Nesteuo (G3522) is the primary New Testament word for fasting โ the deliberate abstinence from food as a spiritual discipline. Jesus assumes His disciples will fast (Matthew 6:16-18, 'When you fast...') and promises divine reward for fasting done in secret and sincerity. The early church fasted at key moments of decision and commissioning.
Matthew 6:16-18 positions fasting alongside prayer and giving as one of the three foundational disciplines. Acts 13:2-3 shows the early church fasting when commissioning missionaries. Acts 14:23 shows Paul and Barnabas fasting when appointing elders. Fasting is not legalistic self-punishment but a physical act of spiritual focus โ telling the body that the soul needs to listen to God more than the stomach needs food.