The Daniel Fast: Changing lives for the better!

The Daniel Fast: Changing lives for the better! Today closes out our 31 Days of Fasting in January! You are learning to sacrifice and deny the flesh which is of great value in your walk with God. But don’t let it stop here. Make fasting a regular part of your life. Maybe fast an entire day each week or at least a meal once a week. Something sacrificial, something you enjoy, give it up for a time and draw closer to God. If you missed any of the posts you can go here to catch up or read them again.

You did it! Even if you were tempted to cheat, accidentally forgot, or even purposely went off of the fast and back on again, you have accomplished something amazing. Do not beat yourself up if you weren’t perfect during the fast. You will be more diligent as you continue to make fasting a regular part of your spiritual and physical lifestyle.

Fasting has so many health benefits. Some studies show it is effective against cancer; it could also reduce the risk of developing cancer, guard against diabetes and heart disease, help control asthma and even help ward off Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

We do not take the best care of ourselves with our hectic lifestyles and eat-on-the-run schedules. Regular fasting will detox your body and get rid of poisons. It gives your digestive system a much needed rest. It will reduce your blood sugar, which will in turn break down fat. It can even correct high blood pressure and will definitely improve your immunity.

Then there are spiritual benefits that are out of this world!

Has the Lord spoken to your heart during the fast?
Have prayers been answered?
Do you feel as if you have drawn closer to the Savior?

Even if you started your fast for a particular reason, and still do not see an answer, do not despair.

God will answer your prayer at the right time, always ON time, with what is best for you.

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Fasting is never wasted before the Lord if it is done for the right reasons. We have mentioned many times that it is so much more than just going without food. If that is all you are doing then it truly was just a diet program.

But when you are desperate for a move of God in your life, fasting will help bring those results!

Fasting helps move everything else out of the way so you can hear HIS voice more clearly. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6 KJV.

Fasting will break strongholds in the demonic world! “And he said unto them, ‘This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.’” Mark 9:29 KJV.

The disciples could not cast out the evil spirit and had to get Jesus to help. That is when He told them it would take prayer AND fasting.

The prophet Daniel found out how real it was when the angel showed up to meet with him after his 21 day fast: “Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.” Daniel 10:12-13 KJV.

Fasting will definitely strengthen your prayer life. It will help you die out to the flesh and be sensitive to the power of the Holy Spirit.

I pray our 31 Days of Fasting in January has been a blessing to you, no matter how often, how many days or which way you chose to fast. Many of the devotions were partial or even complete chapters from The Daniel Fast Devotional. If you purchased one during the fast, Kindle or paperback, would you mind to leave a review on Amazon? It only takes a few minutes and it is so helpful. If you haven’t got yours yet, it is a great tool for ANY TYPE of FAST and a go-to for years to come!

I hope WE ALL will continue to draw closer to the Lord through regular fasting and prayer.

The Daniel Fast: When desperation sets in

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Just a few more days of 31 Days of Fasting Together in January! If you have missed any posts, they have all gathered together in one place…here!

Maybe you remember Hannah from the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel. Hannah was married to a wonderful man named Elkanah, who loved her very, very much. But Hannah was not his only wife, as was customary in those days, although never God’s plan. He had another wife, Peninnah, who was not particularly hospitable. Peninnah had children by Elkanah, but Hannah’s womb was barren, and Peninnah loved to boast to (and even torment), poor Hannah about the fact that she was childless!

Matthew Henry’s commentary on Elkanah’s wives: “The original cause of this division (in Elkanah’s house) was Elkanah’s marrying two wives, which was a transgression of the original institution of marriage, to which our Saviour reduces it. Matt. 19:5, 8, From the beginning it was not so. It made mischief in Abraham’s family, and Jacob’s, and here in Elkanah’s. How much better does the law of God provide for our comfort and ease in this world than we should, if we were left to ourselves! It is probable that Elkanah married Hannah first, and, because he had not children by her so soon as he hoped, he married Peninnah, who bore him children indeed, but was in other things a vexation to him. Thus are men often beaten with rods of their own making.”

To not be able to have children in that time period was considered almost a disgrace, and the women took it personally, as if God had cursed them. Remember Sarah who tried to take things in her own hands and insisted Abraham take one of her handmaidens in order to have a child?

Sarah couldn’t wait and let God bring about the miracle He had promised!

Every year, Elkanah took his family out of the city to sacrifice and worship the Lord in Shiloh. This time was no different. As usual, on the way, Peninnah was being her contrary and annoying self, tormenting poor Hannah to tears.

Hannah would not eat, she was so upset. “So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, ‘Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?'” Hannah fasted and when she arrived at the temple she prayed to the Lord, “O Lord of hosts, if thou… wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.” 1 Samuel 1:11 KJV.

Eli, the priest, accused her of being drunk because in her deep anguish, her lips moved but no sound came out. She replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.” 1 Samuel 1:15 KJV.

With that, Eli told her to go her way, her prayer had been answered. And true to His Word, God gave Hannah the desire of her heart. True to Hannah’s word, she gave her son, Samuel, back to the Lord and he went on to be one of the greatest prophets ever born.

Desperate times require desperate measures!

Yes, Hannah was so desperate she couldn’t do anything but fast! Have you ever been so desperate that you had to fast? You had to go to prayer? Your need was so critical that just saying you were praying about it wasn’t enough. You had to get serious.

As we mentioned in an earlier post, we don’t have to work for our answered prayers! (Read that post here.)

But fasting changes our hearts, our minds so that we can hear the voice of God.

God can speak to us because we have cleaned things out of our minds. We have taken time to be with Him and pushed some things aside, things that we liked, maybe even loved, that were important to us. We laid them down in order to be with Him.

Praying that we will all become like Hannah, Daniel and many others throughout the centuries who were desperate for God to move in their lives. Fasting WITH prayer not only changes situations but it changes ME!

How desperate are you?

A big THANK YOU to everyone who has purchased, shared, tweeted, or told someone about The Daniel Fast Devotional! It is a great tool for ANY FAST with devotions for every day, examples of people in the Bible who fasted, why they did it and what we can learn from it today. It also has DF approved recipes in every chapter. Get yours in Kindle or paperback on Amazon today!

The Daniel Fast: Never give up!

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 city!

Nehemiah was sold out and committed. The gate was being restored, the city was being rebuilt and he was in charge. The people were under fear of attack at any time. They worked from sunrise to sunset with half of the men always on guard. They never even took off their clothes but carried their weapons with them at all times, even when they went for water. “…The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon.” Nehemiah 4:17

Nehemiah, and those working with him, would not come down from the wall until the job was completed! They didn’t sit down and whine and complain that it was too hard. They didn’t stop the work and wait for the attack that they knew was inevitable. They kept on working and yet were vigilant at the same time.

Nehemiah even tells them in verse 19, “…the work is very spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!”

Nehemiah knew he couldn’t do it alone. It took fasting, prayer and being totally committed to the work and cause of the Kingdom. He never gave up.

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?

Then do like Nehemiah: Weep, mourn, fast, pray, ask for caution and wisdom. Then what?

Start rebuilding the foundation in your life!

If God isn’t first in your life; change that. Start your day with prayer and The Word and work on your relationship with Him. 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.

Never give up!

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

Don’t forget to get your copy of The Daniel Fast Devotional! Great for ANY FAST, it will be your go-to tool for years to come. Already have one in Kindle or paperback? Blessings to you as you fast unto the Lord.

The Daniel Fast: Changing lives for the better!

Then there are spiritual benefits that are out of this world!

Has the Lord spoken to your heart during the fast?

Have prayers been answered?

Do you feel as if you have drawn closer to the Savior?

But when you are desperate for a move of God in your life, fasting will help bring those results!

Fasting will break strongholds in the demonic world! “And he said unto them, ‘This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.’” Mark 9:29 KJV.

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The Daniel Fast: When desperation sets in

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