MOMENTUM: 7-Day Daniel Fast 1 Chronicles 20:2-3 And Jehoshaphat...set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. Our 7-Day Daniel Fast starts Monday, September 9. Here are a few helpful tips as you and your family set aside 7 days to "lean in" to God: WHAT IS A DANIEL FAST? In the book of Daniel we find two separate accounts where the prophet Daniel fasted. Daniel 1 states that he only ate vegetables and water, and in Daniel 10. While the passage in Daniel 10 does not give a specific list of foods that Daniel ate, it does state that he ate no rich (or choice) foods, as well as no meat or wine. Based on these two passages, we see that either of these, or combinations of the two, constitute a Daniel fast. The Daniel fast is a great model to follow and one that is extremely effective for spiritual focus, bodily discipline and purification of the body and soul. It is probably one of the most commonly recurring fasts in the Scriptures. Again, it is important to mention that there is nothing inherently "more spiritual" about one type of fast as opposed to another. The foundation of the Daniel fast is fruits and vegetables. Some starchy vegetables and dairy could be included, but that depends on the individual. Your goal should be to seek God in prayer about this and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do. HELPFUL FASTING TIPS: o Make a fasting calendar. Determine – in advance - what your daily spiritual regimen will be i.e. specific times set aside for Bible reading, prayer, reflection and acts of service. o Keep your fridge and pantry stocked with the items you need. Being unprepared to fast sets you up to give in to temptation. o Choose well when selecting products, stick to raw foods as much as you can, limit artificial ingredients, and keep tempting foods out of the kitchen. o Make it a priority to attend church during your fast. Being around other believers will encourage you to keep on going when fasting gets difficult. o If you are fasting with others, you may want to do a weekly devo group to discuss the messages from Sunday or something that God has showed you during your personal devo time. o If you fall short, don’t be discouraged. Get right back on track and keep going. God’s mercies “are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23). He wants you to finish, and He will give you the grace and strength to do it. ______________________________________________________ A FEW SCRIPTURES FOR READING, STUDY & MEDITATION AS YOU FAST 2 Chronicles 20:1-20; Ezra 8:21-23; Esther 4:3-14; Isaiah 58; Daniel 9:3 Matthew 6:16-18; Matthew 17:14-22; Acts 10:30-31; Acts 13:1-3; 2 Corinthians 7:1-5 citychurchtv
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 20:51:38 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015