Fasting Together: When fasting turns ugly

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Fasting Together: When fasting turns ugly. Wow. What a title, and what in the world is ugly about fasting unless it is the hunger? Join me and we will see!  We are blogging every day this month to assist anyone participating in ANY FAST. We focus on the Daniel Fast with recipes but our devotions and encouragement are a benefit to anyone on any fast. I hope they are a blessing to you. You can catch up on any you have missed here!

Ahab, King of Samaria, was not one of the nicest people in the world…back in the day. As a matter of fact only one person was known to be WORSE than ole King Ahab and that was his wife, whose name has since become synonymous with a manipulative, controlling and even wicked individual. Maybe you have heard it said that one has a Jezebel spirit. It is not a compliment!

King Ahab married Jezebel out of the will of God and relinquished his power as king, and husband, to her. (1 Kings 1).

Their roles were reversed from the get-go and it spelled disaster.

Ahab comes home one day upset because there is a beautiful vineyard that he wants to have next to the palace but he cannot because it is owned by one named Naboth and Naboth wants to keep it in his family and does not wish to sell. Ahab offers him a very fair price but still Naboth declines. Ahab is so upset that he comes home and will not eat.

Jezebel is furious with Ahab for his weak ways and declares that the vineyard will be his, or theirs, or if we are being plain, HERS! She begins to plot her plan. She writes letters to the elders and the nobles and says, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.” 1 Kings 21:9-10.

So, naturally, her minions follow her instructions and Naboth is killed. But, did you catch what has happened here? Jezebel has proclaimed a fast! Obviously, religion was the furthest thing from her mind, or Ahab’s either. But in order to make it all look good, she must order the fast as if to appear that either a threat has been made on Ahab’s life or a calamity is coming upon the kingdom.

She sits Naboth “on high among the people”, not necessarily as the guilty one, according to commentaries, but because of his high honor in the community. Then, when the two men that have been planted to tell lies against him begin their stories, Naboth will be seated up where the guilty usually sit, where everyone can see him.

It worked. Just like she planned it; he was convicted, and stoned to death.

When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he hurried down to take possession of the vineyard. News travels fast because the Lord also told the prophet, Elijah…

“Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? …In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.” 1 Kings 21:18-19.

But that wasn’t all. Elijah had much to say to Ahab that day and began to tell him of all his wicked ways and how he was about to come face to face to judgment for the evil life that he had lived. In other words, his time was up!

You just don’t play around with the things of God and get by with it forever. There are consequences for sin. Sometimes it is in this life, sometimes it is not until Judgment, but there are consequences. Fasting and prayer are effective, life-changing, powerful ways to see things happen in the spirit world! But God does not honor efforts that are used against others for harm and evil influence like we have seen here with Jezebel.

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God was letting Ahab know there were to be consequences for the actions of his wife and that Ahab was just as guilty of murder as if he had pulled the trigger.

“But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.” 1 Kings 21:25.

But something must have struck a chord in Ahab for the Bible tells us that he was listening to the prophet Elijah!

“And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.”

Here he is fasting again…but not because Jezebel has told him to, not because he is trying to deceive anyone and not because he is trying to murder anyone to take something from them that isn’t his!

“And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.” 1 Kings 21:28-29.

He is fasting because he is broken, he is scared and he is humbled.

And the Lord said because he HUMBLED himself he spared Ahab the judgment in HIS days. Jezebel still comes to an untimely end as promised before, she doesn’t humble herself one bit as far as the scriptures tell us. But Ahab had learned his lesson for now.

There are fasts that are NOT pleasing to God. Fasts that are only to be seen of men. Fasts that make us “look good” or “holy”. Fasts that are just to make us lose weight, ahem, we call those diets! Of course we have covered in previous posts if you lose weight from fasting that is another matter entirely, and we have had testimonies of lives changed permanently through fasting for their health. Our lives SHOULD be changed from fasting!

Fasts are also not to be used against others. Sounds ridiculous to even say it, but Jezebel tried it!

The fast that works is the kind that is coupled with prayer, humility and brokenness. A fast that keeps you on your knees and searching for more time with the Savior. Cleaning out the old and letting God fill you up with more and more of His spirit. Changing the inside!!

Nothing is too hard for God, if he can humble a man like Ahab, there is hope for all of us! Let our fasting be done with humility of heart, for the right purpose, to draw closer to Him, to reach for others and to seek the perfect will of God for our lives.

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

Fasting Together: Anoint your head, wash your face!

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Fasting Together: Anoint your head, wash your face!  I had planned on continuing with the Armor of God series and Fasting but have had a family emergency and could not finish my post. I am sharing  an actual excerpt from my book, The Daniel Fast Devotional which you can get here. (The title of the chapter is different in the book.) It will take you on a daily journey and is great to have with you for ANY FAST. Thank you for grace and I will be back tomorrow!

Let’s go!

The Daniel Fast is a Bible-based, partial fast taken from Daniel 1 and Daniel 10 when Daniel the Prophet refrained from eating anything but vegetables (this would have included fruits, although most participants do eat them) and drank only water. It is comparable to a vegan diet with a few more restrictions. We will talk about them further at the end of the post.

Daniel was born in the kingdom of Judah in a noble household. King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem, taking 650,000 of Daniel’s countrymen into bondage, back to his Babylonian kingdom. The king decreed that all of the young and handsome princes from Judah must go into a training program to work in the king’s court. Daniel was among the chosen.
They were to be fed very well, with rich meats, sweets and plenty of wine. The only problem was that the men from Judah followed the Law of Moses and did not consume many of the foods on the list! Additionally, the Babylonians’ food was usually part of a sacrifice to their idols. Daniel would most definitely not have consumed food used as a sacrifice to an idol made of stone, wood or any other material; He served the One, True God, Jehovah!

Daniel asked if he and his men could abstain from the rich and pleasant food for only ten days to prove that their way of eating, only vegetables and water was much healthier for their bodies. They agreed and… “At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.” Daniel 1:15, 16 ESV.

Right away we see how beneficial a fast of this nature is to the body. In only ten days it was noticeable that these men were not eating rich foods! They looked better and they felt better.
For Daniel, it wasn’t just about the right way to eat. He was connected to the Source as well. He served the Most High and wasn’t intimidated by those around him. He fasted for the right reasons and God honored him.

You will be wasting your time if you are just cutting out meats, sweets, breads and your favorite fancy coffee but never take time to pray!

“When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.” Daniel 6:10 ESV.

Daniel is recorded to have prayed at least three times every day, usually at the same time. It is so helpful if you can start your day with the Lord, spend some time in His Word and get strengthened for the day ahead; you are going to need it.

If you have specific things you are fasting about, whether it is your job, finances, your marriage, children, extended family, direction, healing, restoration, whatever the need, ask the Holy Spirit for guidance.

If you have offended someone, or if there is sin that needs forgiveness, repent. Take care of that at the beginning of the fast. “If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.” Luke 17:3-4 KJV.

You will also receive strength to resist and to be able to turn from sinful habits. “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1 KJV.

Hopefully, it goes without mentioning, (and in this case we aren’t going totally without food), but let’s go over it just for the record. We do not want to “appear to men to fast.” Let us see what Jesus said about it: “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:16-18 KJV.

We can understand clearly here Jesus was saying to not walk around with your head down, pouting that you have to fast. The Word says, “they have their reward”, meaning that is all they have, recognition. They gloried in the appearance of fasting!

This should be something between you and God, unless of course your entire church congregation is doing it, then of course, that is a corporate fast and it is not a secret. It is also good to have a close friend praying for you during an extended fast. The purpose is to focus on Him and not bring attention to yourself.

The Lord will bless the sincere heart that seeks Him! So do it with all that is within you, every day, as a sacrifice unto your God, denying yourself pleasures that you would normally enjoy.

Do not try to make your new foods taste like your normal diet; otherwise it is not a sacrifice.
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.

You will still enjoy your meals and you will delight in this clean, healthy way of eating.

Remember, the Daniel Fast, or any other, is to be a sacrifice. It is a time of commitment to the Lord, a time of drawing near to Him and denying the flesh of some of its pleasures. You do not want to gorge yourself on this fast. Just enjoy a regular meal with normal-sized portions. You will likely lose weight on the fast if you eat three simple meals a day and maybe two small snacks.

Make time at the beginning of your day to spend with God; you can do it! Set that alarm a few minutes early and you will not be sorry. Meditate on the Word. Feed on the manna that comes from above and just see how rich your mind and soul will become during this time of devotion to God. Our desire should be to know HIM.

We are not on a diet; we are striving to be more like Jesus. Paul said, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death…” Philippians 3:10 KJV. God is well pleased as you sacrifice what is pleasurable to you on a daily basis.

Join me again tomorrow as we continue on and be sure and share this post and share YOUR thoughts, questions or insights!

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

Fasting Together: Daniel Fast Basics

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We are posting every day in January for those that are beginning the New Year with fasting! You can read the previous posts here and here. I have a wonderful Daniel Fast approved recipe for those that are participating in that fast. Some have already begun the fast, others are starting later in the month. Some may be doing a different type of fast.

Whatever type of fast you are doing, do it unto the Lord.

The more we know about fasting, the more we delve into the Word, the closer we will draw to Jesus Christ.

You will experience rewards from fasting! You will see chains broken, lives changed and prayers answered.

Most of all, in the days leading up to the fast, or the first few days of your fast, no matter when you start, (and it doesn’t matter when you start!), prepare your heart! Ask the Lord to show you things that need to be brought out into the open and dealt with, or done away with altogether. He will do just that because He loves you so much.

Your flesh is going to rebel during the fast, especially at the beginning. It is going to be a fight to stay away from the things that you normally put into your system every day. That is why it is so important to PRAY and FAST together! Keep focused on why you are doing what you are doing.

Always remember that God will honor your sacrifice. “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 KJV.

It is said that a New Year’s Resolution is something that goes in one YEAR and out the other!

But it doesn’t have to be that way with fasting. The New Year is a great time to begin implementing spiritual disciplines. January is an ideal month to detox your body and your mind but don’t make it the ONLY time throughout the year that you fast unto the Lord. 

Fasting changes the inner man, fasting changes you!

Some particulars for those on The Daniel Fast:

In the first chapter of the Book of Daniel we read that Daniel and his three friends were put into a Babylonian training program while in exile under King Nebuchadnezzar. They did not want to defile their bodies with the rich food brought in by the kings’ servants so they requested that they be given only vegetables and water for ten days. Their meat was also likely sacrificed to idols, a strict no-no for the Jewish people.

At the end of the ten days, they were not only well, but had also prospered physically and spiritually above all the others in the court! Daniel was appointed an advisor to the king and began to interpret his dreams.

Later on, in the tenth chapter, Daniel had a vision of a great war that caused him to mourn and fast for three weeks. This is where The Daniel Fast originated. Daniel ate only plant-based foods for three weeks. That is why you see so many people, and now so many churches, starting the first of the year on a three-week Daniel Fast. They typically go without meat, dairy, sugar, breads and no artificial or processed foods. Basically, they eat only fruits, vegetables and whole grains and drink only water. (And plenty of it!) We will explore this chapter more as we go along.

There is nothing in the Bible that commands God’s people to fast as Daniel fasted but it certainly brings many benefits when done in the right spirit and for the right reasons.

Also, because you are cleansing your body of unwanted toxins you will feel so much better during those weeks and even afterward.

Remember, if you are just fasting and not praying, you are wasting your time.
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Did I mention to be sure to study and meditate on the Word during the fast?

Set aside time every day to meet with the Lord. Pray, and then pray again. He desires to meet with you, so do your best to keep at it and make time for Him. While you are denying yourself things that you enjoy, such as sweets, colas, coffees, breads, etc., remember WHY you are doing it. Don’t just check off the days on the calendar. It would be such a shame to only complete 21 days of a vegan diet and not accomplish something in your spiritual walk.

You may even want to journal. If you have never been one to journal, maybe now would be a good time to write down your thoughts as you experience this unique time with God. You might be surprised how He communicates with you during your quiet time. Keep your heart, mind and Bible open.

Here is the food list for The Daniel Fast. There are no hard and set rules, but these are the given guidelines that most follow when on the Daniel Fast:

Foods included in your diet during the Daniel Fast:

All fruits. You may eat them fresh, frozen, dried, canned; anything without added sugar. Fruits include, but are not limited to: apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon.

All vegetables. These also can be fresh, frozen, canned or even juiced! Vegetables include, but are not limited to: artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, greens, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini.

All whole grains. Again, no added sugar. Be sure and read the labels. Whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley, grits, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, rice cakes and popcorn.

All nuts and seeds. You can have sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame and any other member of the nut and seed family. Nut butters are allowed, including peanut butter (but only all natural, with no added sugar).

All legumes. These can be eaten either canned or dried. Dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, navy beans and white beans.

All good quality oils. These include: canola, grape seed, olive, peanut, sesame and vegetable.

Beverages. You basically only consume water and some juices on the Daniel Fast! Spring water, distilled water or other pure waters. Water is cleansing and will detox and purify your natural body; drink plenty of it! (You will be making some smoothies but these are usually meal replacements.)

Other: All herbs and spices are allowed, as are soy products, vinegar and tofu. (It is best to limit your salt intake.)

Foods NOT to EAT on the Daniel Fast:

All meat and animal products. This includes fish.

All dairy products.

All sweeteners. Sugar, raw sugar, syrups, molasses, and cane juice are not allowed on the Daniel Fast. (Some do consume raw honey; others consider it a pleasant food that Daniel would not have eaten.)

All leavened bread is excluded. This includes any Ezekiel Bread that contains yeast and baked goods.

All processed foods.  Artificial flavorings, food additives, chemicals, white rice, white flour, and foods that contain artificial preservatives are forbidden.

All deep fried foods. Examples are potato chips, French fries, and of course any breaded, fried foods.

All solid fats. This consists of shortening, margarine, lard and foods high in fat.

Beverages. Coffee, tea, herbal teas, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and alcohol are all prohibited on the Daniel Fast.

Again, not everyone does it exactly as it is written above. Some use honey as a sweetener or natural maple syrup. Others would strictly forbid it, which is just an example. Some use Ezekiel Bread, but it does have yeast in it, which is leaven, and would be forbidden on the normal Daniel Fast.

A good alternative would be whole grain flatbreads. Remember, WHOLE GRAINS. Regular wheat bread doesn’t count. If it contains wheat FLOUR, it is not a whole grain. If the ingredient list begins with whole wheat, rolled oats or whole corn as the first ingredient then it is likely a WHOLE GRAIN item. It cannot contain yeast, sugar, wheat flour, flour, high fructose corn syrup, etc.

You can find some good organic products at many health and organic specialty stores. They have many ready-to-eat foods that are acceptable, such as whole grain flatbreads and tortillas, which are great for making a veggie sandwich. Again, READ THE LABELS!

The Daniel Fast DevotionalSharing a recipe out of my book, The Daniel Fast Devotional. There are recipes after every devotion in the easy-to-read book. Have you ordered yours yet? Get it here on Amazon in either Kindle or paperback version. 

Tortilla Soup

1 carrot, chopped 1 celery stick, chopped 1 medium onion, diced fine 3 garlic cloves, pressed 2 Tablespoons olive oil 8 cups vegetable broth 4 cups water 1 can of black or kidney beans 16 oz. frozen corn 1 red tomato, chopped 1 yellow tomato, chopped ¼ cup chopped cilantro 2-3 teaspoons sea salt 1 lime 6 corn tortillas

Heat oil and sauté the first four ingredients until soft.  Add everything else except the tortillas.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.  Brush tortillas with olive oil and cut into strips. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes on 350 degrees. Top with tortilla strips, fresh chopped avocado and green onion to serve.

Blessings to you on your fast unto the Lord! Join us tomorrow for support and encouragement through the scripture!