How To Prepare For The Daniel Fast Quiet Time:
If you dont already have an established daily quiet time with the Lord, then this is an excellent opportunity to do so. Starting your day with God is a habit that will support your faith and growing intimacy with the Lord. During your Daniel Fast, be sure to set a daily time to come before the Lord, to study His Word and His ways.How to Begin Spiritually:
Start with a clear personal goal in addition to our corporate goals. Be specific. Why are you fasting? Do you need direction, healing, restoration of marriage or family issues? Are you facing financial difficulties? Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Pray daily and read the Bible. Prepare spiritually by confessing your sins to God. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of weakness. Forgive all who have offended you and ask forgiveness from those you may have offended .
Surrender your life fully to Jesus Christ and reject the worldly desires that try to hinder you .
Should You Try The Daniel Fast
Jonas says most fairly healthy people should be able to complete the Daniel Fast with no problems. People with chronic health conditions especially those that require dietary monitoring, such as diabetes, congestive heart failure and kidney disease should consult a doctor first.
Anybody who chooses to take on the Daniel Fast should make sure theyre adequately prepared, Bloomer says. While plenty of meals can be created from plant foods, Bloomer says people who typically rely on restaurants, takeout and packaged foods can find it difficult to adjust.
If people hear about it and read about it, I wouldnt suggest that they go out and start it the next day, Bloomer says. Go shopping, and spend time looking at labels. Its forced nutrition education.
Blood Collection And Biochemical Variables
Venous blood samples were taken from subjects’ forearm via needle and Vacutainer by a trained phlebotomist. Following collection, samples were processed accordingly to obtain plasma/serum. All assays were performed with 24 hours of sample collection. Complete blood count was determined using an automated cell counter . The comprehensive metabolic panel was determined using automated procedures . The lipid panel was determined using enzymatic procedures . Insulin was determined using an immuno-chemiluminescent assay procedure . C-reactive protein was determined using a high-sensitivity, particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay . The homeostasis model assessment was used as an index of insulin resistance and calculated as: /405.
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More Questions About Spiritual Fasting
How Long Should I Fast?
Fasting, especially from food, should be limited to a determined length of time. Fasting for too long can cause harm to the body.
While I hesitate to state the obvious, your decision to fast should be guided by the Holy Spirit. Also, I highly recommend, especially if you’ve never fasted, that you seek both medical and spiritual counsel before embarking on any type of prolonged fast. While Jesus and Moses both fasted for 40 days without food and water, this was clearly an impossible human achievement, only accomplished through the Holy Spirit’s empowerment.
How Often Can I Fast?
New Testament Christians practiced prayer and fasting regularly. Since there is no biblical command to fast, believers should be led by God through prayer concerning when and how often to fast.
How To Fast According To The Bible
When I see questions like:
- How many types of fasting are there in Christianity?
- What is the Daniel fast according to the Bible?
- How long should I fast for God?
I hear a heart that is longing to please God, to know how to fast and pray according to the Bible so you are pleasing God. That is an amazing place to start.
Now that we know the primary different types of Biblical fasting, we can see how others in the Bible were able to spin those to fit their situations.
But remember, Biblical fasting is more about the heart behind your fast than about the rules you are following while fasting!
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How Do We Apply These Fasts In The Bible To Our Lives Today
As the Bible says: Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 1 Corinthians 10:11 ESV. They are examples, instructions, to strengthen us, encourage us and empower our walk with God. Not just for our comfort, but so that we might be strong in the Lord, in the power of His might and be able to be that Light in the dark, dark world we find ourselves living in.
Fasting with a right spirit, for the right reasons, truly does get Gods attention. We dont do it to be seen or heard or to make ourselves something we are not. It is all about Jesus, and when the glory goes to Him, we will see the miraculous and be a part of a great and necessary awakening in these last and glorious days until we see the coming of the Lord.
Which types of fasting in the Bible has impacted you the most? Did you learn about a new one in this article?
*Related:Get a free copy of our Daniel Fast meal plan when you join our email list.
This post about the types of Biblical fasting was compiled by our guest contributor, Nannette Elkins, who has served as a pastors wife, missionary, speaker, and teacher. She also authored The Daniel Fast Devotional: A 21 Day Journey of Faith, available on Amazon.
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Prayer And Fasting In The Bible
Fasting is mentioned throughout the Bible, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament . However, when Christians discuss fasting, two key passages often come up: one from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah and one from Jesus himself. But neither of these passages gives us specifics on how to abstain from food. Rather, both focus on the heart of the person fasting.
In Isaiah 58, God sees the nation of Israel abstaining from food for a day in order to seek help from God: justice for Israel and judgment on those who have oppressed Israel. However, the help does not come, and the people complain.
God turns the tables on Israel, pointing out how the Israelites are oppressing their own people. Employers withhold pay from the workers, and the people act violently toward each other. Through Isaiah, God tells the people that He doesnt want them to go a day without food He wants them to abstain from the ways theyve oppressed one another.
If you do away with the yoke of oppression,with the pointing finger and malicious talk,and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungryand satisfy the needs of the oppressed,then your light will rise in the darkness,and your night will become like the noonday.
The Israelites were merely putting on a show of fasting for God without truly following Him.
Likewise, when Jesus instructs His followers on how to fast, he tells them not to do so for show.
The Bible is full of examples of people who have abstained from food to seek God:
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Compliance Mood And Satiety
Forty-four subjects were initially enrolled in the study, and all 44 subjects completed the 21 day fast, as well as pre and post assessments. However, one subject reported a compliance rate of only 60% to the fast and was therefore excluded from data analysis. Of the remaining 43 subjects, compliance to the fast was 98.7 ± 0.2%. Subjects’ overall mood during the fast was indicated at 7.9 ± 0.2, while satiety during the fast was indicated at 7.9 ± 0.2.
In relation to the bloodborne variables, we were able to obtain blood samples on 42 of the 43 subjects. Of the 42 subjects for which blood samples were obtained, pre and post insulin values were not included for two subjects and CRP values were not included for one subject, due to problems in sample analysis.
Why Should Christians Fast
Fasting is mentioned throughout the Old and New Testaments. In the Bible, people fasted in mourning and repentance, and also to seek direction and insight. Most importantly, Jesus fasted and gave His disciples instruction for fasting.
Fasting is a spiritual discipline, helping you to grow and mature in your spiritual life. When you fast, you separate from the world and temporary satisfaction in order to focus on filling yourself spiritually, making time to focus on God and rely on Him for every need.
We live in a world of excess and distraction. When you fast, you make space physically and spiritually for God to move in and be first in your life. Click below to read more on what the Bible says about fasting in general and the Daniel Fast.
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What Do You Eat On The Daniel Fast
Rather than completely abstaining from food, on a Daniel Fast you limit what kinds of foods you eat and consume only whole, plant-based foods. Its more about whatyou eat than how much you eat.
The Daniel Fast requires you to cut out many foods common in the standard American diet. This includes all animal products, packaged foods, and drinks other than water and herbal tea.
You should always consult your doctor before making changes to your diet, especially if you have pre-existing health conditions, take medication, or are pregnant or nursing.
Its Not A Sin To Tell People Youre Fasting
In Jesus day, many of the religious people would fast for outward gain. They wanted people to know they were spiritual, so they would moan and complain about how they were fasting ultimately, about how spiritual they were being.
I can see it now: hey everyone, come and see how spiritual I am!
The defeats the purpose. Jesus said,
And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:16-18
But that doesnt mean you should jump through hoops to avoid telling people youre fasting. You may find that people are skeptical when you suddenly start refusing the office donuts, and other treats, when you would normally take five.
Telling immediate-people youre fasting, like your spouse and coworkers, makes sense. Of course, theres no reason to tell them if its not relevant. Jesus main concern was to not brag about it. Its to be done in private, not for a public reward. But let common sense prevail.
Also Check: How To Calculate Fasting Hours
What Does The Bible Say About The Daniel Fast
The Bible has a lot to say about fasting! The Old and New Testaments are full of stories of people fasting for different lengths of time and for a variety of reasons including mourning, repentance, and seeking direction and clarity.
The term Daniel Fast is not specifically mentioned in the Bible, however there are three instances of Daniel restricting food or fasting:
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Please put your servants to the test for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.
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So I gave myself to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.
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In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed.
So these are three different examples of times when Daniel abstained from food. Lengths of time include ten days, twenty-one days, and an unspecified length of time in Chapter 9.
The first example, from Chapter 1, is the basis for our modern Daniel Fast but actually wasnt called a fast by Daniel, but a test. In this setting, Daniel and his friends had been taken from Jerusalem to Babylon to serve in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar. They were appointed a daily ration of food and wine from the kings table, but Daniel asked to abstain from this food and eat vegetables instead.
Benefits Of Fasting And Prayer
Why should we fast? There are many reasons to fast and many spiritual benefits of fasting. We see from the biblical examples that fasting should be used as a means to humble ourselves before God and seek His forgiveness, comfort, help, guidance, strength and His will. Fasting allows us to draw closer to God.
In the Bible there is a strong connection between fasting and prayer.
When Daniel realized that the prophesied 70 years of desolations of Jerusalem were almost completed, he urgently reached out to God. Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes . And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession . What follows in Daniel 9 is one of the most powerful prayers in the Bible.
Jesus also connected fasting and prayer. When His disciples discovered they were unable to cast out an unclean spirit, they asked Jesus, Why could we not cast it out? So He said to them, This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting . Fasting and prayer help us humbly access the awesome power of God.
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The Daniel Fast And Your Relationship To God
Where Does The Daniel Fast Come In The Bible
The Daniel Fast is a method of spiritual fasting based on the prophet Daniel’s experience fasting according to the book of Daniel in the Bible. There are two passages in specific that the Daniel Fast is based on:
From this experience Daniel was said to gain knowledge, wisdom, spiritual understanding, favor, and even better appearance in addition to answered prayer and spiritual insight .
So the idea behind the fast is that you would set aside other foods and focus on eating plant-based meals as an act of worship and sacrifice.
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The Daniel Diet: A Health
When approached with intentionality and adequate structure, the Daniel Diet can produce unprecedented personal results.
At the turn of the new year in 2019, 54 percent of Americans resolved to eat healthier. In similar fashion, the Washington Post reported in 2018 that 45 million Americans go on a diet each yearabout 14 percent of the nation. These statistics are nothing to sneeze at experts estimate around 160 million Americans are either overweight or obese. No one can be blamed for wanting to lose weight and kick-start healthy habits!
Furthermore, out of the five leading causes of death in the United States, at least three are strongly related to personal diet , and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that up to 40 percent of such deaths can be prevented. Accordingly, where are many peopleand increasing numbers of Christiansturning to find help? Theyre examining the Daniel Diet: a health-driven dietary option with strong spiritual components. Check out the recommendations below to uncover how this biblical trend can boost your health goals in 2020.
Core Components of the Daniel Diet
The Daniel Diet, sometimes referred to as the Daniel Fast, is a partial fast originating from the book of Daniel, a major prophet in the Old Testament of the Bible. The book delineates a few details about the dietary choices the prophet took in Daniel 10:1-3 :
Essentials for Success with the Daniel Diet
Day Daniel Fast Workbook And Guide
What’s Inside
The 21 Day Daniel Fast Journal Workbook is designed to keep you on the right path by encouraging you from those who have already done it, step-by-step. Join us for a 21 day journey of transformation and amazing spiritual breakthroughs. We believe something powerful can happen in our lives when we set aside certain things to focus on our relationship with God. During this 21-day period were encouraging you to adopt the same diet that the prophet Daniel used in the Bible. 159 pages.
$12.95
The 21 Day Daniel Fast Journal Workbook consists of 3 parts. They are:
Guiding Section – The 21 Day Daniel Fast Guide will teach you how to fast like Daniel by preparing yourself spiritually and physically.
Fasting Section 21 Day Devotional, Bible Study Notes, Prayer Requests, Weekly Meal Planning and Log with Shopping List, Conversation with My Lord Journaling Pages.
Prayer Tool Box Prayer Calendar, Meal Ideas, Daniel Fast Food List, FAQ, Prayers and more!
Not only will you be able to record your thoughts, prayers and walk with God, but also express your faith creatively through coloring each page. This is a personalized keepsake journal that you will cherish always and can refer to in time of need.
Perfect for Bible Study groups, Church fasting and small groups.
The aim of this book is to guide you in planning your spiritual fasting and to give you the tools and insights to allow you to experience your own spiritual breakthroughs from those who have done it.
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