The Daniel Fast

               Well, it's that time of year again.   A time in January when our church initiates a 21 day Daniel Fast.  This was new to Bruce and me last year.  What was a Daniel Fast? How long would it last?  And what was the purpose?

     I will tell you up front that I don't like fasting of any kind.  Guess it's because strict guidelines are put in place by someone else, which means I lose control of everything that goes into my mouth; or everything that is not allowed to go into my mouth.  Don't get me wrong; I've fasted many times, but still don't like it.  It means I have to deprive my body of something pleasurable.  Not fun.

          The Daniel Fast last year, however, revolutionized my life.  I grew in ways I hadn’t before.  I fell more in love with the Lord.  I made deeper friendships with people who were in the fast with us.  My outlook on my circumstances changed.     

So, may I share a bit about a Daniel Fast?   I have attached a link to the right of this posting which will take you to a website that describes more about this.  Or you can cut and paste this address that will take you to it as well.  www.daniel-fast.com/, or thosewhohunger.com.  (I downloaded one of the books on my Kindle Fire.)  The idea is taken from the book of Daniel where in chapter 1 Daniel was concerned about the status of the exiles in captivity as well as his own relationship with God.  He ate only vegetables and drank water.  In Chapter 10 he ate no meat, nor any choice food, and drank no wine.  In other words, junk food went out the window; sugar was non-existent; and wine was only a distant memory.   But this limited diet does not have to be boring.  Spices are encouraged; and I find it a challenge to create recipes that are tasty as well as healthy. 

The primary focus of the Daniel Fast is to seek God; to pursue a deeper relationship with the Almighty.  And our prayers need to be specific so we get specific answers.  For me, one of my main prayers this time will be a steady job for my son who is a commercial diver.  The job he was on in Florida is now completed, so he’s looking for work again – like a lot of people in our economy.   Another prayer will be for direction for my oldest  daughter and son-in-law whose business is really struggling; the next, for my youngest daughter who is struggling with caring for an elderly parent; while, another will be for our latest granddaughter who recently had to undergo open heart surgery.  In fact, I think I’ll call my kids during the fast to see what specific needs they might have that I can pray about.

Our church has designated three types of fasting along with the Daniel Fast:  1^st week, no caffeine (this is difficult for me!); 2^nd week, no meats and no sweets; 3^rd week, no media.  For those who don’t want to do the 21 day Daniel Fast, the last three options would be easier to attain.   The media fast is something our church is doing because, basically, we’re all media freaks…TV, movies, video games, facebook, emails, phones…you get the picture.  It’s not about isolating friends or family, but just withdrawing from the fun chit-chit we so love to do.  Our entire generation is so hooked on electronics that I’m not sure what we would do if we had to go without them indefinitely.  The media fast is about spending more time with our families…playing games (electronic games don’t count!), reading books, connecting with the community, praying and reading God’s Word.

Bruce and I plan to do all of them, although a modified version of the Daniel Fast, since Bruce needs some protein to referee the basketball games.  It’s not because I’m a glutton for punishment, but I want to see God’s hand at work in my life in a deeper way, and in the lives of my children and grandchildren.  I want to know the Lord on a more intimate level.  So, I choose to deprive my body and my mind of the things I love for a season, to seek the God that I love more than life, and to fall more in love with Him.  For me, it’s a no-brainer!