The Advantages of a Daniel Fast

Here I am on day thirteen on the Daniel Fast. In the book of Daniel, chapters 2 and 10, Daniel describes two examples of his personal fasting and the dramatic results.





Daniel 1:12-13 “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.”




Daniel 10:3 "I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled."





What is the Daniel Fast?



1. The Daniel Fast is a partial fast. They ate, but only vegetables and water. The Daniel Fast requires abstinence from party or junk foods. If you want to see what The food guidelines are for the Daniel fast click here. The Daniel fast drastically restricts normal food intake by cutting away many of the foods you commonly eat to satisfy your appetite.




2. The Daniel Fast is an extended fast. It is longer than one day. These young men fasted for ten days. Daniel fasted for twenty-one days in chapter ten. It is a good fast to do if you have to work and need the energy. If you determine to fast for a certain time, keep it. For example, if you determine to fast 10 days, don't stop on Day 9.

What are the results of a Daniel Fast?

In the book of Daniel, there are four results of the Daniel fast.

1. Healthier and Better Nourished (Daniel 1:12-20) Learn the Effects of the Food You Eat. Why are some foods good for you, and other foods not? What does certain food do to your body? If we really knew, there would likely be some things we would never eat again.


2. Spiritual Insight, Knowledge and Wisdom (Daniel 1:17; 5:12) Daniel had the God given ability to understand and interpret dreams. He was able to have a spiritual insight and understanding that the other people were not able to have. Having this gift caused him to be respected, admired and promoted in the Kingdom.


3. Integrity and Character (Daniel 6:4) Daniel had the discipline to resist certain foods and this caused him to have the discipline in his personal life. He was a man that exhibited integrity. God is more concerned about who you are than what you do.


4. Answered Prayer (Daniel 10:2-12) God answered Daniel's prayer when he fasted for twenty-one days. Daniel didn't receive his answer to prayer immediately. It came after his twenty-one day fast. This should remind us to be committed to our prayer and fasting time. If we say we are going to fast 10 days, don't stop on day 9.

Daniel experienced some incredible results because of his desire to fast and pray. Remember that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Have you ever done a Daniel Fast?

What results have you experienced when you have fasted?

God's Payment Plan

I wanted to share a personal testimony with you about one of the miracles of God that has happened to us during this sabbatical and Daniel fast.

As many of you know we have had a couple of physical ailments this year with Heidi's back and Taylor's eye. Thank God they are doing well! With these injuries we have acquired some medical expenses. We do have insurance and thank God for that, but we have to pay twenty percent of the bill. All the many doctor, x-ray and hospital bills have been piling up. We just tell them to put us on a payment plan and we will eventually pay you back.

This morning I was reading day seven in Jentezen Franklin's devotional book "Fasting Journal." The prayer focus was on prosperity and finances. He had me list out some specific financial needs to hold up in prayer throughout the day. I wrote one thing down...."hospital and doctor bills for Heidi and Taylor." Ten minutes later, Heidi called me crying on the phone saying "You are not going to believe this!" She had called Clarion North to set up a payment plan for the Hospital bill of $1,200.00. As it turned out, the gentleman signed us up for financial assistance and said that we qualified to have our whole hospital bill paid for. He said that our account balance was zero and that a procedure that Taylor has to have next month will be paid for as well! Praise the Lord! God has an incredible payment plan!

How has this happened? I attribute it to prayer and fasting. Jesus just didn't pray when He came to this world, He fasted. One of the things that fasting does is unlock God's miracles. Jesus fasted because He knew there were supernatural things that could be released only that way. The disciples couldn't cast out the demon from the boy because they didn't fast and pray. We could be missing our greatest breakthroughs because we fail to fast.

• What do you need a breakthrough in?

• Have you ever prayed and fasted?

• Tell me about your miracles you have experienced that has been directly related to fasting.

First Week of Sabbatical

I wanted to give you an update on my first week of my Sabbatical.

I spent seventy-two hours (Thursday night to Sunday night) at Zionsville Presbyterian Church at the Great Banquet. There I shut myself from the outside world, ate some good food, and refocused on Christ and His love for me. If you haven't ever experienced a retreat like The Great Banquet, Emmaus Walk, or Discipleship Walks, let me encourage you to. They are great retreats to remind you how much God and other people love you.

Next, I went to our sacred campgrounds in Hartford City to a Prayer Summit. The Prayer Summit is a prayer retreat for pastors to get away and spend time with The Father. There were about thirty pastors that gathered to pray, praise and eat. What a marvelous time we had in the presence of God as He spoke to us and refreshed us in the Lord. Many pastors including myself laid burdens at the lap of the Father as he loved us and blessed us with his presence. What a refreshing time! This is going to be on my calender for next year.

Part of the Sabbatical is taking care of the body God has given me by eating healthy foods and resisting the bad ones. We are made up of body, soul and spirit. Today I am starting a twenty-one day Daniel Fast. I said goodbye to the fudge rounds I love so much! Daniel gave up the king's delicacies so that he would be healthier, stronger, and empowered by God. If you are interested in knowing about a Daniel fast click here for more details.

I look forward to coming back from this short sabbatical refreshed and rejuvenated. Blessings to Kirklin Assembly of God. Thanks to everyone who sent kind letters to me this past week. They touched me so much! Blessings!

God Spoke to Me

Yesterday I read Psalm 19:1-4. It says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."

I was doing my morning ritual of letting the dogs out. I was enjoying the bright stars and thinking about Psalms 19 about how the heavens declare God's glory and how they speak to us. While looking into the heavens, a bright star shot across the morning night sky. I sat there wondering if that just happen. As I continued to watch there were several other stars that ran across the sky. It was like watching a fourth of July fireworks.

Psalm 19 says that God speaks to us through the skies. I believe that God was speaking to me. What was he saying? First of all, He was letting me know that He was smiling on me as I start my first day of my sabbatical. Secondly, He was letting me know that He loves me and knows me. Thirdly, He was letting me know that He is still active in our world. I woke the kids up so they could see this phenomena and share with them about how the heavens declare God's glory.

God speaks to us through the heavens. The next time you look up into the sky open up your ears God maybe speaking to you.