What Does the Bible Say About Fasting? 15+ Verses on Prayer and Fasting

"“Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face; so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you."

"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward."

"“Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”"

"As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away."

"When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed."

"“Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”"

"I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes."

"In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three whole weeks. I ate no pleasant bread. No meat or wine came into my mouth. I didn’t anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled."

"“Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?"

"So we fasted and begged our God for this: and he granted our request."

"When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned several days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,"

"But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I afflicted my soul with fasting. My prayer returned into my own bosom."

"and she had been a widow for about eighty-four years), who didn’t depart from the temple, worshiping with fastings and petitions night and day."

"He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer and fasting.”"

"Then John’s disciples came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?” Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast."

"Jehoshaphat was alarmed, and set himself to seek to Yahweh. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah."

"The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least."