17 Bible Verses about Abstinence as a discipline

Now, on the morrow, as they were journeying, and coming near to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. And he became very hungry, and wished to eat; and, while they were making ready, there came upon him a trance; and he beholds the heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth;read more.
in which were all the four-footed beasts, and creeping things of the earth, and birds of the heaven. And there came a voice to him, "Arising, Peter, kill and eat." But Peter said, "By no means, Lord! because never at any time did I eat anything common or unclean."

Now there were in Antioch, in the assembly which was there, prophets and teachers; both Barnabas and Symeon who is called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenean, and Manaen, the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. And, while they were ministering to the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Separate now to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness, to he tempted by the Devil. And, having fasted forty days and forty nights, He afterwards hungered.

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

Then came to Him the disciples of John, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Thy disciples fast not?" Jesus said to them, "Can the sons of the bridechamber mourn while the Bridegroom is with them! But there will come days, when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then will they fast."

And John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they come and say to Him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Thy disciples fast not?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the sons of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast; but there will come days when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.

And they said to Him, "The disciples of John fast often, and make supplications; likewise also those of the Pharisees; but Thine are eating and drinking!" And Jesus said to them, "Can ye make the sons of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come; and, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then they will fast in those days."

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

He that regards the day regards it to the Lord; and he that eats eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he that eats not, to the Lord he eats not, and gives thanks to God.

Then said Jesus to His disciples, "If any one wishes to come after Me, let him disown himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me;

And, calling the multitude to Him with His disciples, He said to them, "If any one wishes to come after Me, let him disown himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

And He said to all, "If any one wishes to come after Me, let him disown himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

As in the day, let us walk becomingly; not in revellings and drunkenness, not in lewdness and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy;

Wherefore, I judge that we should not trouble those who from among the gentiles are turning to God; but that we write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from anything strangled, and from blood;

It is good, neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything whereby your brother stumbles.

"And, when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to fast. Verily I say to you, they receive their reward.

The Pharisee, having taken his stand, was praying these things with himself: 'God, I thank Thee that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax-collector! I fast twice on the Sabbath; I give a tenth of all that I acquire.'