Daniel Fast Guidelines

January 11, 2009 – January 31, 2009

Theme of the fast – fasting and prayer: Your goal in fasting is to become closer to God by voluntarily denying the demands of your flesh. Increase your prayer life during this time. Study the Scriptures with a new intensity. When the fast is over, you should have a new spiritual strength from overcoming the cravings that usually control your life and from dedicating yourself to God.

Biblical model: Do a personal study of fasting. In the book of Daniel, chapters 1, 2 and 10, Daniel describes two examples of his personal fasting and the dramatic results. Isaiah described God’s chosen fast in Isaiah 58. Jesus fasted in the wilderness (Matthew 4, etc.) and spoke of the necessity of fasting for believers. It was a normal part of early church life. Fasting is one way we respond to the admonition throughout the Scriptures to die to our self-will and not to accommodate the desires of the flesh.

Following your own conscience: The precise details of your fast are between you and God. In Romans 14, the apostle Paul describes how we should relate in love to one another in the matter of what we eat or choose not to eat. He says, “Each person is free to follow the convictions of his own conscience” (Romans 14, The Message). If you fast often, you may need to turn up your fasting another level during this time. If this is your first fast, you may not be able to endure as many restrictions as someone else who fasts frequently. In the future, live a “fasted lifestyle,” increasingly accommodating God and not the flesh.

Accountability and support groups: You will probably be most successful with this fast if you make yourself accountable to at least one other person during this fast. You may want to form a group of three to five people who meet occasionally or talk by phone. Encourage one another. If someone falls and eats the wrong foods, do not condemn them. Help them start again. Walk in love and mercy.

Restricting television and entertainment: It will be difficult for you to consecrate yourself if you feed yourself on television and movies during this time.

Overview of the fast: The Daniel fast drastically restricts normal food intake by cutting away many of the foods you commonly eat to satisfy your appetite. During the Daniel fast, there will be a sense of hunger much of the time and a sense of sacrifice even when we eat. Restricting yourself to one meal per day yields a smaller hunger.

Types of food included in the Daniel fast:
Whole grains: brown rice, oats, rolled oats, oatmeal, barley, corn, popcorn, wheat
Legumes: dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black-eyed peas, green beans, green peas, peanuts, etc.

Fruits: apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, berries, breadfruit, cantaloupe, cherries, coconuts, cranberries, dates, figs, grapefruit, grapes, grenadine, guava, honeydew, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, melons, mulberry, nectarines, oats, olives, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, watermelon, etc.

Vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, collard greens, okra, onions, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini, etc.
Seeds: all nuts
Liquids: Water (8 glasses per day) and 100% natural juices, herbal teas
Honey, extra-virgin olive oil

Avoid: Dairy products, refined sugar and sugar products, caffeine, bread, meats, fish, poultry, eggs, fried foods, and high fat products.

Side effects: You may experience moderate to severe headaches for the first day or two as your body rids itself of caffeine, salt, sugar, and various impurities. You may need to take Advil or Tylenol.

Caution: Fasting can create problems for people with medical conditions, pregnant and/or taking medicine. Please consult your doctor or Pharmacist.

Recipes:
The following websites have recipes to assist you with your Daniel fast.
http://www.holy-spirit-led-christian.com/daniel-fast-recipes.html
blog.northwaychurch.tv/malta
http://www.saintjohn.net/GSJC_Daniel_Fast_Cookbook.pdf

Download the Guidelines here.