OVERVIEW
“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting.” – Daniel 9:3
The Daniel Fast is a 21-day partial fast based upon the prophet Daniel’s experiences in the Bible. The purpose of the fast is to restrict commonly enjoyed foods as an act of worship and consecration to God. Someone who chooses to undergo a Daniel Fast demonstrates a physical commitment to pursue a closer relationship with the Lord. On one occasion, Daniel was greatly concerned for his people and sought the Lord’s wisdom during a time of prayer and fasting. Daniel 10:2-3 says, “At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips.” The meaning of “choice food” is not clear; however, most |
commentaries conclude that he ate no bread or sweets. The Message translation sums up Daniel’s eating habits during that time: “I ate only plain and simple food.” The idea behind the fast is not to duplicate Daniel’s menu but to imitate his spiritual hunger. Daniel’s passion for the Lord caused him to seek spiritual food rather than physical food, which should be the desire for anyone doing the Daniel Fast. The food guidelines are given to help you set boundaries for your fast. They’re not meant to push you into legalism. The focus of the Daniel Fast is not the food. Instead, it’s all about setting your eyes on the Father and drawing near to Him.* |