18 Bible Verses about Abstinence as a discipline

On the morrow, as they were on their journey, and were drawing near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. And he became very hungry and wished to eat; but while they were making ready, a trance came upon him, and he beheld heaven opened, and a sort of vessel descending, as it were a large sheet having cords at the four corners, and let down upon the earth;read more.
wherein were all the fourfooted beasts and creeping things of the earth, and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him, Arise, Peter; slay, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything common and unclean.

Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers; Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenaean, and Manaen, the fosterbrother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. And while they were ministering to the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

Then was Jesus led up by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted by the Devil. And when he had tasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward hungry.

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led in the Spirit in the wilderness forty days, tempted by the Devil. And he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry.

Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast, and thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said to them, Can the companions of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then will they fast.

And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting; and they come and say to him, Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, and thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said to them, Can the companions of the bridegroom fast, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come, when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then will they fast in that day.

And they said to him, The disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink. But Jesus said to them, Can ye make the companions of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will comeand when the bridegroom is taken from them, then will they fast in those days.

And there was Anna, a prophetess, daughter of Phanuel: of the tribe of Asher; she was of great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and she was a widow eightyfour years old, who never left the temple, worshipping with fastings and prayers night and day.

And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. And he that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth thanks to God; and he that doth not eat, to the Lord he doth not eat, and giveth thanks to God.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, If any one chooseth to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

And calling the multitude to him with his disciples also, he said to them, Whoever chooseth to follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

And he said to all, If any one chooseth to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in lewdness and wantonness, not in strife and envy;

Wherefore my judgment is, that we should not trouble those who from among the gentiles are turning to God; but that we should write to them by letter to abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from that which hath been strangled, and from blood.

It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is put in danger of falling, or is made weak.

Moreover, when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to be fasting. Truly do I say to you, They have received their reward.

The Pharisee stood and prayed by himself thus: O God, I thank thee that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I gain.