Daniel Fast 2018

DANIEL FAST 2018

(Before you begin any fast please consult your physician)

What is the Daniel’s Fast?

The Daniel’s fast is just one of the many types of fasts mentioned in the Bible. It is based on what Daniel requested to eat to avoid being defiled when Israel was besieged and taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. Daniel 1:8 says, “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.” He did not eat meat or drink wine, therefore on the Daniel’s fast there is NO meat or animal products. Daniel 1:12 says: “Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.” In simple terms, pulse is anything grown up from a seed—or as we would now express it, a vegetable diet.

Guidelines: Foods to Enjoy

• All fruits and vegetables—fresh, frozen, dried or canned.
• All grains, beans, legumes, that have not been bleached, stripped and processed. Grains should be whole, such as whole brown rice, whole wheat flour etc.
• All nuts
• All herbs and seasonings and spices—salt is fine. Try and use natural herbs and seasoning.
• Baking soda—All natural
• Agave Nectar—this is great! It is all natural and has a consistency similar to honey—just a little thinner—PLUS the glycemic index of Agave nectar is Very low.
• Stevia Bragg Liquid Aminos (natural alternative to soy sauce)
• Water, naturally decaffeinated tea, fruit and vegetable juices
• Cold pressed oils, such as olive oil, unprocessed coconut, peanut, sesame, walnut, almond and mustard seed oil. Soy milk, almond milk (read the nutritional label) Tofu (whole soy beans and water)
• Pasta (wholegrain flour and water) NO EGGS or WHITE FLOUR.

Guidelines: Foods to Avoid

• All meat product including sea food, beef and chicken broth, etc.
• Imitation meat products (artificially flavored, highly processed).
• All egg products.
• Grains that have been bleached and processed such as white flour and all products containing it
• White sugar and all products containing it
• White rice.
• Artificial Sweeteners (Splenda, sucralose), NutraSweet (aspartame), Sweet N Low (saccharine), Corn Syrup (high fructose corn syrup)
• Carbonated beverages (soda, soft drinks carbonated flavored water, etc.]
• Foods containing additives, chemicals and dyes, soy sauce (fermented),
• Hydrogenated oils (margarine, shortening and all products containing it) Fried foods should be avoided (most fried foods are fried in hydrogenated oil)
• Alcohol, Vinegar (fermented), black tea (fully fermented), Caffeine
• Baking powder (it is baking soda (natural) and an acid like cream of tartar mixed together. Cream of tartar is a byproduct of wine (fermented).
• Yeast

Excepts Taken From: The Daniel’s Fast Cookbook by Grace Bass and Lynda Anderson. Food can be purchased online from www.vitacost.com. Free shipping and handling for orders $49 and above.

Fast With a Purpose

Prayer Focus

1. Praying That Our Lord will give us a greater thirst for Him in 2018
2. Praying That Our Lord will give us a hunger for the lost.

The purpose of the spiritual fasting is to consecrate (set aside) a specific period of time to draw closer to Cod to hear from Him. A powerful side benefit of the Daniel Fast is the improvement in health that most people experience.

The Daniel Fast and Your Health

Anytime you make a significant change in your diet or exercise, consult your physician. Also, if you have special health needs consider adjusting the eating plan to meet those requirements while maintaining the other restrictions for the fast.

Most men and women on the Daniel fast find it helpful to journal during their consecrated time of prayer and fasting. Write expecting the Holy Spirit to partner with you as you seek a greater level of intimacy with your Heavenly Father.

How to Prepare for the Daniel Fast 2018

You will experience a more successful fast if you spend some time preparing for your time of focused prayer and fasting.

Quiet Time

If you don’t already have an established daily quiet time with the Lord, then this is an excellent opportunity to do so. We must put God first every day of our lives not merely in words but in action. So every day I wake up, brush my teeth and then I meet with God.

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.

Prepare Your Body

It is a wise move to prepare your body for the fast by easing off sugar, caffeine and chemicals before your first day of fasting. Otherwise, you may experience physical detox symptoms of headaches, cramping and fatigue. Start to drink at least 1/2 gallon of filtered water each day.

Study Your Food Choices

It is a great idea to look over the list provided above of what to avoid and what is okay–then go grocery shopping ahead of the first. Having the food items already on hand, gives you more of a sense of preparedness.

How to Conclude Your Daniel Fast 2018

Just as you prepared to start your Daniel Fast, you will want to plan for the conclusion of your fast.

Changing the way you eat: If you have been on an extended fast of 10 or more days, your physical body has enjoyed healthy and easily digestible foods. Most people realize increased energy and better health during their fast.

Reintroduce caffeine, sugar, dairy products, deep fried foods and meat slowly to keep your body from rebelling and bring you discomfort. Small portions are better and adding no more than one type of food each day will give your body a chance to get used to the change.

Keep the gems of the fast: Most likely, you have gained many powerful lessons about your health and spiritual life. Carry these positive changes into your everyday life. If you have created a habit of meeting with the Lord each morning, then continue that practice.

If you have gained understanding about healthy eating habits or broken addictions to specific foods, then continue with those good practices.

Let the lessons you learned during your Daniel Fast continue to bring more health to your body, soul and spirit all year long.

Title: The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast

Author: Kristen Feola

Publisher: Zondervan

Release Date: December 23, 2010

ISBN-13: 978-0310331179

Paperback: 256 pages

Amazon Price: $11.55

CBD Price: $11.49

DESCRIPTION:

The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast is an inspiring resource for Christians who want to pursue a more intimate relationship with God through the 21-day commitment to prayer and fasting known as the Daniel Fast.

The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast book explains the Daniel Fast in easy-to-understand language, provides 21 thought-provoking devotionals for each day of the fast, and shares more than 100 tasty, easy-to-make recipes that follow fasting guidelines. Kristen shows you how to structure the fast so you can spend less time thinking about what to eat and more time focusing on God. You will also discover that “to fast” means “to feast” on the only thing that truly nourishes–God’s powerful Word.