It’s the end of another year and many begin the New Year with fasting. Since 2014, I have blogged the month of January about fasting and, in particular, about The Daniel Fast. The response was so overwhelming that you all encouraged a Devotional out of it! Thank you! Beginning January 1, I will be available and be posting devotions and recipes and tips every day to help you on ANY FAST. Join me!
Today, leading up to the Fast, I thought we could focus on making sure we are not more obsessed with what we are eating than the reason for the fast in the first place.
If you have chosen to fast food completely for a few days and drink only water then this isn’t really a problem for you. If you are going to go on a juice fast, and will not be eating regular food, it is also not about the food. But on the Daniel Fast, sometimes this is a problem.
Quantity wise, you are just eating a regular meal, maybe even less than normal since you are fasting. It isn’t about heaping your plate and gorging yourself, that surely goes without saying. Some only have their three simple meals a day, others have a light snack in between. There are no rules! This is between you and God, but it should be a sacrifice and an offering unto the Lord.
The biggest problem I see with the popularity of The Daniel Fast is the overload of recipes made to imitate our regular diet. Yes, I even share recipes here on the site and in my Daniel Fast Devotional to help those who have never been on The Daniel Fast or maybe they are just at a loss as to what to fix every night. There is nothing wrong with variety or even enjoying your new way of eating. Some continue on with the Fast FOR LIFE and just have variation and creativity to stay the course.
But we should be careful in being mean constantly consumed with making sweets and treats and decadent concoctions while we are on the Fast…that seems to miss the point, doesn’t it?
There are already many Daniel Fast cookbooks on the market and more coming every day. It is easy to get carried away with trying to make all of your meals copycats of your normal foods. Be careful that it doesn’t become a recipe club! Naturally, you will be trying some new things and looking at ways to fix your meals differently, but it should be simple because it is a Fast.
Keep reminding yourself that this is a time to draw near to your Lord, not, “Can I HAVE this?” and, “Am I ALLOWED that?” You are fasting, not continually looking for ways to make your new foods taste like your regular diet.
[Tweet “Fasting is a time for self-denial, not self-indulgence and pleasure.”]
Remember, if you are just fasting and not praying, you are wasting your time. Yes, you might lose a little weight, but if you are doing it for that purpose you are missing the point.
If you are prone to cheating, it is good to clean out your pantry of anything that would tempt you before you begin. The women of Israel got rid of anything with leaven (yeast) in it when they were preparing for the Passover, and many still do it today. If that is helpful to you, do it! There are probably many things in our cupboards that we do not need.
And finally, remember, we are denying ourselves things that we enjoy, so we only eat until we are satisfied. We are not stuffing ourselves until we are sick.
Be blessed as you fast unto the Lord! Feel free to share with us your thoughts today, we would love to hear from you and it may encourage someone else.
Don’t forget to get your copy of The Daniel Fast Devotional! Great for ANY FAST, it will be your go-to tool for years to come. Already have one in Kindle or paperback? Would you take a couple of minutes to leave a review for me on Amazon? It would be so appreciated! Blessings to you as you fast unto the Lord.
