About 21-Day Daniel Fast

We invite you to join us for a 21-Day Daniel Fast from January 9-29. Suggested prayer points (outlines) are posted below on our website at https://therockpointchurch.org/news/21-days-of-fasting-prayer-daily-prayer-points/.

Scriptural basis:

² In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. ³ I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. (Daniel 10:2-3)

¹² “…give us vegetables to eat and water to drink; ¹⁶ Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. (Daniel 1:12b,15)

Special Note: if you have health issues, please be sure to contact your health professional for advice before committing to any fast including the Daniel Fast. One of the great things about the Daniel Fast is that you are not limited to any specific amount of food, but rather to the kinds of food you can eat. The Daniel Fast is limited to vegetables (includes fruits) and water.

Please make sure to READ THE LABEL when purchasing packaged, canned or bottled foods. They should be sugar-free and chemical-free. Keep this in mind as you review this list of acceptable foods.

What is the Daniel Fast?

The Daniel Fast is based on Daniel’s fasting experiences as recorded in the Bible. Though we don’t know his complete menu, we have insight into what he ate and didn’t eat. In Daniel 1, we learn that Daniel chose not to eat the king’s delicacies, nor drink the wine apportioned to him. He instead, made up his mind to only eat vegetables and drank water. Later in Daniel 10:2-3, we learn that he deprived himself of choice food, meat, and wine as he sought the Lord in prayer. 

Most bible scholars believe that “choice food” would have been bread and sweets.

Since details of the fast aren’t provided, there are variations in the specific guidelines what foods are included and which ones are restricted for our modern-day Daniel Fast. The food guidelines below are the ones most commonly described in a Daniel Fast. The goal of a Daniel Fast today is not to duplicate exactly what Daniel did but the spirit in which he did it. He knew by reading God word that while God permitted His people to be held captive in Babylon due to their ongoing sin. It was God’s desire to get them out after the appointed time of their desolation. He understood in other words that His dreams, vision, aspiration and hope for his people were aligned with what God wanted for His people. He also had the wisdom and understanding to know that dreams come true only when there is some catalytic force in motion. To see his dreams come true, Daniel embarked on a 21-day spiritual discipline of fasting and prayer.

Daniel’s understanding of God’s word caused him to do what the word says in 2 Chronicles 7:14. “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

When God’s people desire to see their God given dreams, vision, goals, and aspirations come to pass, as Daniel did, then taking the action exemplified by Daniel’s fast is very effective. 

The Daniel Fast Guidelines

Don’t get too hung up on what you should and shouldn’t eat. The most important part of the fast is that suppress our appetite for choice food, and replace that with spiritual food. God does not intend for us to live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from God (see Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4). We should humble ourselves, pray (rather than just deny food and count down to the end of the fast), repent of our transgressions against God, and sincerely resolve to love God and obey God. Daniel 9 is a fascinating example of an effective prayer.  We can learn a lot from Daniel’s prayer. 

One important point to note as you decide to fast, is to fast with purpose. Have dreams, and goals that you want God to accomplish during the fast. It is important to note that God wants us to pray for His interest also, as we learn from the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6. Pray for God’s will to be done, and His kingdom to supersede every other kingdom. It is okay for your particular fast to be slightly different than someone else’s. Some people may need to be stricter than others in their food choices so that their fast is a sacrifice for them. These following food guidelines are meant to be a guide to help you create a plan and boundaries for your fast.

Daniel Fast Recommended Food List

All fruit – fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned.

All vegetables – fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned.

All whole grains – amaranth, barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, millet, and whole wheat.

All nuts & seeds – almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds; unsweetened almond milk. Nut butters are also included.

All legumes – canned or dried; black beans, black eyed peas, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), great northern beans, kidney beans, lentils, pinto beans, and split peas.

All quality oils – avocado, coconut, grapeseed, olive, peanut, sesame, and walnut.

Beverages – distilled water, filtered water, and spring water.

Other – unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, or soy milk; herbs, spices, salt, pepper, unsweetened coconut flakes, seasonings, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, soy products, and tofu.

Foods to AVOID on the Daniel Fast

All meat & animal products – beef, buffalo, fish, lamb, poultry, and pork.

All dairy products – butter, cheese, cream, eggs, and milk.

All sweeteners – agave nectar, artificial sweeteners, cane juice, honey, molasses, raw sugar, syrups, stevia, and sugar.

All leavened bread & yeast – baked goods and Ezekiel bread (if it contains yeast and honey).

All refined & processed food products – artificial flavorings, chemicals, food additives, preservatives, white flour, and white rice.

All deep-fried foods – corn chips, French fries, and potato chips.

All solid fats – lard, margarine, and shortening.

Beverages – alcohol, carbonated drinks, coffee, energy drinks, herbal tea, and tea.

More on FASTING

The goal of fasting is to draw nearer to God. Biblical fasting involves denying the flesh of pleasures in order to strengthen the spirit. In Galatians 5:17, God’s word says that the flesh and the spirit are contrary to one another. Fasting eliminates distractions so that we can have spiritual focus. It prepares our hearts for all the good things God desires to bring into our lives. Fasting is a sacrifice, and should present a level of challenge, but it is very important to know your body, seek counsel from medical professionals if you have health concerns, and most importantly, to seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do. 

TYPES OF FASTS

COMPLETE FAST

In this type of fast, you drink only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option.

SELECTIVE FAST

This type of fast involves removing certain elements from your diet. One example of a selective fast is the Daniel Fast, during which you remove meat, sweets, and bread from your diet and consume water and juice for fluids and fruits and vegetables for food.

PARTIAL FAST

This fast is sometimes called the “Jewish Fast” and involves abstaining from eating any type of food in the morning and afternoon. This can either correlate to specific times of the day, such as 6:00 am to 3:00 pm, 6:00 am to 6:00 pm or from sunup to sundown.

SOUL FAST

This fast is a great option if you do not have much experience fasting food, have health issues that prevent you from fasting food, or if you wish to refocus certain areas of your life that are out of balance. For example, you might choose to stop using social media or watching television for the duration of the fast and then carefully bring that element back into your life in healthy doses at the conclusion of the fast.

Scripture References for Fasting:
 Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 9:14-15, Luke 18:9-14

Relation to Prayer and Reading of the Word:
 1 Samuel 1:6-8, 17-18, Nehemiah 1:4, Daniel 9:3, 20, Joel 2:12, Luke 2:37, Acts 10:30, Acts 13:2

Corporate Fasting:
 1 Samuel 7:5-6, Ezra 8:21-23, Nehemiah 9:1-3, Joel 2:15-16, Jonah 3:5-10, Acts 27:33-37

Remember that it is the attitude of a heart sincerely seeking Him to which God responds with a blessing (Isaiah 58, Jeremiah 14:12, 1 Corinthians 8:8). 

May God greatly bless you as you fast!