Fasting in Ancient Near East was part of their culture. The Israelites for instance in the Old Testament observed fasting. It was usually the avoidance of food for certain number of days, accompanied with penitence or humble devotion to God. The Scriptures sited occasions when the whole nation of Israel or the kingdom of Judah were encouraged to fast as an indication of their remorse of their sins and wholehearted devotion to God. Usually the individuals who were in grief go through fasting while they garbed themselves with sack cloth and poured ashes on their heads. The different length of time in fasting varies from several hours to forty days as Jesus did after he was baptized in the Jordan River. It was during his fasting in the desert that he was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-11). The first response that he said to the devil when he was told to change the stones into bread was an attestation that we are not to be addicted to foods. The foods that God provided are for our body's nourishment not an object of our obsession or used to placate our emotions. "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'" (Matthew 4:4, NIV).

In Zechariah 8:19, the fasting was to commemorate the destruction of the Temple. It became a tradition to the Jewish people to read the Lamentations during the fasting, on the ninth of Ab (fifth month), which is the period of July and August in our present calendar.

In the New Testament, fasting was a common occurrence e.g., the Pharisees fasted twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays, "I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get" (Luke 18:12, NIV). In the early church, the movement of asceticism came about, abstinence from all forms of indulgence for religious reasons. Jesus warned that fasting should not be used to empress others. "A true fasting is an indication of the heart's inclination toward God" (Archeological Bible, p. 1569, "Fasting in the Bible and the Ancient Near East").

The Jewish was not the only nation that practiced fasting. Other pagan religions observed fasting, too, e.g., the Pythagoreans fasted meats. They were known as vegetarians. Other cults in Greece not only fasted from foods but also from sexual activities as part of their preparations before they presented themselves to their gods.

It should be encouraged today, not only to the Christians, but also to all since most us incorporate rich foods in our daily diet. We need to purge ourselves from the toxin that we take in from the foods that may taste delicious but not necessarily nutritious or good to our body. Those who have ailments should consult their doctors before deciding to fast.

Fasting should not be necessarily abstinence from food but also abstinence from the things that you have been indulging yourself in e.g., watching tv every night, going online every time you have an opportunity, or playing video games every free time. This kind of fasting is applicable to youth and kids, too. Fasting from junk food is also appropriate for them to do.