My first attempt at Christian fasting was a far cry from effective. I decided on a whim to go twenty-four hours without eating, had no plan, and attacked some leftover barbecued ribs the moment my time was up. It was more an exercise in starvation than anything you would call holy abstinence.
Thankfully, I tried again after learning a little more about fasting as a Christian. Not perfect, but I found more in it the second time around. I have fasted a few times over the years, though not nearly as often as I probably should have. So this is not coming from an expert. It is coming from a fellow traveler.
Key Takeaways
- Christian Fasting Is a Command: When Jesus talked about fasting, He said “when you fast,” not “if you fast,” which means it is expected, not optional.
- A Plan Makes All the Difference: Fasting without a purpose or structure tends to become an exercise in hunger rather than a genuine act of worship.
- Fasting Works Best Alongside Other Disciplines: Prayer, Bible reading, and fasting are not competing practices; they reinforce each other and belong together in a healthy spiritual rhythm.
- The Goal Is God, Not the Fast Itself: The Pharisees fasted but missed the point entirely; Christian fasting is about drawing closer to God, not earning recognition or checking a box.
- Small Beginnings Are Fine: Nobody starts with a forty-day fast; starting with one skipped meal and building from there is a legitimate and sustainable approach.
Fasting in the Bible
The Bible has a lot to say about Christian fasting, mostly through laws and personal examples. The first reference to a biblical fast comes in Leviticus, where God described the Day of Atonement. Along with sacrifices, scapegoats, and the High Priest entering the Holy of Holies, self-denial was central to this annual observance (Leviticus 23:26–27).
Throughout Scripture, God’s people fasted for several reasons. Some needed wisdom. Others sought forgiveness and repented of sins. Most of us can relate to that list because we face the same needs today.
Fasting also played a role in the religious rituals that Jesus pushed back against. The Pharisees fasted, but they wanted human praise more than God’s presence. Jesus called them out as examples of exactly how not to practice Christian fasting. More importantly, when He talked about how do Christians fast correctly, He said “when you fast,” not “if you fast” (Matthew 6:16). It is a command, not a suggestion.
Fasting as Part of a Bigger Rhythm
Christian fasting does not exist in isolation. It belongs alongside the other disciplines that shape a man’s spiritual life. Think of it like physical training: lifting weights alone will not make you healthy if you are not also sleeping, eating well, and staying active in other ways. Fasting works the same way.
Reading the Bible consistently keeps you anchored in God’s Word. Praying without ceasing keeps you in constant communication with Him. Fasting adds a dimension of surrender to that rhythm, a physical act that trains your body and your will to submit to God. Together, these disciplines reinforce each other. When fasting as a Christian is part of a broader spiritual routine rather than an isolated event, the fruit is far more lasting.
Bible verses about perseverance are also worth keeping close during a fast, especially when the discipline gets hard, and you are tempted to quit early.
Six Tips for Christian Fasting
As followers of Christ, most of us are comfortable with Bible reading and prayer. We can get behind fellowship and sharing the gospel. But fasting feels like a different discipline entirely, partly because it involves denying ourselves, and that never comes naturally. Here are six tips to help you get started.
1. Make a Plan
Failing to plan is planning to fail, and that applies directly to fasting. Start by talking with your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough to fast. From there, spend time in prayer to determine why you need to fast. Then decide what kind of fast you want to attempt and what it will require. A fast without a purpose is just skipping meals.
2. Start Small
Moses, Elijah, and Jesus pulled off forty-day fasts, but God is almost certainly not asking you to start there. Jesus spent those forty days in the wilderness in a level of spiritual intensity that is hard to comprehend. It is completely fine to start with one skipped meal each week. Over time, you can work toward twenty-four hours or longer. Fasting as a Christian takes practice, and God is not bothered by small beginnings.
3. Find a Substitute
Fasting means giving something up, and when you give something up, the question is: what fills that space? Since Christian fasting is about drawing closer to God, the substitute should move you toward Him. When fasting, use a growling stomach as a prayer reminder. When hunger strikes, stop and pray. You can do the same with Bible reading or another spiritual discipline. The point is not to suffer. It is to redirect.
4. Remember How Not to Fast
Biblical fasting is not really about food. It is about God. That is what the Pharisees never grasped. They fasted out of pride, seeking recognition, and Jesus said that recognition was all they would ever get. Stay humble. Confess known sins and ask God to reveal the hidden ones. Seek Him first (Matthew 6:33) and listen for His voice. The moment fasting becomes about your discipline rather than His presence, it has missed the point.
5. Expect Some Opposition
After Jesus fasted for forty days, Satan showed up with tempting suggestions (Luke 4:1–13). Jesus was ready. If the enemy attacked Jesus during His fast, he will certainly come after you during yours. He will tempt you to quit. If that does not work, he will distract you from what matters most. Lean into Christ when things get hard. It may be the most valuable thing you take away from the whole experience.
6. Do Not Be Discouraged
Early attempts at fasting as a Christian often fall flat. That is normal. Bill Bright, who founded Campus Crusade for Christ (now called CRU) and fasted regularly throughout his life, made the point that fasting is never a one-time spiritual cure-all. It is a process that deepens with practice. If you fail, learn from it and decide when you will try again.
The Bottom Line
No two Christian fasts are exactly alike. There are basically two kinds: food fasting, where you skip meals to focus on God, and what some call soul fasting, where you give up something other than food, like a show, social media, or your phone. Neither is more godly than the other. The question is what sacrifice will actually draw you closer to God and help you grow more like Him.
That is what Christian fasting is all about.
Related Questions
What are the Christian fasting rules?
Scripture does not give a rigid formula, but Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 6:16–18 makes clear that fasting should be done humbly and privately before God, not for public recognition.
What type of fasting do Christians do?
Christians practice food fasting, where meals are skipped to focus on prayer and Scripture, and soul fasting, where other distractions like screens or entertainment are set aside for a season.
What do you do when fasting as a Christian?
Use the time you would normally spend eating or engaging in the thing you gave up to pray, read Scripture, and seek God on whatever prompted the fast in the first place.
What should you not do while fasting?
Avoid fasting for show, skipping the spiritual component, or treating it as a diet; Jesus was direct that fasting done for human approval has no spiritual value (Matthew 6:16).
