Bible how long to fast

Remember, nowhere in Scripture are individuals encouraged to fast to the detriment of their health. When individuals and people groups called for fasting, it was typically for a specific period of time with a well-defined starting and ending point.

Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed? This implies that the people who engaged in the fast did so for a certain period of time for a certain personal reason.

At this point in the conversation, perhaps they had completed their fast and were frustrated with the results: they had gone into their fast period with a certain goal in mind, and their goals were not accomplished. Before you start your fast, review the list above several times and dig deeply to understand your motivations.

Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife , and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? Isaiah —5. This passage speaks to the heart and practice of people who fast to put on a show or whose motivations are not pure. In this, Isaiah clarifies what God wants to see in our lives when we fast—namely, a sincere devotion to himself and others without self-imposed blinders for the situations around us.

In the following passages, Isaiah calls out the people for their refusal to act in ways that would truly reflect their personal devotion to God and his purposes in the world emphases mine :. Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them , and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Isaiah —7. But the chastising we read in Isaiah 58 does not come without hope and a promise—a promise that was as true for its initial hearers as it is for us today.

When we pursue the purposes of God in our hearts and our lives, we connect more closely to the heart of God. You need to realize this: when it comes to fasting you will fail. Answering the question, 'How long should I fast? For much more information on the subject of fasting get my brand new book, Explosive Benefits Of Fasting.

If you are tired of mundane Christianity and want supernatural Christianity then this book is a must. Order Now. The eBook version is also available for instant download. Email Email address is not valid. First name Please provide your first name. Skip to main content. Christian Fasting - Tips to Consider When deciding the length of your fast, take into consideration the following ideas: What type of fast are you planning?

If you are planning to limit your liquid intake to water, it is important not to fast for more than 1 or 2 days without medical supervision. If you will be drinking juice and water, a longer duration may be considered. Have you fasted before? It is wise to start with a shorter period of time and work up to fasting for longer durations. Consider your schedule and obligations.

If you are planning an extended fast, it is better to fast on days when you don't have high-energy obligations, like speaking to a large crowd or participating in an exercise class. Are you lusting flirting?

Would a person secretly overhearing them realize that you are a Christian? If the answer here is no, then I think, you need to fast. The absence of direct instructions on how often should Christians fast is not crucial.

This does not indicate that fasting frequency is of little or no significance spiritually. Christian fasting is not for everyone. Fasting, in general, and Christian fasting, in particular, is always a spiritual activity. The world has adopted and modified it to suit its diverse preferences, but how often we fast is for us to decide. Seeing that the Lord expects us to fast , for there is no doubt about His expectations, then we must search the Scriptures to discover how often He desires us to fast Matthew ; Zechariah However, I have written about where we fast and how.

Therefore, I will not duplicate that here. Even why Christians fast is another topic altogether. As a result, today my focus is on when we fast. Cornelius fasted for a few hours. He fasted until the ninth hour. When we consider, how often should a Christian fast we are compelled to consider also, how long should we fast? They are complementary. Cornelius loved to fast and he fasted often and that changed his life!

Take King David for example, he fasted a few hours overnight, which exemplifies how often Christians fast and for how long. How often David fasted? He fasted seven times over a week. How long did he fast? He fasted overnight for each of those seven nights. The first night the child took ill, he fasted all that night, 2 Samuel And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?

The Bible imposes no restrictions on the length of a Christian fast. Similarly, neither Jesus nor his twelve apostles gave any directives concerning the duration of a fast. Similarly, the nation of Israel fasted for an evening after the death of Saul and his son Jonathan to mourn their passing.

Then there is a day of fasting. Or a day to fast to the Lord God. Neither the Bible nor Jesus Christ nor his disciples explicitly designates a specific day for Christians to fast. However, the same is not true for the Jewish people. The Lord appoints specific days within a year that they should fast. As a result, they honor Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah and others. Israel as a nation, similar to the Church of Jesus Christ, as a body of Believers, fasted to indicate their ceasing from sin, repentance, and a turning to God, 1 Samuel In a daring and desperate move to prevent the total execution of her people and herself, Queen Esther called for a three-days and three-nights fasting.

Not to mention that her motive for fasting influenced both of those features. So we see, fasting-frequency is important when discussed in tandem with other features of fasting.

In the scripture above, that religious person fasted twice weekly. Should you, as a Believer, fast twice each week? How does your righteousness measure against that of the Pharisees? How does your fasting compare? Could you manage to fast two times every week?