Fruitful Living
10 BIBLICAL PURPOSES FOR FASTING
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•A woman praying
I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. – Daniel 10:3
INTRODUCTION
Throughout the Bible, we most often find God’s people turn to fasting as the natural, inevitable response to a grievous sacred moment in life, such as death, sin and tragedy. But other times, a fast is not a spontaneous reaction, and we have time to prepare to respond to situations both physically and spiritually.
FASTING DEFINED
Fasting is “essentially giving up food (or something else) for a period of time in order to focus your thoughts on God. While fasting, many people read the Bible, pray, or worship”.
Fasting is not an end unto itself, but a means of focusing our minds and bodies for a spiritual reason. Whenever you fast, do so for a reason that is mentioned or modelled in the Bible. Here are 10 primary purposes for fasting mentioned in the Bible:
1. To strengthen prayer (Ezra 8:23)
Numerous incidents in theOld Testament connect fasting to prayer, especially intercessory prayer. Fasting does not guarantee whether God hears our prayers, however, it enhances our prayer life. As Arthur Wallis said “Fasting is calculated to bring a note of urgency and importunity into our praying, and to give force to our pleading in the court of heaven”.
2. To seek God’s guidance (Judges 20:26)
As with prayer, fasting to seek God’s guidance isn’t done to change God, but to make us more receptive to His guidance.
3. To express grief (1 Samuel 31:13)
Expressing grief is one of the primary reasons for fasting. Ever notice that when you’re moved to tears by grief you lose the urge to eat? When we are grieved, our family and friends often have to plead with us to eat. Many Christians tend to respond to their grief through fasting A prime example occurred in 2 Samuel 1:12, where David and his men were described as having “mourned and wept and fasted till evening” for their friends, their enemies and their nation.
4. To seek deliverance or protection (2 Chronicles 20:3 – 4)
Another common reason for fasting in the Old Testament was to seek deliverance from enemies or circumstances. This type of fast was generally carried out with other believers, according to scripture..
5. To express repentance and a return to God (1 Samuel 7:6)
This type of fasting helps believers to express grief over their sins, indicating their seriousness about returning to the path of godly obedience.
6. To humble oneself before God (1 Kings 21:27 – 29)
“Remember that fasting itself is not humility before God,” says Donald Whitney, “but should be an expression of humility.”
7. To express concern for the work of God (Nehemiah 1:3 – 4)
As with Nehemiah, fasting can be a tangible sign of our concern over a particular work God was doing.
8. To minister to the needs of others (Isaiah 58:3 – 7)
We can use time we’d normally spend eating to fast and minister to others.
9. To overcome temptation and dedicate yourself to God (Matthew 4:1 – 11)
Fasting can help us focus when we are struggling with particular temptations.
10. To express love and worship for God (Luke 2:37)
Fasting can show, as John Piper says, that “what we hunger for most, we worship.”
HOW SHOULD WE EQUIP OURSELVES WHEN GOD CALLS US TO “DECLARE A HOLY FAST”?
Here are some things to consider as you prepare for fasting:
a) Pray and confess our sins
A necessary step before fasting is to humble ourselves before God; “Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered” – Psalm 35:13 and confess your sins; “When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader of Israel at Mizpah” – 1 Samuel 7:6.
Prayer should be our sustenance throughout the fast, but it is imperative we begin the fast with a contrite heart.
b) Turn to Scripture
Let’s spend additional time meditating on God’s Word, before and during the fast.
c) Keep it secret
Fasting is unbiblical and even spiritually harmful when we do it to show off our spirituality or when we focus more on our own fasting than on the clear needs of others.
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” – Matthew 6:16-18.
We should not boast about our fast; tell people we won’t be eating only if necessary. Fasting should not be done with false motives.
d) Prepare our body
Fasting, especially for days or weeks, can have unexpected and even detrimental effects on our health. There is no scriptural warrant for harming ourselves to undergo a fast. Be sure to consult a doctor before starting any fasting regimen to make sure we can fast in a healthy manner.
Conclusion
Fasting is an appropriate bodily reaction to the grievous state of our soul. If it is done correctly you can expect many results, including growing closer to God, feeling more solidarity with those who suffer, and increasing self-control.
Rather than wondering whether you should fast, ask why you would want to miss out on the Father’s reward.
Culled from a devotional from the NIV Lifehacks Bible ebook.
Stay blessed!
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Matthew 6:33. Notice Jesus said, “His righteousness”, not our own righteousness. We have to seek and understand God’s righteousness. Isaiah 54:14 says, “Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.” God’s righteousness comes from God, not from within us. Humans cannot make themselves God’s righteousness, as all humans have sinned and are therefore inferior to God. God’s righteousness is a gift from God: “ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21
Righteousness, or right standing with God, has been attained for us through the exchange Jesus made on our behalf. Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness. God’s righteousness is imparted to us when we are made a new creature in Christ – 2 Corinthians 5:17. This righteousness is a gift from God and undeserved by us: “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”- Romans 5:17
Through our faith in Jesus’ blood, shed to remit our sins – Romans 3:25, God imparts righteousness to us by His grace. We actually become a new righteous creation, fully identifying in Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension. This is the foundational miracle we need to understand and have established in our heart. All the other miraculous promises of God come the same way, by God’s grace through faith. Righteousness must be established in our heart for us to truly have faith to receive our rich inheritance in Christ. Jesus has been made unto us righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). We are now “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us”. – 2 Corinthians 1:20
Establishing our minds in righteousness
God expects that, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we will be radically changed. In Romans 12:2 He tells us, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
This transformation is to be a metamorphosis, of a magnitude at least comparable to that by which a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. He expects us to become totally different.
Scripture uses many different images to express the change that should occur: We become “a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” – 2 Cor 5:17. It is almost as if we become a new species. Scripture speaks of the “first Adam” who was earthly and fell into sin, and the “second Adam” (Jesus Christ) who was sinless and holy – Rom. 5:12-19; 1 Cor 15:44-49.
We are “made new in the attitude of our minds” – Eph. 4:23.
We “put off our old self” and “put on the new self” – Eph. 4:22,24; Col 3:9-10.
We “live by the Spirit” and not by the flesh – Gal. 5:16; Rom 8:13.
We become “instruments of righteousness” rather than “instruments of wickedness” – Rom. 6:13.
Each of these metaphors, in a different way, emphasizes the magnitude of the change that is expected. Each is dramatic and astonishing in itself; their cumulative effect is even more powerful. We are talking about a tremendous transformation. It should be visible to others, but its internal effect should be far greater than what others can perceive.
The goal of this transformation
What is the goal of this metamorphosis? Scripture states it in a number of different ways, which overlap and can be seen as different ways of expressing the same basic concept. Scripture often does this, because our minds are inadequate to comprehend, and our language inadequate to express, the full scope of God’s revelation to us.
To be continued!
Stay blessed!
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Email: saltnlightministries@gmail.com
Website: saltandlightministriesgh.org
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Fruitful Living
Environmental Stewardship Is an Act of Worship: The Islamic response to climate change and environmental degradation (Final part)
The Role of Faith Leaders and the Way Forward
Addressing climate change and environmental degradation requires more than legislation, technological innovation, and financial investment. It also demands a transformation of attitudes, values, and behaviours. While governments formulate policies and enforce environmental regulations, faith leaders possess a unique moral authority to shape public conscience and inspire responsible stewardship. In Ghana, where religion plays a significant role in public life, religious institutions can become powerful partners in advancing environmental sustainability.
Islam assigns Imams and religious scholars the responsibility of guiding society toward righteousness and preventing harmful practices. Allah instructs, “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best” (Qur’an 16:125, Sahih International). This responsibility extends beyond matters of ritual worship to encompass every aspect of life that affects human wellbeing, including the protection of the environment.
Environmental stewardship should therefore become an integral part of Islamic teaching, preaching, and community engagement.
Mosques, as centres of learning and social transformation, have enormous potential to cultivate environmental consciousness. Imams can regularly incorporate environmental themes into Friday sermons, Islamic lectures, marriage counselling, youth programmes, and educational activities. Teaching congregants that protecting rivers, forests, wildlife, and public spaces is an act of worship that helps bridge the perceived divide between religious devotion and environmental responsibility. Such education can inspire lasting behavioural change rooted not merely in fear of legal sanctions but in consciousness of accountability before Allah.
Religious institutions can also lead by example. Mosques can organise community clean-up campaigns, tree-planting exercises, and public awareness programmes on sanitation and responsible waste disposal. They can adopt environmentally friendly practices by reducing unnecessary waste during religious gatherings, encouraging water conservation during ablution, and promoting the proper maintenance of mosque facilities and surrounding communities. These initiatives demonstrate that Islamic values are best communicated through practical action as well
as words.
Meaningful environmental protection also requires collaboration among multiple stakeholders. Government agencies should continue strengthening the enforcement of environmental laws while addressing corruption and enhancing institutional accountability. Environmental governance must be guided by transparency, fairness, and the consistent application of the law. At the same time, sustainable economic alternatives should be developed for communities that depend on environmentally destructive activities, particularly illegal mining. Investments in vocational education, climate-smart agriculture, responsible small-scale mining, and entrepreneurship can provide dignified livelihoods while reducing pressure on fragile ecosystems (UNDP, 2023).
Traditional authorities equally have an indispensable role to play. As custodians of customary lands, chiefs and community leaders possess considerable influence over land use and natural resource management. Their collaboration with government institutions, faith leaders, and local communities is essential in protecting forests, water bodies, and communal lands from unsustainable exploitation. Community ownership of environmental conservation initiatives often produces more enduring outcomes than enforcement measures alone.
Educational institutions should integrate environmental ethics into their curricula from the basic to the tertiary levels. Beyond teaching scientific concepts, schools should cultivate a sense of environmental citizenship, encouraging young people to appreciate the interconnectedness of ecological health, economic development, and human wellbeing. Parents likewise bear the responsibility of nurturing environmentally responsible habits within the family by teaching children the values of cleanliness, moderation, conservation, and respect for public property.
Individual citizens cannot be absolved of responsibility. The Qur’anic concept of Khalifah reminds every believer that stewardship begins with personal conduct. Conserving water, disposing of waste responsibly, planting and protecting trees, reducing unnecessary consumption, respecting public spaces, and reporting environmental offences are practical ways through which every Muslim can fulfil this sacred trust. Environmental stewardship is not reserved for governments or
environmental experts; it is the collective duty of every member of society.
The environmental challenges confronting Ghana should also be viewed as opportunities to strengthen national unity. Climate change, pollution, and environmental degradation affect people irrespective of religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, or social status. They therefore call for collective action grounded in shared values of justice, responsibility, and compassion. Islam’s
ethical framework complements national development efforts by reminding believers that service to humanity and protection of creation are integral dimensions of worship.
As Ghana strives to achieve sustainable development, environmental protection must cease to be regarded as a peripheral concern and instead become a national moral priority. The combined efforts of government, traditional authorities, religious institutions, civil society, academia, the private sector, and citizens can restore degraded ecosystems and build resilient communities. Through wise leadership, sound governance, and unwavering commitment to the divine trust of
stewardship, the nation can preserve its rich natural heritage for generations yet unborn.
In conclusion, protecting the environment is not merely an environmental obligation—it is an act of worship, a fulfilment of humanity’s divine trust, and a legacy of justice for future generations.
Thank you.
The author is Chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governnace Expert
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