“I HAD NEVER ASKED GOD TO HELP ME WITH MY EATING HABITS BEFORE,” admitted Mary, a mother of two and a participant in one of the Daniel Fast clinical studies. “On previous diets, I felt like everything was up to me. But with the Daniel Fast, God is so intricately involved that it’s added a different and powerful dimension. The way I eat and take care of myself has totally changed. I am amazed to be where I am today with my health and my weight. And I know I can continue this way of living. In fact, now I have family members and friends asking me to help them. I’m turning into a Daniel Fast evangelist!”
We know that God wants us to lead healthy lives. We also know he is eager and ready to help us as we commit to this goal. Too often when we go on a diet to lose weight, we rely on our willpower to keep us on track. But willpower often fails and we eventually quit. However, using the Daniel Fast with health as our priority and God as our guide is far different than going on a diet — it’s a spiritual experience designed to bring about lasting change.
BIBLICAL FASTING
Biblical fasting is always about abstaining from food — not refraining from activities such as using Facebook or watching television. Biblical fasting means refraining from all food or certain foods for a spiritual purpose for a limited period of time. The Hebrew word for “fast” is tsôwm (twoom), which means “to cover the mouth.” The Greek word for fast is nesteuo (nace-tyoo-o), which means “to abstain from food.”
A fast is a highly focused period of time when we examine our lives and seek to align ourselves with the ways of God. We do this by separating ourselves from our typical patterns and routines and entering a spiritual experience for a given time. (See “Fasting 101” below.) Fasting is a spiritual discipline and the practice has tenets that we want to follow so we can be assured a successful experience.
Fasting Is Temporary
Fasting is temporary, which means it’s doable. Even lifelong meat lovers can practice the Daniel Fast and go without meat for just twenty-one days. Setting aside a specific and limited amount of time for fasting sharpens our focus on God. We then can enter more deeply into his truths. As we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit and purpose ourselves to learn from him, our Father is able to minister to us as his precious children.
Fasting Is a Mystery
The spiritual power we experience through fasting is a mystery. In the Bible, the term “mystery” refers specifically to insights and truths we understand only when God reveals them directly to our spirit. When we fast, we fully surrender ourselves to God — spirit, soul, and body. We submit our will to God, follow a set of guidelines about food, and open our hearts to this mystery. God miraculously uses our submission to strengthen us, empower us, fill us, and change us. We get a taste of what Jesus meant when he said, “You are in me, and I am in you” (John 14:20). When we fast we focus more of our attention on God through prayer and study. One can pray without fasting … but you cannot fast authentically without praying.
FASTING 101
What Types of Fasts Are There?
There are three main types of fasts:
1. Absolute or complete fast, in which you consume no food or water.
2. Normal fast, in which you consume only water.
3. Partial fast, in which you consume some foods and beverages and not others. The Daniel Fast is a partial fast.
The type of fast you choose is not as important as the purpose — to draw near to the Lord during a time of focused prayer.
when Should I Fast?
A fast can be for an occasion, such as Lent, or set by leaders of a church (for example, a churchwide fast). Most important is choosing the dates to fast by what you believe the Lord is calling you to do. Seek God’s guidance as you consider the timeframe for your fast.
How Often Should I Fast?
There is no single answer. For many, a time of fasting is a way to satisfy in part a longing for the spiritual realm we call home. If you feel the Lord is calling you to fast one week per year, fine. If he’s calling you to fast one day a week throughout the year, that’s also fine.
How Long Should I Fast?
The length of your fast depends entirely on what you feel the Lord has called you to do. You might wake up one day and, during a quiet time of prayer, hear the Lord speaking to you. You decide at that moment to fast the entire day until the next morning. Or you might plan a longer fast and decide to fast for three days, ten days, twenty-one days, or forty days. You might even be led to fast one day a week for a period of time, or one meal per day for a period of time. Your actions should simply be guided by the Lord.
Without this spiritual dimension, a twenty-one-day partial fast like the Daniel Fast would be no different than a typical diet. But since this is first a spiritual experience — made to draw us closer to God — we aren’t dieting. Instead, we are placing ourselves into holy submission.
On a diet, we might occasionally cheat or fail to keep the promises we made to ourselves. But a fast is different. Because when we fast, we are partnering with God for a spiritual outcome. We are expecting him to impact our lives, so we maintain our commitment to him. Here’s another difference: When God’s Spirit empowers our spirit, we experience his support and become steadfast in our commitment. Suddenly we have the power and the desire to say no to things not allowed on the fast. Our motivation to succeed becomes so much stronger than the temptation to drink a can of soda or eat a slice of pizza. This new-found discipline is part of the powerful mystery of fasting.
Fasting Feeds Us
For many, the demands of everyday life are so packed with activities, responsibilities, and to-do lists that feeling overwhelmed is normal. With so many pressures, few have time to feed their soul. The result is spiritual and emotional starvation — a deep inner hunger for peace, rest, and security. And this hunger is pervasive. At every age, in every walk of life, too many of us are starving for the nourishment that only God can provide.
When we fast, we come to the Lord’s table and feast on his love, care, and wisdom. We change our behavior. We slow our pace. We focus intently on spiritual matters and enjoy what our souls are truly hungry for — Jesus, the Bread of Life.
Unfortunately, too many of us try to satisfy our hunger with the spiritual equivalent of “fast food” — self-defeating behaviors, relationships that have more to do with feeding carnal hunger than the longing of the soul. Author and pastor John Piper writes, “Do you have a hunger for God? If we don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because we have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because we have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Our soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great. If we are full of what the world offers, then perhaps a fast might express, or even increase, our soul’s appetite for God. Between the dangers of self-denial and self-indulgence is the path of pleasant pain called fasting.”5
Truly, the call deep within us beckons not for physical food or pleasures. What our souls are truly hungry for is the Bread of Life — the Lord — who said, “People do not live by bread alone” (Matthew 4:4 NLT). And Jesus responds to our hunger with this invitation: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28–29).
Fasting Invites Us to Rest and Reflect
Our Lord knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what we need, just like he knew what the disciples needed when they were weary: “Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them, ‘Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.’ For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves” (Mark 6:30–32 NKJV).
Fasting is a way to come away for restful one-on-one time with the Lord. It’s a kind of spiritual retreat built into the fabric of everyday life. In addition to limiting food, fasting invites us to limit or simplify our schedules. Instead of trying to squeeze in time with God between getting kids into bed and watching the latest reality show, we prioritize our time with God. For a while, we say no to some things so that we can devote ourselves entirely to saying yes to the Lord. When we fast, we rest at the feet of Rabbi Jesus and learn from him. We embrace the promises from God’s Word rather than the circumstances of the world. This is the kind of rest our souls long for.
Within the resting place of fasting, we have time and space to reflect on our lives. In God’s loving presence, we “give careful thought to [our] ways” (Haggai 1:7) and invite the Lord to show us where our ways are not aligned with his ways. We acknowledge our weaknesses and confess our failures. Then we ask the Lord for forgiveness, strength, and guidance as we begin to make changes. These could be significant changes in the way we eat and how we treat our bodies.
When we fast, we make the choice to become soft clay in the hands of the Master Potter. We present all of who we are — spirit, soul, and body — to all of who he is. We invite the wise and loving hands of our Creator to mold us and shape us so we can bring even more glory to him. And through the spiritual discipline of prayer and fasting, we come into more consistent alignment with God and his purpose for our lives.
A JOURNEY TOWARD A LIFESTYLE OF HEALTH
Your desire to be healthy is a hope God can fulfill — and it starts when you begin a twenty-one-day period of prayer and fasting. This initial three-week experience is an excellent launch pad for choosing the Daniel Cure lifestyle. Of course, it’s important for you to understand that you may be presented with some challenges along the way, as discussed in “The Physical and Spiritual Challenges of Fasting” on page 15. The key to a successful fast is to prepare ahead of time so that you’re ready for challenges when they come.
THE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL CHALLENGES OF FASTING
Most of us understand the physical challenge of a fast — especially an absolute fast (no food or water) or normal fast (no food). There can be a physical discomfort as well as a psychological strain when fasting since many people are addicted to food and food components, such as caffeine. However, beyond the physical challenges, it is crucially important for you to understand that you may come under attack from the enemy (Satan). A fast is indeed spiritual warfare.
When some people hear the term “spiritual warfare,” they think of something otherworldly, not quite real. But spiritual warfare is real. Because the ultimate purpose of your fast is to deepen your relationship with the Lord, it is a threat to the enemy. The last thing Satan wants is for us to grow in our relationship with our heavenly Father. Therefore, you should expect attacks from the enemy while you are fasting. These may occur at work or during recreation or even while you are praying. You will need to stand firm. The apostle Paul taught believers in Ephesus how they could stand against temptation:
Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
— EPHESIANS 6:10–17
You can do it. As a child of God, you have been equipped to rule. Remember, God is living in you and he has already defeated the enemy. Claim victory over Satan in the mighty name of Jesus, our Savior and Risen Lord.
The Daniel Fast is a partial fast, which means some foods are eaten and others are restricted. We’ll cover the guidelines of what to eat in the next chapter. But for now, as we focus on unlocking the power of fasting — and how that impacts your health — it is important to understand that when you’re on the Daniel Fast, you will eat only healthy foods grown from seed and drink only water — all items that are good for your body.
You also can learn more of what God teaches about your priceless value and about his unchanging desire for you to be healthy. You can learn more about the amazing way your body was designed and how it works to serve you so you can bring glory to its Creator. Your relationship with God will grow deeper and become stronger and more secure.
And as you feed your body only foods that it was designed to receive, your internal organs and systems will start to heal and rebuild to restore your health. Within a few days, as you connect with the Lord, you’ll experience a marked difference in your spirit. You’ll sense greater peace, joy, and calm as you allow the Lord to direct your steps. Your body will be filled with more energy. You will experience a sense of well-being and vitality. And this is just the start! As you continue on your twenty-one-day partial fast, you’ll feel better and better with each passing day.
When you complete the fast, your body will feel cleansed and restored. Our hope is that you not only feel better physically but that you can also more fully embrace this biblical description of you: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). And it is our prayer that you will then take the next step into the Daniel Cure and adopt a healthy and sustainable lifestyle — one that is both satisfying to you and brings glory to God.
Changing something as central as our eating habits is a challenge. But the Daniel Fast prepares and guides us so we can make this significant change. Plus, God will continue to help us as we submit our will to his will, put our trust in him, and allow his Spirit to guide and encourage us. This is when we truly can experience the Master’s promise, “What is impossible [for people] is possible with God” (Luke 18:27).
TURN YOUR THOUGHTS INTO ACTIONS
1Have you ever asked God for his help in your quest for improved health? Why or why not?
2Tell God exactly what you desire for your own health. How do you see yourself in mind and body to best serve him?
3Make an initial commitment today to follow a twenty-one-day Daniel Fast. You can determine the exact start date later. For now, just make the commitment. Then read the remainder of this book, develop your plan of action, and get started.