This is Part 1 of a 6-part series on biblical fasting.

When you hear the word “fasting,” what comes to mind? For many Christians, fasting sits in an awkward category—somewhere between “outdated Old Testament practice” and “thing super-spiritual people do.” Some of us tried it once, couldn’t make it past lunch, and quietly shelved the idea. Others wonder if we’re missing something important.

But what if fasting is neither an ancient relic nor a spiritual merit badge? What if it’s something far more fundamental?

Here’s the truth: Fasting exposes what we really depend on. When we can’t reach for food to ease discomfort or fill boredom, we discover what we’ve been trusting all along. And that discovery can be uncomfortable.

Why This Series Matters

We live in a culture of instant gratification. Hungry? Drive through. Bored? Scroll your phone. Anxious? Turn on Netflix. We’ve insulated ourselves from discomfort so thoroughly that we rarely ask what we’re really hungry for. We just keep feeding ourselves—food, entertainment, approval, achievement—without examining whether these things satisfy.

Fasting interrupts that cycle. It creates space where there was noise, hunger where there was fullness, dependence where there was self-sufficiency. That’s why many of us avoid it. We’re not sure we want to know what fasting might reveal.

But the gospel invites us into this kind of self-examination. Not because God wants to condemn us, but because He wants to free us. We can’t address dependencies we don’t acknowledge. We can’t hunger for God if we’re constantly feeding on substitutes. Fasting doesn’t earn God’s favor—we already have that in Christ. But it does help us see our hearts more clearly and cultivate genuine desire for the One who truly satisfies.

This series isn’t about guilting you into a practice you’ve been avoiding. It’s about recovering a biblical understanding of fasting that avoids both legalism (treating it as spiritual requirement) and dismissal (ignoring it as irrelevant). Over the next six weeks, we’ll explore what Scripture actually teaches about this often-misunderstood discipline.

What Is Fasting? (A Preview)

Before we dive into the details, let’s establish a working definition. Biblical fasting is the voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes. It’s a physical discipline with spiritual intent—a way of expressing dependence on God and positioning ourselves to hear His voice above the competing noise of daily life.

Notice what fasting is not. It’s not a diet plan, though you will lose weight if you do it long enough. It’s not a way to earn God’s favor—you already have that through Christ’s finished work. It’s not manipulation, twisting God’s arm to answer your prayers. And it’s definitely not a badge of spiritual superiority to display before others.

So what is it? Fasting is a tool God gives us for exposing what we truly trust. When physical provision is removed, even temporarily, the curtain gets pulled back on our hearts. What do we reach for when we can’t have food? Where do we turn when comfort isn’t readily available? What rises to the surface when we’re genuinely hungry?

Jesus put it this way: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Physical bread sustains our bodies, but spiritual bread—God’s Word, God’s presence, God Himself—sustains our souls. Fasting reminds us which hunger matters most.

Major Themes We’ll Explore

Throughout this series, several key themes will emerge repeatedly:

1. Dependence vs. Self-Sufficiency

The core issue fasting addresses is what (or whom) we depend on. Do we truly believe God is sufficient? Or have we quietly constructed a life where we rarely need Him because we have everything under control? Fasting strips away the props we lean on and reveals whether our faith in God is real or theoretical.

2. Hunger as Spiritual Reality

Physical hunger is a gift—it points us to a deeper spiritual hunger. We were created to hunger for God, to desire Him above everything else. But we’ve learned to medicate that spiritual hunger with created things: food, success, relationships, entertainment, approval. Fasting awakens us to our true condition: we’re spiritually starving while gorging on substitutes.

3. Means of Grace, Not Works

This is crucial: fasting is a channel through which God’s grace flows, not a work that earns it. We don’t fast to make God love us more or pay attention to our prayers. We fast because we’re secure in Christ and want to position ourselves where the Spirit can work most effectively. Fasting reveals our hearts; only the gospel repairs them.

4. Heart Transformation

True fasting addresses heart-level issues—the beliefs, desires, and dependencies that drive our lives. It’s not about behavior modification or trying harder. It’s about letting God expose what’s really going on beneath the surface so His grace can transform us from the inside out.

Series Structure: Where We’re Going

Over the next six weeks, we’ll work through fasting systematically:

Next Week (Part 2): What Biblical Fasting Is (and Isn’t)
We’ll dig deeper into defining fasting, clearing away misconceptions, and establishing what Scripture actually teaches. We’ll examine the difference between fasting as spiritual discipline and fasting as religious performance.

Week 3 (Part 3): Why We Fast: Five Biblical Purposes
What are the legitimate biblical reasons for fasting? We’ll study five purposes Scripture gives us: humility, repentance, guidance, intercession, and preparation. Each purpose reveals something about our need for God.

Week 4 (Part 4): True vs. False Fasting
Isaiah 58 provides one of Scripture’s most sobering warnings about fasting that misses the point entirely. We’ll examine what makes fasting empty ritual versus genuine spiritual practice, and how to keep our hearts aligned with God’s purposes.

Week 5 (Part 5): How to Fast Practically
This will be our most practical post: types of fasts, how to prepare, what to do during a fast, how to end one, and warnings about common pitfalls. We’ll make fasting accessible without making it easy.

Week 6 (Part 6): Fasting and Spiritual Hunger
We’ll conclude by returning to the central theme: hunger. What are we really hungry for? What would happen if we let our physical hunger awaken our spiritual hunger? How does fasting cultivate genuine desire for God above all created things?

What to Expect

This series will challenge both those who’ve dismissed fasting as irrelevant and those who’ve approached it legalistically. If you’ve never fasted, you’ll find accessible entry points. If you’ve fasted but felt it was empty or forced, you’ll discover what may have been missing.

Let’s be honest: fasting isn’t comfortable. It’s not supposed to be. The point is to embrace temporary discomfort so we can see our hearts more clearly and deepen our dependence on God. But the gospel assures us that this self-examination isn’t meant to condemn—it’s meant to liberate. When Christ exposes our false dependencies, He does so as the One who offers Himself as our true satisfaction.

Throughout this series, we’ll constantly return to the gospel. Fasting doesn’t make you more righteous—Christ’s righteousness already covers you. Fasting doesn’t make God love you more—He already loves you fully in His Son. Fasting doesn’t earn answered prayer—God already hears you because of Jesus. So why fast at all? Because recognizing our dependence on God isn’t just good theology; it’s the pathway to genuine freedom and lasting joy.

Biblical Foundation

Let’s establish our biblical foundation right from the start. Fasting isn’t a fringe practice or optional add-on. Look at what Jesus says in Matthew 6:

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18)

Notice Jesus doesn’t say “if you fast.” He says “when you fast.” He assumes His followers will practice this discipline, just as He assumes they’ll give to the needy and pray. Fasting is a normal part of Christian life, not an advanced technique for spiritual elites.

But Jesus also warns about the wrong way to fast. The hypocrites made a show of their fasting, using it to impress others and establish their spiritual credentials. They fasted for human approval, and that’s exactly what they got—nothing more. True fasting, Jesus says, is practiced in secret. It’s between you and your Father, who sees what others can’t and rewards what’s genuinely motivated by desire for Him.

This tells us something crucial: fasting’s power isn’t in the practice itself but in the heart behind it. You can fast with wrong motives and gain nothing. Or you can fast with genuine dependence on God and discover He was what you were hungry for all along.

Moving Forward Together

As we begin this journey, I want to invite you to approach it with curiosity rather than guilt. Don’t let this series become another weight—”one more thing I should be doing.” Instead, let it explore what God might want to reveal about your heart. What are you depending on? What are you hungry for?

Some of you will read this series and never fast. That’s between you and God. Fasting isn’t a test of spiritual maturity. But I hope even if you don’t fast, you’ll let these truths search your heart. What are you depending on for security and satisfaction?

Others will be prompted by the Spirit to try fasting, perhaps for the first time. If that’s you, start small. Skip one meal and spend that time in prayer. See what surfaces. Notice what you crave when you can’t have food.

And for those who’ve fasted before but found it empty or legalistic, I pray this series helps you rediscover fasting as a means of grace rather than a spiritual obligation.

Application Points

As we conclude this introduction, here are some ways to begin engaging with these truths:

1. Examine your gut reaction to fasting. What emotions surface when you think about going without food? Resistance? Curiosity? Guilt? Those reactions reveal what you depend on for comfort and control.
2. Notice what you reach for when stressed. Over the next week, pay attention to your responses. Kitchen? Phone? Netflix? These patterns reveal your functional saviors.
3. Consider your hunger level. When was the last time you were genuinely hungry? If you can’t remember, that might indicate you’ve insulated yourself from physical need. Fasting reintroduces you to hunger—physical and spiritual.
4. Ask God what He wants to reveal. Before you read another post in this series, ask the Spirit to search your heart. Pray: “Lord, show me what I’m depending on instead of You.”
5. Prepare your heart for the journey ahead. This series will likely surface uncomfortable truths. Commit now to receiving them with humility rather than defensiveness.

Reflection Questions

• What comes to mind when you hear the word “fasting”—and what does that reaction reveal about your understanding of spiritual disciplines?
• If you couldn’t reach for food the next time you felt stressed, bored, or anxious, what would you reach for instead? What does that tell you about your deeper dependencies?

Next week, we’ll dive deeper into what biblical fasting actually is—distinguishing it from the counterfeits and misconceptions that have clouded our understanding. We’ll see why fasting is neither as simple as skipping meals nor as complex as we’ve made it. Until then, let your hunger—even the ordinary hunger you feel between meals—remind you of a deeper truth: you were made to hunger for God. May we discover together that He is the Bread of Life who truly satisfies.