The Bible talks about fasting in both the New and Old Testaments. We read about Nehemiah fasting and praying for the children of Israel because they were in a time of trouble. And many people practice fasting during Lent.
- Daniel fasted and prayed for three weeks drawing nearer to God.
- David fasted and prayed in a time of personal repentance.
- Paul and Barnabas fasted and prayed before presenting leaders in the church.
There’s a close relationship between fasting and praying, because fasting is a time for you to draw nearer to God. Spending time with God in prayer allows us to hear from him and discern things that may be troubling us.
Jesus spent 40 days in the desert fasting and praying before going into ministry because he knew that it was important. How much more should we follow his example and fast from the things that demand so much of our attention?