18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. Matthew 6:16-18ġ6 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. Different Types Of Fasting Instructions for when you fast.
However, there is also an understanding that when that happens, fasting will take on a different or “new” approach and meaning thus the references to new and old wineskins. In this passage, we see that fasting would continue after Jesus was taken away.
For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. 21 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.22 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. 20 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. They can’t fast while the groom is with them. Scriptures To Meditate On While Fasting Mark 2:18-22ġ8 Once when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t your disciples fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees do?”19 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. I pray that God will use these scriptures to read while fasting to speak to your heart and give you hunger to lay down your indulgences and desires to see more magnificent victory in your life and the life of others. I decided to post a list of Bible verses about fasting for those that are willing to engage in a little self-denial to see the hand of God move and hear the voice of God not only for themselves but our families, communities, and churches. It is a significant part of the spiritual life of the Christian. So writing an article on fasting scriptures doesn’t seem like something that would be profitable right? We live in a culture of indulgence, not self-denial. Fasting is not a subject that is talked about a lot in western culture.