Category Archives: Restoration

Fasting Together: Daniel Fast Basics

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We are posting every day in January for those that are beginning the New Year with fasting! You can read the previous posts here and here. I have a wonderful Daniel Fast approved recipe for those that are participating in that fast. Some have already begun the fast, others are starting later in the month. Some may be doing a different type of fast.

Whatever type of fast you are doing, do it unto the Lord.

The more we know about fasting, the more we delve into the Word, the closer we will draw to Jesus Christ.

You will experience rewards from fasting! You will see chains broken, lives changed and prayers answered.

Most of all, in the days leading up to the fast, or the first few days of your fast, no matter when you start, (and it doesn’t matter when you start!), prepare your heart! Ask the Lord to show you things that need to be brought out into the open and dealt with, or done away with altogether. He will do just that because He loves you so much.

Your flesh is going to rebel during the fast, especially at the beginning. It is going to be a fight to stay away from the things that you normally put into your system every day. That is why it is so important to PRAY and FAST together! Keep focused on why you are doing what you are doing.

Always remember that God will honor your sacrifice. “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 KJV.

It is said that a New Year’s Resolution is something that goes in one YEAR and out the other!

But it doesn’t have to be that way with fasting. The New Year is a great time to begin implementing spiritual disciplines. January is an ideal month to detox your body and your mind but don’t make it the ONLY time throughout the year that you fast unto the Lord. 

Fasting changes the inner man, fasting changes you!

Some particulars for those on The Daniel Fast:

In the first chapter of the Book of Daniel we read that Daniel and his three friends were put into a Babylonian training program while in exile under King Nebuchadnezzar. They did not want to defile their bodies with the rich food brought in by the kings’ servants so they requested that they be given only vegetables and water for ten days. Their meat was also likely sacrificed to idols, a strict no-no for the Jewish people.

At the end of the ten days, they were not only well, but had also prospered physically and spiritually above all the others in the court! Daniel was appointed an advisor to the king and began to interpret his dreams.

Later on, in the tenth chapter, Daniel had a vision of a great war that caused him to mourn and fast for three weeks. This is where The Daniel Fast originated. Daniel ate only plant-based foods for three weeks. That is why you see so many people, and now so many churches, starting the first of the year on a three-week Daniel Fast. They typically go without meat, dairy, sugar, breads and no artificial or processed foods. Basically, they eat only fruits, vegetables and whole grains and drink only water. (And plenty of it!) We will explore this chapter more as we go along.

There is nothing in the Bible that commands God’s people to fast as Daniel fasted but it certainly brings many benefits when done in the right spirit and for the right reasons.

Also, because you are cleansing your body of unwanted toxins you will feel so much better during those weeks and even afterward.

Remember, if you are just fasting and not praying, you are wasting your time.
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Did I mention to be sure to study and meditate on the Word during the fast?

Set aside time every day to meet with the Lord. Pray, and then pray again. He desires to meet with you, so do your best to keep at it and make time for Him. While you are denying yourself things that you enjoy, such as sweets, colas, coffees, breads, etc., remember WHY you are doing it. Don’t just check off the days on the calendar. It would be such a shame to only complete 21 days of a vegan diet and not accomplish something in your spiritual walk.

You may even want to journal. If you have never been one to journal, maybe now would be a good time to write down your thoughts as you experience this unique time with God. You might be surprised how He communicates with you during your quiet time. Keep your heart, mind and Bible open.

Here is the food list for The Daniel Fast. There are no hard and set rules, but these are the given guidelines that most follow when on the Daniel Fast:

Foods included in your diet during the Daniel Fast:

All fruits. You may eat them fresh, frozen, dried, canned; anything without added sugar. Fruits include, but are not limited to: apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon.

All vegetables. These also can be fresh, frozen, canned or even juiced! Vegetables include, but are not limited to: artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, greens, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini.

All whole grains. Again, no added sugar. Be sure and read the labels. Whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley, grits, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, rice cakes and popcorn.

All nuts and seeds. You can have sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame and any other member of the nut and seed family. Nut butters are allowed, including peanut butter (but only all natural, with no added sugar).

All legumes. These can be eaten either canned or dried. Dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, navy beans and white beans.

All good quality oils. These include: canola, grape seed, olive, peanut, sesame and vegetable.

Beverages. You basically only consume water and some juices on the Daniel Fast! Spring water, distilled water or other pure waters. Water is cleansing and will detox and purify your natural body; drink plenty of it! (You will be making some smoothies but these are usually meal replacements.)

Other: All herbs and spices are allowed, as are soy products, vinegar and tofu. (It is best to limit your salt intake.)

Foods NOT to EAT on the Daniel Fast:

All meat and animal products. This includes fish.

All dairy products.

All sweeteners. Sugar, raw sugar, syrups, molasses, and cane juice are not allowed on the Daniel Fast. (Some do consume raw honey; others consider it a pleasant food that Daniel would not have eaten.)

All leavened bread is excluded. This includes any Ezekiel Bread that contains yeast and baked goods.

All processed foods.  Artificial flavorings, food additives, chemicals, white rice, white flour, and foods that contain artificial preservatives are forbidden.

All deep fried foods. Examples are potato chips, French fries, and of course any breaded, fried foods.

All solid fats. This consists of shortening, margarine, lard and foods high in fat.

Beverages. Coffee, tea, herbal teas, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and alcohol are all prohibited on the Daniel Fast.

Again, not everyone does it exactly as it is written above. Some use honey as a sweetener or natural maple syrup. Others would strictly forbid it, which is just an example. Some use Ezekiel Bread, but it does have yeast in it, which is leaven, and would be forbidden on the normal Daniel Fast.

A good alternative would be whole grain flatbreads. Remember, WHOLE GRAINS. Regular wheat bread doesn’t count. If it contains wheat FLOUR, it is not a whole grain. If the ingredient list begins with whole wheat, rolled oats or whole corn as the first ingredient then it is likely a WHOLE GRAIN item. It cannot contain yeast, sugar, wheat flour, flour, high fructose corn syrup, etc.

You can find some good organic products at many health and organic specialty stores. They have many ready-to-eat foods that are acceptable, such as whole grain flatbreads and tortillas, which are great for making a veggie sandwich. Again, READ THE LABELS!

The Daniel Fast DevotionalSharing a recipe out of my book, The Daniel Fast Devotional. There are recipes after every devotion in the easy-to-read book. Have you ordered yours yet? Get it here on Amazon in either Kindle or paperback version. 

Tortilla Soup

1 carrot, chopped 1 celery stick, chopped 1 medium onion, diced fine 3 garlic cloves, pressed 2 Tablespoons olive oil 8 cups vegetable broth 4 cups water 1 can of black or kidney beans 16 oz. frozen corn 1 red tomato, chopped 1 yellow tomato, chopped ¼ cup chopped cilantro 2-3 teaspoons sea salt 1 lime 6 corn tortillas

Heat oil and sauté the first four ingredients until soft.  Add everything else except the tortillas.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.  Brush tortillas with olive oil and cut into strips. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes on 350 degrees. Top with tortilla strips, fresh chopped avocado and green onion to serve.

Blessings to you on your fast unto the Lord! Join us tomorrow for support and encouragement through the scripture!

Fasting together: Rebuild and Restore

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Fasting together: Rebuild and Restore  (For all of my regulars, yes, the blog is a fright and under construction but will be fixed very, very soon! Thank you for your patience.)

Happy New Year! Ringing in the New Year with The Sweetheart who has been so very sick this weekend. Boo. But 2018 can only get better! Today, we begin our Fasting in January series and we must start at the beginning. I am sharing the introduction from my book, The Daniel Fast, A Devotional, just because we need to get some basics down on the first day. I will blog every day with devotions, tips and even Daniel Fast recipes if you are following that fast. Obviously it is the focus but the devotions and encouragement are for any fast, no matter how long or short! Remember, there are no rules, just commit to sacrifice and see what God will do.

How many times do we go to bed with the worries of the day on our minds; wondering how we are going to fix all of the problems in the world?

  • Will the bills get paid?
  • How long before our company shuts down?
  • Is the cancer going to return?
  • Will our children get back together?
  • Is that divorce going to become final this year?

Night after night we toss and turn, trying our best not to let the sin of worry overtake us.

We are all guilty of it; we are human.

Back a few years ago, I had struggled with this and could not shake it. Many things were troubling me. I was trying to fix them all in my own mind but couldn’t and it was getting me down. I finally decided enough was enough and, in desperation, I finally did something I had always wanted, and needed, to do.

I went on an extended fast.

You might say that the Bible says our fasting should be a secret. No. Jesus said when you fast to not be like the Pharisees who want others to know they are fasting. They walked around with long, drawn looks on their faces and said things like, “Woe is me! I am fasting!” They wanted to appear more holy, godlier and more spiritual than others. That is not the purpose.

However, if we do not share our experiences, how will we learn? How will we grow? How will we bless one another?

This fast was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life but also one of the most victorious and liberating spiritual battles the Lord has ever helped me win.

His Word says some things only come about by prayer and fasting. “And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could we not cast him out? So he said to them, This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Mark 9:28, 29 NKJV.

The devil was tormenting me. Satan had been whispering in my ear for way too long, and unfortunately, I had been giving him credit by believing what he was saying.

Worry is one of his most successful tactics. It rates right up there with fear. The wringing of your hands type of worry is his specialty.

But fasting puts Satan IN HIS PLACE.

The Bible says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 KJV.

He has to obey when you quote the Word, obey the Word and live out the Word!

When you add fasting into the mix, you are breaking YOU. You are humbling YOU. The chains begin to fall; he has no power left. You begin to hear God’s voice, His whispers. You understand His Word, feel His power, and trust His promises.

The one single passage of scripture that jumped out to me while I was on this fast was the fasting message we might be familiar with in Isaiah. Finally, after all of these years, I understood what the Lord was saying here, and it is so beautiful.

First, the Word. It’s a little lengthy, but stay with me. It’s worth it.

‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen?

Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’

‘In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure,
And exploit all your laborers.
Indeed you fast for strife and debate,
And to strike with the fist of wickedness.
You will not fast as you do this day,
To make your voice heard on high.

Is it a fast that I have chosen,

A day for a man to afflict his soul?
Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush,
And to spread out sackcloth and ashes?
Would you call this a fast,
And an acceptable day to the Lord?

Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

If you take away the yoke from your midst,

The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.

The LORD will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:3-11 NKJV.

The Jews had the proper form for their fasting, but they were messing up everything else that went with it. They were finding pleasure in their fasting time instead of using it to draw closer to God. They were “driving hard all of their workers”, meaning that even though on fast days there was no work done, on the day before and the day after they worked them even that much harder to make up for it.

They were quarreling and fighting, and their fasting was making them irritable with one another…a good sign they were NOT spending time with their Maker.

They were “hiding from their own flesh”; they were not helping their own. They were being selfish during fasting time. This is another “Woe is me” attitude about fasting: avoiding helping others because you are suffering.

Verse nine says they were oppressing one another by placing yokes, or unnecessary burdens, upon their brothers and sisters. They were also pointing fingers at each other, spreading rumors and lies about their fellow Christians.

Again, they had the method right, but their hearts were in bad, bad shape. They were upset that the Lord had not noticed that they were in sackcloth and ashes. They had fasted, but He had not noticed.

So the Lord speaks and tells them they have it all wrong. He says, “Is not this the fast that I have chosen?”

And here is where I have always looked at it differently:

“To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free…”

I would hear this part preached and taught and get all excited that God was going to do this for me.

But look at what He says next…

“And that you break every yoke?”

That WE break every yoke? I thought He was going to do that? He can and He will, but here He says WE are to break every yoke!

The fast that the Lord is pleased with is when we loose those bonds of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens we have placed on one another, let the oppressed go free and break every yoke!

What else does He say?

We are to share our bread with the hungry, bring the poor to our house, cover the naked that have no clothing, and not ignore those that need our help. Also, stop pointing our fingers and spreading vicious rumors. Those are pretty important.

That is the fast that God has chosen.

He says that when we do those things something will happen:

“Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.

Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noon day:

And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.”  Isaiah 58:8-12 KJV.

Look at all of those precious promises! Your health will spring forth, righteousness will go before you and the glory of the Lord will be your reward. If you call on the Lord, He will answer, He will always be your guide. Another version says that you will be “known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.”

All of this when you choose the right fast: God’s fast!

When your heart is in the right place.

When you are doing it unto the Lord and not to be seen.

When you are breaking yokes and setting people free by forgiving, restoring, clothing and feeding then …

God will also restore you.

Join me again tomorrow, and every day in January, as we fast unto the Lord! If you don’t have a copy of The Daniel Fast Devotional you can get it here. 

 

Sharing with Modest Mondays, Inspire Me Mondays,

Jesus Uses Broken Things

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When The Sweetheart and I first arrived in the country of Latvia in 2011, we were part of a team; a team we had never even met. We were of varying ages, from different areas of the United States, most married, some not, others with small children, some conquering life with teenagers. But, we all discovered we had one thing in common, we had been through STUFF. The Sweetheart even fondly called us The Misfits. Why, we wondered, with our different backgrounds, did God bring us all together to start churches in another country, another world to us? (You can read part of my story here.)

If grace is a kingdom
I’ve stopped at the gate
Thinking I don’t deserve to pass through after all of the mistakes I’ve made

The Apostle Peter experienced plenty of STUFF on his own. As a follower of Christ, he was able to see so many of the miracles of our Lord and vowed to follow Him to the very end. We know that instead, out of fear of the people, he actually did what Jesus said he would do: he denied Him, not once, but three times!

But I heard a whisper
As Heaven bent down
Said, “Child, don’t know you that the first will be last and the last get a crown.”

Peter’s mistakes didn’t keep him from being used of God, and in a mighty way! He preached the first message after the Upper Room Outpouring at Pentecost and saw 3,000 people saved in one day. He didn’t stop there, but right along with Paul and many others; kept preaching the Gospel until his death.

Now I’m just a beggar in the presence of a King
I wish I could bring You so much more
But if it’s true You use broken things
Then here I am Lord, I am all Yours

King David was christened with the title, Man after God’s own heart. Yet David committed adultery and murder! Of course we know sin is sin but David paid dearly for his sin against God and Uriah, the Hittite, with the death of his infant son, born from his relationship with Uriah’s wife, Abigail.

The pages of history they tell me it’s true
That it’s never the perfect; it’s always the ones with the scars that You use

Did that mean it was over for David? No, David repented and God forgave because David desired to please God, he loved the law of God! David is credited with writing over half of the 150 Psalms in the Bible. Most of them were born out of trouble and over and over David repeats how much he loves God’s Word. Psalms 119:47–48: “For I delight in your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.” 

It’s the rebels and the prodigals; it’s the humble and the weak
The misfit heroes You chose
Tell me there’s hope for sinners like me

There are many, many other people in the Bible who failed God.

  • Jacob cheated
  • Peter had a short temper
  • David had an affair
  • Noah got drunk
  • Miriam gossiped
  • Martha worried
  • Thomas doubted
  • Sarah couldn’t wait
  • Moses stuttered
  • Zaccheus was short! (there’s hope for me!)
  • Jonah ran away
  • Gideon was afraid
  • Rahab owned a brothel
  • James and John wanted special seats beside God
  • And Lazarus was dead

True, they, and many others too numerous to mention, made mistakes, they fell down, stumbled and maybe even involved others in their mishaps. But, the good news is they got back up and allowed God to take their slip-ups, their bloopers, gaffes and outright sins and forgive, forget and then empower them to do great things in the Kingdom.

I hope you haven’t missed reading the lyrics in this post. They are from a powerful song, Broken Things by Matthew West. The first verse grabs me because he stops at the gate. Why? He didn’t feel worthy to enter, the enemy was whispering in his ear his past, his many mistakes, and it hindered him from being all God wanted him to be.

It’s never the perfect that God seeks out! It’s the ones with the scars, those that have been through STUFF, such as our team in Riga, Latvia. Maybe just like you. But who better to reach broken people than people that have been broken?! We have learned, we have persevered and we have compassion for others who may also be struggling. (I could turn this into a series on my mistakes alone!)

It is said that if God chose the perfect, those that seemingly have no mistakes in their past, then the credit would go to them, not to God. But when He chooses the imperfect, those that have humbled themselves before God, discovered that they can’t make it without Him, have needed Him to bail them out, save them, deliver them, etc., then God receives the praise and the glory!

“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 ESV.

Do you feel as if you belong in the band of misfits? That maybe you have made too many mistakes for God to forgive? Or maybe you have accepted His forgiveness but think that you can’t be restored to ministry? Remember these heroes of the faith that believed GOD was able to take their mess and turn it into ministry.

Grace is a kingdom
With gates open wide
There’s a seat at the table just waiting for you
So, come on inside

He calls the broken because they are dependent on Him, they rely on His power and His might and when they turn it over to Almighty God, no one can turn them away from the King’s table. They are not perfect but continually chase after the One who is.

Enjoy this song, let it be a blessing to you today or pass it on to a friend. God is ready to restore and use you again! And be sure and comment, share with us someone in the Bible that may have messed up or had a past to overcome that God was able to use regardless of circumstances.