Why do we fast?
So we can feast. Fasting in a Biblical sense is abstaining from something, typically food, to help create an added awareness of our weakness and our need for God's strength inside our souls. By not paying as much attention to one thing we are able to pay more attention to something else. In fasting, we surrender ourselves to God, showing Him that a relationship with Him is a priority in our lives. Dedicating ourselves to prayer and fasting brings us to a new level of spiritual dependance and renews our perspective, commitment and resolve.
As a church we will prepare ourselves for all God has for us this year doing a Daniel Fast and praying together starting Friday, October 28 to Friday, November 18.
What is a Daniel Fast?
A Daniel Fast is based on stories in the Bible starting with Daniel 1, where Daniel, a young man from Judah who has been taken captive to serve in the king’s palace, refuses delicacies offered by the king. He had an excellent spirit within him and purposed in his heart he would not defile himself with unclean food that was against Old Testament law. He asked his supervisor to let him eat vegetables and water for a time, and at the end of that time he is found to be in better appearance and shape than those who ate the delicacies. God gave Daniel great favor in knowledge and skill, and the gift of understanding vision and dreams. In Daniel 10, he also spends 21 days fasting and praying, to humble himself before God and receive understanding.
We will take part in the Daniel Fast as a church to renew and refocus our spiritual commitment to God through prayer and dependance on Him.
During this fast, we will remove meat, sweets, and bread from what we normally eat and consume water, juice, fruits, vegetables, and lentils (Daniel 1: 5-21 and Daniel 10: 2,3).
Should Everyone Fast?
Not everyone may be able to fast from food. If you are on any types of medication, pregnant, or have health concerns please consult your physician before committing to the fast. If you are unable to fast food it’s ok because everyone can give up something in order to focus on God (e.g. unplugging the television for 24 hours could also be an effective way of joining the fast)!
Unable To Do A Food Fast?
If you are unable to do a food fast or feel it would be more spiritually beneficial to fast something different, these are non-food fasting options:
o Television
o Video games
o Cell phones
o Social media
o Weekends out
o Secular music
o No alcohol
o Tobacco
o Anything that competes with your time with God
Scripture References
Resources & Food List
Books & Blog
Vegetables
artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard, greens, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams
Fruits
apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon
Whole Grains
whole wheat brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley, grits, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, rice cakes, popcorn, dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, white beans
Nuts & Seeds
sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame, nut butters
Healthy Oils
olive, canola, grapeseed, peanut, sesame
Additional
water, tofu, soy products, vinegar, seasonings salt, herbs, spices, plant-based milks, juices, coffee