Fasting Together: Snacks and a Guest Writer!

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Fasting Together: Snacks and a Guest Writer! Welcome to our series of Fasting Together, where we are sharing devotions and encouragement for every day in January! So, no matter WHEN you are fasting or WHAT type of fast you have chosen, you can jump in any time and feel welcome and blessed. You can also catch up on past posts, Preparation for a New Year,  Rebuild and Restore, ,Daniel Fsat Basics, Anoint your head, wash your face, When Fasting Turns Ugly and Is there POWER in Fasting? !

Sometimes the food on the Daniel Fast is so good we can forget we are fasting, and that can pose a problem. We are to eat a simple meal until we are partially satisfied or at the most, comfortably full, and get up and walk away.

But what about snacking? Is it allowed?

Today, my friend, Jaime Gibbs, is sharing an article from her blog, Like A Bubbling Brook. Jaime is very familiar with The Daniel Fast and has written many posts and articles about it. Please visit her site for encouragement and information about meal plans, recipes and even some great Daniel Fast Scripture cards you can print out! These are an awesome tool as is her Facebook page, be sure and browse around!

In this post, Jaime will share snacking ideas. Enjoy:

“Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.” Daniel 1:12

One of the many questions we receive about The Daniel Fast is, “Are snacks allowed?” And then, of course, “What can I have and how much?!”

Thankfully, they are. Enjoy our helpful list of ideas for Daniel Fast snacks! 

We realize that fasting is to be a sacrifice. When we embark on a fast where we abstain from food completely, naturally, we are not snacking then. With the Daniel Fast, it is a bit different. We are to be denying ourselves things that we love and are used to partaking of on a regular basis; such as, meats and dairy. But, we are not going completely without food. On the Daniel Fast, we can stay on it for a longer period of time, which is spiritually and physically beneficial.

Three small meals a day and two light snacks would be sufficient for most. If we eat all day long, even Daniel Fast approved foods; we would miss the point of the fast. We must remember that the purpose is to draw closer to God, to go without things that we treasure and then spend more time with our Lord.

Many times we do need something easy and light; for work, traveling, school or just too busy at home and you do not want to fix a full meal. For those times that you need a light snack or even a lighter meal, we have gathered some suggestions for you; and all are allowed on the Daniel Fast!  You can access the full list of snacks by continuing on to my blog, Like a Bubbling Brook by clicking here. Be sure and check out my Daniel Fast Scripture Cards available for printing!

I’m Jaime, the creator of Like a Bubbling Brook. I believe you can cultivate a beautiful life filled with contentment and peace instead of anxiety and stress. That’s why my site exists.

I’m also a pastor’s wife with a MA in ministry, and mom to two incredible boys.

Want to know more about my site and my grace story? It’s over here. Let’s connect!

 

 

Be sure and join us here at Hope in the Healing again tomorrow, and every day this month for scripture, encouragement, devotions and recipes. And if you haven’t purchased my book, The Daniel Fast Devotional, there is still plenty of time, go here! 

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Fasting together: Just keep doing good

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Fasting together: Just keep doing good. Here we go! I know today’s title is not proper in its grammar, yes I know it should read “Just keep doing well” or even “Just keep doing right”. But sometimes you have to break the rules (smile) and today is one of those times!

Are you winding down your fasting? Are you yet to get started? Fasting the 21 day Daniel Fast or just a meal or two here or there? However you decide to input a fast into your spiritual walk, then do it unto the Lord. You can read our previous posts here.

Evil is joining in agreement with someone else to cause harm or to slander another. This breaks the heart of God.

Evil is always sin but is sin always evil?

Evil is preconceived sin; planned sin, even conniving sin.

The Bible says we were “born into sin”, it is inherently in our nature. But through the cross we now have forgiveness of sins, an advocate in Jesus Christ the Righteous! We can go before Him when we sin (and we will) and receive His mercy.

Why didn’t God do away with our sinful nature when Jesus was nailed to the tree? Why, when we are buried with Him in baptism and our sins are washed away, do we continue to sin, even unwillingly or unknowingly? Jesus could have taken that sinful nature from us and made us perfect, obedient creatures, couldn’t He?

“God created things which had free will. If a thing is free to be good it’s also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.” C.S. Lewis, The Case for Christianity

We must serve Him and love Him with our FREE WILL. We love Him for what He has done for us and out of hearts of gratitude and thankfulness; not because we are forced to do so. That wouldn’t be love!

So we are in the world. An evil world. We cannot change it, for the most part, and must walk in it each and every day. So, what to do about it?

Prayer, coupled with fasting, strengthens us and gives us boldness and power in the Holy Ghost to withstand the evil that is in the world.

The prophet Nehemiah fasted when he heard that his beloved city of Jerusalem had been reduced to ruins. You can read it here.

Nehemiah was heartbroken at the news he had received of his homeland.

He sat down.

He cried.

He mourned.

For days.

He fasted.

He prayed.

He asked for mercy when he went before the king. He also humbly asked for permission, for caution and wisdom. Then he headed to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls!

While rebuilding the walls of his beloved Jerusalem he wouldn’t stop for anything, even when they were being attacked by evil!  In Nehemiah 4:17, we see how Nehemiah continued doing good in the midst of a battle,  “…The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon.” 

He just kept on doing good.

  • Have the walls of your life been broken down?
  • Does the enemy of your soul lie to you and torment you on every turn?
  • Are you filled with anxiety, fear and dread every day?

Weep, mourn, fast, pray, ask for caution and wisdom. Then what?

Start rebuilding the walls!

Put your faith and confidence in the One who delivers, heals, restores and brings peace to a troubled mind. Let Him give you the strength to put one stone upon another and rebuild the walls in your life.

“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21.

Evil will remain in the world until Satan is bound. But we do not have to let evil overcome us or become a part of us.

Jesus prayed for God to keep you from the Evil One. Today, through prayer and study of His Word, through relationship, Christ IN you, He has left you with the power to live an overcoming life!

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV

God answers prayers of sacrifice, desperation and commitment. What are you praying for today?

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The Daniel Fast, A Devotional, is a great tool for ANY fast that you choose as a sacrifice to the Lord. 21 days of devotions and recipes too. Available in Kindle or paperback!

Fasting Together: Is there POWER in Fasting?

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Fasting Together: Is there POWER in fasting?  Satan would love for us to stay in the dark about the benefits of fasting! Whatever you choose, there are no rules, it is between you and God, so fast unto the Lord and pray, asking Him to root out the ugly and replace it with His grace, wisdom and spiritual clarity. He will do it!

Daniel was in a battle with the spirit world when he went on his 21 days of fasting and prayer. Satan and his cohorts resisted the angels that were to be sent for an answer to his prayers, but finally, they were able to break through. The earth began to quake and the men that were with Daniel fled because of fear! You can read of this battle in Daniel the tenth chapter.

Twenty-one days Daniel had been fasting…no pleasant bread, no flesh (meat) and no wine touched his lips. Basically fruits, vegetables, whole grains and only water to drink. (Don’t forget your water, so very important!) He was humbling himself before God and denying himself things that he would normally enjoy. And when he did that, look what happened: It shook heaven and hell.

Is there power in fasting? Yes!

Does it matter if we do it or not? Yes!

The spirit world is real. Angels are working on our behalf and God wants to release power like we have never seen before in these last days. However, we must do our part. We are not going to experience it just sitting around doing nothing.

Lack of knowledge of the power of fasting keeps us from experiencing the rewards that come with it!

Daniel has a vision at the end of this three week fast: “In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.” Daniel 10:1-3 ESV.

Three weeks of fasting had made Daniel very weak and he says to the angel, “O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. How can my lord’s servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.” Daniel 10:16, 17 ESV. The angel immediately responds!

“Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said, ‘O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.’ And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, ‘Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.’” Daniel 10:18, 19 ESV.

He was strengthened over and over again in this encounter with the angels. He had finished his three week fast and was physically without strength. The Bible even says that the man in the vision tells Daniel that Michael, the archangel and this other angel were fighting together in the spirit world for Daniel!

Daniel was fasting unto the Lord. Jehovah didn’t turn his back on Daniel but honored his sacrifice and his commitment and sent warrior angels on his behalf. (We will explore this story more in depth in a later post.)

He will do the same for you.

Fast as unto the Lord. Watch and see what will happen in your life this year when you put fasting and prayer together.

Need your own copy of The Daniel Fast, A Devotional? Get it on Amazon by clicking here!