The Daniel Fast can be a life-changing experience to you! Why? Not because the fast is powerful, but because God is! As we enter into this spiritual discipline of extended prayer and fasting we open our hearts to receive from our loving Father. We can draw near to Him. We can accept the many blessings He longs to give us!
Or . . . and it’s a big OR . . .
Or you can squelch God’s ability to work in your life by being so focused on yourself, and satisfying your flesh and its desires, that you will miss out! It’s like you’re looking the other way when the King passes by with His free and priceless gifts.
Remember what the writer of Hebrews said to chastise the believers he was addressing, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” Hebrews 6:12
It’s kind of like he was shaking his head and saying, “Grow up, folks! You should be so much more mature in your faith by now. But instead you’ve remained babies and so you can’t even receive the deep riches that is available to you. You should be so familiar with God’s truths that you could teach others about them!”
I have to say, I find the same for many who enter the Daniel Fast. They are so focused on what they will eat and what they will drink! In other words, they want to make sure their flesh is satisfied so they don’t experience any of the denial.
I know that may sound harsh . . . but I witness it all the time. I feel so sad for those who are stuck in that place of immaturity and worldliness.
These are typical statements I receive from men and women as they consider the Daniel Fast:
“How will I ever give up coffee? I just can’t do it.”
“What can I have instead of butter? Is there a brand that I can have on the Daniel Fast.”
“I plan to do the fast, but I’m not going to give up my Diet Pepsi or my morning toast.”
“I can’t stand to only have water to drink. I have to have juice or coffee or tea. Water is just too boring.”
Take notice of all the “I’s” in those messages. The flesh speaks!
I’ll never forget the experience of a woman who was livid with me because I kept telling her that the only beverage on the Daniel Fast was water. Here is the gist of what she wrote to me until she blocked any further exchanges:
“I don’t care what you say or the scriptures you quote. Other people who teach about the Daniel Fast say I can have juice to drink so I’m going to go and find one of them and follow their plan.”
The Flesh vs. the Spirit
Paul, as he tutored the believers in Galatia gave this instruction, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16.
And then he goes on and teaches, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 6:24-25
Clearly, when we invite Jesus to be the Lord of our lives, we are called to a different way of living. We become citizens of God’s kingdom and we live by different standards. To have Christ living in us . . . we are called to crucify the flesh. We subjugate that ego/flesh part of us to God.
One of my favorite passages is from Galatians 2:20 ~
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
The natural question is, “Yes, but how do I crucify the flesh?”
Get ready to gain some understanding. . .
A Priceless Lesson
One of the most valuable experiences you can have while on the Daniel Fast is crucifying the flesh. You can learn and practice putting your spirit, which is linked to the Spirit of God, in control. You can choose to walk in the Spirit! You can choose to live in the Spirit. You can choose to turn away from the easy-to-consume milk and instead fill your spiritual plate with the deep truths the Lord wants to serve you.
On the Daniel Fast, you are invited to a feasting table of rich spiritual lessons and blessings from the Lord. But there are some requirements. You need to have a level of maturity (or a desire for growth, which is a sign of maturity) before you can enter the banquet room.
You can say, “Flesh, sit down. I have a meeting with my Father.”
Or, you can continue to cater to your flesh and miss out on what could be the most nourishing meal of our life.
The choice is yours . . . which way will you go?
If you want to learn more about making the Daniel Fast a deep spiritual experience rather focusing on the food . . . check out her bestselling book, The Daniel Fast: feed your soul, strengthen your spirit and renew your body.