40 Powerful Bible Verses About Fasting and Prayers

Fasting and prayer are powerful spiritual disciplines that draw believers closer to God, strengthen faith, and invite divine intervention. Throughout Scripture, we see numerous examples of individuals and nations fasting to seek God’s guidance, repentance, and breakthrough. In this blog post, we’ll explore 40 powerful Bible verses about fasting and prayers, along with the biblical benefits of this sacred practice.

Whether you are new to fasting or a seasoned believer looking for encouragement, these Scriptures will inspire and guide you in your spiritual journey.

What Does the Bible Say About Fasting?

Fasting is more than just abstaining from food—it’s a deliberate act of humility, surrender, and seeking God’s presence. The Bible provides many Bible verses about fasting that highlight its importance in the life of a believer.

Here are a few key takeaways:

• Fasting is often paired with prayer for greater spiritual impact.
• It is a way to humble oneself before God (Psalm 35:13).
• Jesus Himself fasted and taught about fasting (Matthew 4:2, Matthew 6:16-18).
• Fasting can bring revelation, breakthrough, and deliverance (Daniel 9:3, Acts 13:2-3).

40 Bible Verses About Fasting and Prayer

Here are 40 powerful bible verses about fasting and prayers:

Old Testament Verses on Fasting

• Joel 2:12 – “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
• Ezra 8:23 – “So we fasted and implored our God for this, and He listened to our entreaty.”
• Daniel 9:3 – “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking Him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.”
• Nehemiah 1:4 – “As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”
• Psalm 35:13 – “But I, when they were sick—I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting.”
• Isaiah 58:6 – “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?”
• 2 Chronicles 20:3 – “Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.”
• Esther 4:16 – “Go, gather all the Jews… and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.”
• 1 Samuel 7:6 – “So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day.”
• Jonah 3:5 – “And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least.”

New Testament Verses on Fasting

• Matthew 6:16-18 – “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites… But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face.”
• Matthew 4:2 – “And after fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.”
• Acts 13:2-3 – “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’”
• Acts 14:23 – “And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord.”
• Luke 2:37 – “She never left the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.”
• Mark 9:29 – “And He said to them, ‘This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.’”
• 1 Corinthians 7:5 – “Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer.”
• Luke 5:33-35 – “And they said to Him, ‘The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.’”
• Matthew 9:15 – “The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
• Acts 10:30 – “And Cornelius said, ‘Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing.’”

Fasting scriptures for breakthrough

• Isaiah 58:8 – “Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily.”
• Jeremiah 29:13 – “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
• Psalm 69:10 – “When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach.”
• 2 Samuel 12:16 – “David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.”
• Ezra 10:6 – “Then Ezra withdrew… and spent the night… eating no bread and drinking no water, for he was mourning.”

Bible Verses on Fasting for Guidance

• Judges 20:26 – “Then all the people of Israel… went up and wept before the Lord until evening, and inquired of the Lord.”
• Acts 9:9 – “And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.”
• Exodus 34:28 – “So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water.”
• 1 Kings 19:8 – “And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights.”
• Daniel 10:2-3 – “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth.”

Bible Verses About Fasting for Repentance

• Jonah 3:10 – “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented.”
• Joel 1:14 – “Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly.”
• 1 Samuel 31:13 – “And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.”
• Nehemiah 9:1 – “Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth.”
• Psalm 109:24 – “My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt.”

Bible Verses on Fasting for Spiritual Strength

• Zechariah 7:5 – “Say to all the people of the land… When you fasted… did you fast for me?”
• Luke 18:12 – “I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.”
• Matthew 17:21 – “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
• Acts 27:33 – “As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food.”
• 1 Kings 21:27 – “And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted.”

Benefits of Fasting Bible Verses

Fasting is not just a religious ritual—it has profound spiritual benefits. Here are some key benefits of fasting Bible verses highlight:

1. Spiritual Clarity and Revelation

• Daniel 10:12 – Fasting opens the door to divine revelation.
• Acts 13:2 – The Holy Spirit speaks clearly during fasting.

2. Breakthrough and Deliverance

• Isaiah 58:6 – Fasting breaks chains of oppression.
• Mark 9:29 – Some strongholds require fasting for deliverance.

3. Humility and Repentance

• Joel 2:12 – Fasting softens the heart for repentance.
• Psalm 35:13 – It is an act of humility before God.

4. Divine Guidance

• Ezra 8:21-23 – Fasting invites God’s direction.
• Acts 14:23 – Leaders were appointed through fasting.

5. Physical and Spiritual Healing

• Isaiah 58:8 – Healing comes with fasting.
• James 5:14-15 – Combined with prayer, fasting brings restoration.

Conclusion

Fasting, when done with the right heart, is a powerful spiritual weapon. These 40 Bible verses about fasting remind us of its importance in seeking God’s face, gaining breakthrough, and walking in divine purpose.

If you’re considering a fast, let these Scriptures guide and strengthen you. Whether for repentance, guidance, or spiritual growth, fasting paired with prayer brings us closer to God’s heart.

Which of these Bible verses about fasting spoke to you the most? Share in the comments below!

 

Read also: 20 Powerful Bible Verses to Read When Fasting