Fasting Guidelines
If you are interested in hearing an in-depth message on having a biblical, practical understanding of fasting and how it is still a vital part of a Christ-follower's source of strength, please go to this PODCAST link. Or you may manually click on the podcast link (within 'Current Sermon Series') in the above menu, and go to the sermon series, "HOT TOPICS". You will then see the sermon by Pastor David Gruber entitled, "What Does the Bible Say about Fasting?"
A Simple Guide to Fasting
- A normal fast - abstaining from all food, but not from water. To abstain from food but to drink water or fruit juices is the most common kind of Christian fast. (Matthew 4:2)
- A partial fast - a limitation of the diet but not from all food. (Daniel 1:12)
- An absolute fast - the avoidance of all food and water. (Esther 4:16)
- A supernatural fast - cases involving Moses (Deuteronomy 9:9) and Elijah (I Kings 19:8). These required God’s intervention and are not repeatable apart from miraculous provision.
- A private fast - referred to by Jesus (Mt. 6:16-18)
- Congregational fasts - (Joel 2:15-16, Acts 13:2)
- National fasts - (II Chronicles 20:3, Nehemiah 9:1, and Esther 4:16)
- Regular fasts - Every Jew was to fast on the day of Atonement (Lev.16:29-31)
- Occasional fasts - implied by Jesus in Matthew 9:15
From “Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life,” Donald S. Whitney, Navpress, 1991, pp. 153-154.