be an abstaining from all the delights of nature (see Joel 2:15, 16). All of this is designed for the afflicting of ourselves, as Paul in his "I keep under my body and bring it into subjection" (1 Cor. 9:27).³

The Purpose of Fasting←⤒🔗

Fasting serves but one purpose: to facilitate the humbling of the soul; it has no significance beyond that.⁴

The first end in fasting is the denying of self, the bringing of our body and its lusts in subjection unto the will and Word of God ... Our Lord warned us, "Take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness" (Luke 21:34).

The second end of fasting is to stir up our devotions and to confirm our minds in the duties of hearing and prayer. In this connection it is to be duly noted that fasting and prayer are almost always linked together in the Scriptures, or it would be more correct to say "prayer and fasting" (Matt. 17:21; Acts 13:3 and 14:23), to intimate that the latter is designed as an aid to the former.

The third end in fasting is to bear witness unto the humiliation and contrition of our hearts, for the denying ourselves of nature's comforts suitably expresses the inward sorrow and grief we feel over our sins.

The fourth end of fasting is to admonish us of our guilt and uncleanness, to put us in mind of our utter unworthiness of even the common mercies of Providence, that we deserve not food nor drink.⁵

Formality in Fasting←⤒🔗

We are led to reflect ... on the reason why fast-days, even when appointed and decently observed, are productive of so little beneficial effect. The plain reason is that religious fasting, when attempted, is seldom attended upon honestly and sincerely, in the appropriate spirit of the institution. The abstinence from food, the deep and peculiar humiliation of soul which professedly accompanies it, and the solemn vows and efforts to "crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts" (cf. Gal. 5:24) which it implies, are all so distasteful to the carnal principle that they are seldom sincerely — much less thoroughly — carried into effect. The exercise is made, for the most part, a formal and superficial one; and, leaves those who undertake to perform it, perhaps, more cold and unfeeling than before. So that, I fear, many of our fast-days in modern times, as was certainly the case in times of old, become the means of hardening, instead of softening the heart; and of drawing down the hotter displeasure of God upon us, instead of averting his wrath.

Unless we enter cordially and in good earnest into the real design of such days, we had better never pretend to observe them. They are but solemn mockery. And, perhaps, on no occasion have we more reason than on the approach of such a season, whether private or public, to pray fervently that the Holy Spirit may enable us to sanctify it in a manner well pleasing to God, and to the furtherance of his cause in our hearts and around us.⁶

Reason for Fasting←⤒🔗

The reflection is obvious, that WE have no less reason for fasting and humiliation than our fathers of former ages. Let us not imagine that there was some special character either in the men or the events of ancient times which rendered the exercise in question more needful to them than to us. By no means; human nature is the same, religion is the same, and the causes of Christian mourning are the same now as they were when Joshua, David, Nehemiah, and Paul fasted and laid in the dust before the mercy-seat. What though the number of the hopefully pious be greater in our day than in theirs? What though the God of all grace has gladdened the hearts of his people in many places by "pouring out his Spirit" and "reviving his work?" (cf. Acts 2:17-18; Hab. 3:2)

How many millions of our fellow men around us still remain in hardened rebellion! How many churches in our land, notwithstanding all the precious revivals with which it has pleased God to favor us, are to this hour as cold, as desolate, and almost lifeless (in a spiritual sense), as the tombs which surround their places of worship! How many personal, domestic, ecclesiastical and national sins press heavily upon us as a people, and cry aloud for the judgments of a righteous God! Think of the abounding atheism and various forms of infidelity, the pride, the degrading intemperance, the profanations of the sabbath, the fraud, the gross impiety, the neglect and contempt of the gospel, and all the numberless forms of enormous moral corruption — which even in the most favored parts of our country prevail in a deplorable degree, and in the less favored hold a melancholy and undis­turbed reign. Think of these abounding sins; and think also in how small a degree multitudes even of the professing people of God seem to be.⁷