Fasting

Isaiah 58:4-5

On these special days when you fast, you argue and fight
       and hit each other with your fists.
    You cannot do these things as you do now
       and believe your prayers are heard in heaven.

This kind of special day is not what I want.
       This is not the way I want people to be sorry for what they have done.
    I don't want people just to bow their heads like a plant
       and wear rough cloth and lie in ashes to show their sadness.
    This is what you do on your special days when you fast,
       but do you think this is what the Lord wants?

Zechariah 7:5

"Tell the priests and the people in the land: 'For seventy years you fasted and cried in the fifth and seventh months, but that was not really for me.”

Matthew 4:2

Then the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the devil.   Jesus fasted for forty days and nights. After this, he was very hungry.  The devil came to Jesus to tempt him, saying, "If you are the Son of God, tell these rocks to become bread."  Jesus answered, "It is written in the Scriptures, 'A person lives not on bread alone, but by everything God says.'"

Matthew 6:16

"When you fast, don't put on a sad face like the hypocrites.  They make their faces look sad to show people they are fasting.  I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward.   So when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.  Then people will not know that you are fasting, but your Father, whom you cannot see, will see you. Your Father sees what is done in secret, and he will reward you.”

Matthew 9:14

Then the followers of John came to Jesus and said, "Why do we and the Pharisees often fast for a certain time, but your followers don't?"  Jesus answered, "The friends of the bridegroom are not sad while he is with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.”

Matthew 17:14-21 (again)

When Jesus and his followers came back to the crowd, a man came to Jesus and bowed before him.  The man said, "Lord, have mercy on my son. He has epilepsy and is suffering very much, because he often falls into the fire or into the water.  I brought him to your followers, but they could not cure him."

Jesus answered, "You people have no faith, and your lives are all wrong. How long must I put up with you?  How long must I continue to be patient with you?  Bring the boy here."  Jesus commanded the demon inside the boy.  Then the demon came out, and the boy was healed from that time on.

The followers came to Jesus when he was alone and asked, "Why couldn't we force the demon out?"

Jesus answered, "Because your faith is too small.  I tell you the truth, if your faith is as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move.  All things will be possible for you.  [That kind of spirit comes out only if you use prayer and fasting.]"

Luke 18:9-14

Jesus told this story to some people who thought they were very good and looked down on everyone else:  "A Pharisee and a tax collector both went to the Temple to pray.  The Pharisee stood alone and prayed, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people who steal, cheat, or take part in adultery, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week, and I give one-tenth of everything I get!'

"The tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even look up to heaven.  But he beat on his chest because he was so sad.  He said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'  I tell you, when this man went home, he was right with God, but the Pharisee was not.  All who make themselves great will be made humble, but all who make themselves humble will be made great."

1 Corinthians 7:4-5 (goes with prayer, but applies here also)

The wife does not have full rights over her own body; her husband shares them.  And the husband does not have full rights over his own body; his wife shares them.  Do not refuse to give your bodies to each other, unless you both agree to stay away from sexual relations for a time so you can give your time to prayer.  Then come together again so Satan cannot tempt you because of a lack of self-control.

2 Corinthians 6:5-7 (We will face hardships and persecution, just like Paul &  the Corinthians!)

We are beaten and thrown into prison. We meet those who become upset with us and start riots. We work hard, and sometimes we get no sleep or food.  We show we are servants of God by our pure lives, our understanding, patience, and kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by true love, by speaking the truth, and by God's power.  We use our right living to defend ourselves against everything.