Your Daniel Fast can revolutionize your faith, if . . .
. . . you avoid these three mistakes that will dilute your results and lead you off track.
Mistake Number One: focusing too much attention on the food and not on your relationship with God.
Indulging and fancy meals are counter to biblical fasting.
During your Daniel Fast, you will likey make a siginificant change in the foods you eat. And here is a golden piece of advice I strongly encourage you to follow: Keep Your Meals Simple.
I hear from countless women and men who start the Daniel Fast and then quit because preparing the food got too complicated. OR they are disappointed they didn’t experience spiritual breakthroughs because they focused too much on the food.
Sadly, many people are misguided and led to believe that the Daniel Fast is first about changing what you eat. And there is some truth to that, but it’s not the whole truth.
All biblical fasting is restricting food for a spiritual purpose. The Daniel Fast is a partial fast, so some foods are eaten while others are restricted. And here is the hard truth: planning what to eat isn’t about finding ways to still cater to the flesh so you won’t miss what you normally eat. Scrumptious, delicious, mouthwatering, yummy and the like are serving the flesh.
If you keep your meals simple, requiring little time to prepare, then you can devote more time to the awesome spiritual lessons, revelations, and insights that your Father wants to share with you. Plus, the Lord will meet you in ways you can’t even imagine as you focus on Him and not your flesh during your fast.
Keep your meals simple. Yes, you will miss certain foods. Yes, your flesh will rebel. But you can’t starve the flesh as long as you indulge it.
For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Romans 8:13
Mistake Number Two: not planning ahead and starting before you’re ready.
Imagine that you’re going away for a three-week-long spiritual conference led by the most highly respected teacher in the world. When would you start getting ready? When would you start making your plans? When would you study your calendar to allow you the space and freedom to enjoy your time?
Now imagine that instead of planning ahead, you didn’t start getting ready until the day before? How would you feel? Frantic? Stressed? Unprepared?
Set yourself up for success on your Daniel Fast. Invest a little time in planning your start date. Clearing your calendar from as many distractions as possible. And think about preparing simple meals ahead of time.
Get ready for your awesome time and prepare to learn, grow, and draw nearer to God during your Daniel Fast.
Mistake Number Three: not investing adequate time in your spiritual experience during your fast.
You get it . . . we live busy lives these days. The world is overflowing with distracations, shiney options, and so many things to do. Add a spiritual fast into that mix and you have a recipe for poor results.
Take charge. Push the “pause button” on unnecessary tasks and duties. Open your schedule so you can truly benefit from the many blessings of your fast.
Remember, your fast is NOT “life as usual.” In fact, you want your fast to be an unusual time. An “out of this world” time. A life-changing time as you open your heart to the loving Father and allow Him to minister to you and show you more of the life you can have in Him.
Your Next Steps:
- Decide that you will not indulge the fleshing during your Daniel Fast. Instead, begin thinking about simple, nutritious meals that you can prepare.
- Consider your upcoming fast. Start thinking about when you will begin. Examine your heart and what the purpose of our fast will be. Think about how you can lighten your load during your fast so you can receive more from the loving Father.
- Imagine your perfect day of fasting. How do you want to begin your day? How do you want to complete your day? How will you spend time in prayer, study, and quiet?
Your Father is so very eager to spend more time with you. He has more for you than you can ever imagine. Open your heart to Him and set yourself up for success by investing in yourself and your faith.
We always value your thoughts and insights. Please leave your comments below . . . and be blessed on your fast.