Verses 33-35 “33And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?
34And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?
35But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.”
Jesus taught that fasting for the purpose of prayer is most appropriate in times of sadness, distress, and great concern. It is not so appropriate at other times. Food is not so important when our hearts are heavy, when a loved one is deathly ill, or when we are greatly burdened for an unsaved soul. In those times, we are so intent on holding to God in prayer that we forget about food. That is good Scriptural fasting. When we fast we should tell no one about it, or at least we should not make a show of it. The Pharisees fasted all the time and wanted everyone to know about it so that they would be considered very religious and pious. Unfortunately for people who make such a show of their fasting, their prayers do not get any higher than their eye brows.