21 Day daniel fast
Introduction
So you’re interested in fasting? Maybe you’re brand new to prayer & fasting, or maybe you’re a seasoned veteran.
Regardless of where you’re at on the journey, this 21 days of prayer & fasting guide was created to help you understand how the spiritual discipline of prayer and fasting can help you grow closer to God and experience breakthrough in critical areas of your life.
Why do Christians fast?
In Matthew 6:16, Jesus looks tells His followers, “When you fast” and proceeds to give specific instructions about how they are to fast and pray. It’s interesting that Jesus didn’t say ‘if’ you fast, He said ‘when’ you fast. This tells us that Jesus assumed His followers were going to fast. This means fasting is a spiritual discipline that every Christian must devote themselves to.
All throughout The Bible, God’s people consistently took time to fast and pray in order to grow closer to God and experience breakthroughs in specific areas. If you are wanting to deepen your relationship with God or see Him move supernaturally in a specific area, this is a great time to fast and pray.
What is fasting?
Fasting is a powerful spiritual discipline that aligns our hearts more closely with the heart of God and also empowers us to see breakthroughs in specific areas. Fasting is when we go without food (or specific types of food) for a period of time and instead direct our attention more fully to God. It helps us as believers to not be ruled by our physical desires but to grow in spiritual power and authority over the desires of our flesh.
How do I fast?
When you decide to fast, the first thing to do is make a plan. Start by choosing the amount of time and the type of fast you are going to do. Fasting can take place for any specific amount of time and can include a complete fast, partial fast, or selective fast (ex. Daniel Fast). More information on specific timeframes and types of fasts has been listed below.
It’s important to note that fasting without prayer is simply not eating. Remember that the goal is to not eat (or only eat specific types of food) for a time so that you can redirect your focus, energy, and attention toward God. The goal is to replace consuming food with time reading God’s Word and in prayer.
The Daniel Fast
If you have not tried fasting before, the ‘Daniel Fast’ is a great place to start. The Daniel Fast is called this because it’s taken from the Bible in the book of Daniel (Daniel 10:3).
A Daniel Fast is where you avoid meats, sweets, and treats for a specific amount of time. During a Daniel Fast, you normally consume rice, beans & lentils, vegetables, and fruits, while avoiding bread, meats, dairy products, sugars/ sweeteners, and alcoholic beverages.
For a more in-depth list of foods that can, and cannot, be eaten during a Daniel Fast, check out the image below (or click HERE). You can also scan the QR code for a list of Daniel Fast-friendly recipes.
