Getting Ready – DANIEL FAST 2010
Our Corporate Fast will begin Sunday, January 3rd after lunch and end Saturday, January 23rd after lunchtime
What is fasting? Biblical fasting is abstaining from food for spiritual purpose.
Purpose for fasting?
- To seek God “When you seek me with all your hear, I will be found by you” (Jeremiah 29:13, 14).
- To bring us into a deeper and more powerful relationship with God. “Deep calls unto deep” Psalm 42:7. David’s hunger and thirst for God was greater than his natural desire for food. As a result it brought him into a deeper and more intimate relationship with God.
- The purpose of this fast is to humble ourselves and seek deeper and more powerful relationship with God. We want the Lord to have His way in our lives, families, ministry and churches.
The Bible teaches us that He is always at work and as a church we are looking to join Him, this year, in whatever He would call us to do, as individual churches and, as a corporate body of churches.
II Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Daniel Fast: Twenty-One Days - Daniel 10:2-3 “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks (21 days). I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.”
The Daniel Fast is a partial fast, which means that we will eliminate some common things from our daily diet, but will have generous options available. We will focus on eating fruits & vegetables that are pure and simple. We have included a list of foods to eat & foods to avoid.
Biblical Model: Do a personal study of fasting. In the book of Daniel, chapters 2 and 10, Daniel describes two examples of his personal fasting and the dramatic results. Isaiah described God’s chosen fast in Isaiah 58. Jesus fasted in the wilderness (Matthew 4, etc.) and spoke of the necessity of fasting for believers. It was a normal part of early church life. Fasting is one way we respond to the admonition throughout the Scriptures to die to our self- will and not to accommodate the desires of the flesh.
Following your own conscience: The precise details of your fast are between you and God. In Romans 14, the apostle Paul describes how we should relate in love to one another in the matter of what we eat or choose not to eat. He says, “Each person is free to follow the convictions of his own conscience” (Romans 14, The Message). If you fast often, you may need to turn up your fasting another level during this time. If this is your first fast, you may not be able to endure as many restrictions as someone else who fasts frequently. In the future, live a “fasted lifestyle,” increasingly accommodating God and not the flesh.
Restricting television and entertainment: There is no talk of radio and TVs and there is no ban on iPods or computers anywhere in the Bible but then of course THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANY! It will be difficult for you to consecrate yourself if you feed yourself on television and movies and music in the same quantities or of the same quality as you have in the past. Take advantage of this time that you are setting yourself apart to God and be mindful of the MEDIA you’re feeding on as well. You may find as you grow and mature in your walk with God that there are certain things you will just not go back to once your fast is over.
Overview of the fast: The Daniel fast drastically restricts normal food intake by cutting away many of the foods you commonly eat to satisfy your appetite. During the Daniel fast, there will be a sense of hunger and a sense of sacrifice even when we eat. We recommend that you restrict yourself by not overdoing it on the things that you can eat. This will keep you from experiencing the sacrifices that a fast is calling us to make.
Important exceptions Anyone with a medical condition related to eating or under the treatment of a physician must consult their doctor. Children, especially small children, will have special needs that must be considered. Under these conditions, find some sacrifice in the area of food that can be made without endangering health. Also, if you have extreme difficulty with the fast, such as impairment of your ability to work at your job, you will have to make adjustments. This is not a failure of will but wisdom. Seek the Lord and discuss it with other Christians involved in the fast to find alternatives.
Foods To Eat
- Whole Grains: brown rice, oats, rolled oats, oatmeal, barley, corn, popcorn, whole wheat products including whole wheat pasta
- Legumes: dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyes peas, green beans, green peas, peanuts, etc. Grain legumes include beans, lentils, lupines.
- Fruits: apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, berries, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, breadfruit, cantaloupe, cherries, coconuts, cranberries, dates, figs, grapefruit, grapes, grenadine, guava, honeydew melons, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, melons, mulberry, nectarines, oats, olives, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon, etc.
- Vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, parsley, any peppers, any potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini, etc.
- Seeds: all nuts, natural peanut butter, natural almond butter, sprouts, ground flax
- Liquids: spring water, distilled water, filtered water, 100% all natural fruit or vegetable juices
Foods to Avoid
- White flour and all products using it
- White rice, white bread, hominy and pasta
- Carbonated beverages, including diet sodas
- Wine or any other alcoholic drinks
- Foods containing preservatives or additives
- Chemical sugar substitutes
- Margarine, shortening, animal fat, high fat product
