Christian fasting is a chosen period of going without food so that prayer can take priority over meals. Churches use it to mark Lent, Advent, and other holy seasons, to repent, to seek guidance, or to pray for others. What a fast includes, how long it lasts, and whether it is required vary by denomination.
What does the Bible say about fasting?
The Bible treats fasting as a whole-person practice: setting aside food while seeking God, mourning, or preparing for an important task. Jesus fasted forty days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2), and Matthew 6:18 (KJV) warns against doing it "that thy fasting may be seen" by others. Israel fasted on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29), Esther called for a fast before appealing to the king (Esther 4:16), and Daniel went without food while praying (Daniel 10:8-10). The Didache, an early Christian handbook, directed believers to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays.
How do Catholics fast?
Catholic practice is called fasting and abstinence, a regular discipline rather than an optional extra. Catholic norms ask adults under 60 to take one full meal a day on fasting days, with no food between meals, and to abstain from meat on Fridays, Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday. The Lenten fast runs from Ash Wednesday until the Easter Vigil Mass. Illness, travel, pregnancy, and nursing set it aside. Catholics also keep a lighter fast during Advent and a short fast before Communion, normally one hour without food or drink except water.
How do Orthodox Christians fast?
Eastern Orthodox churches keep the Great Lent, the longest and strictest fast of the year, setting aside meat, fish, dairy, oil, and wine, and often eggs and shellfish too. Wednesday and Friday are fast days all year, and the calendar adds the Nativity Fast before Christmas and the Dormition Fast in August. Each church's Typikon governs these rules, and monks and clergy may keep stricter fasts. Great Lent services add extra prayer, including a midnight service that reads the Psalter.
How do Protestant and Adventist churches fast?
Most Protestant churches treat fasting as voluntary, and a congregation may set aside one or several days to pray for a mission, a revival, or a community need. Baptist and nondenominational congregations often hold such days, and Episcopalians use the fasting forms in the Book of Common Prayer. Seventh-day Adventists make fasting a regular part of the faith and commonly fast from sunset to sunrise, citing Daniel 10:2-3 and the example of Jesus. A "Daniel fast" is usually water-only, dropping meat, sugar, and dairy. United Methodists hold an annual day of fasting and prayer for the world.
What should I expect if I join a fast?
Ask the church what it asks before you begin. Some fasts mean one meal a day; others mean no food until a set hour, and Adventist fasts run from sunset to sunrise. Unless you are told otherwise, drink water and plan a light meal to break the fast. People with diabetes, anyone who is pregnant or nursing, and those on medication should check with a doctor and church leader first. A few independent churches teach "dry fasting," giving up water as well as food; most advise against it. Group fasts usually end with a shared meal and prayer.