The Daniel Fast: Recap

A few days ago, I completed the Daniel Fast- a fast consisting of a vegan diet along with no bread, sweets, alcohol, or processed foods. The Daniel Fast is found in the book of Daniel chapter 10:2-3, where the prophet Daniel is residing in Babylon, in captivity. Daniel goes through this fast for 21 days (3 weeks) and then finally receives a vision from God concerning the future of the Israelites while in captivity.

Going into the fast, I constantly reminded myself to not worship the fast. It is easy to get caught up in what you can or cannot eat, and being specific to a point where you lose sight of the real purpose of fasting. The purpose of fasting is to sacrifice what we think we need for what we really need...God. So going into the fast, I wasn't checking ingredients, I wasn't panicking over what I had in my pantry, I just focused on God. Maybe my fast wasn't specific to the science, but my heart was trying to get to God. By doing this fast, I was telling God that He's more important than my favorite foods: burgers, fries, ice cream, cookies, etc. God is the reason I even have access to those things, and my fast worshipped God as the only One who can give me what I need...and what I want.

One thing I noticed in my fasting was a change in my courage. There was a moment at work that I felt as if I was being talked down on, at least for someone in my position. But instead of leaving it alone and pondering it, I confronted my supervisor about it, and voiced how I felt in the moment. I was never one to confront when I felt I've been wronged, but by doing this, I felt as if I was growing a bit more in my independence. It was refreshing to be able to just talk, and to represent Christ in my confrontation.

Another thing that occurred during this time was a revelation. I had recently noticed a co-worker had been gone for a while. I had assumed she was on vacation, but then I heard rumors of her leaving. So I had asked my supervisor, who confirmed that the co-worker had left. I then texted the co-worker and asked her if she had left, just to be sure I heard it from her. Her response was that she expected me to ask something different, and I was caught off guard by it. I told her that I only wanted to clear it up after asking my supervisor, and she responded that I could've asked her that instead. To be honest, I wasn't surprised that she would give a response like that, but I was suprised she would give that response to me. I had helped this co-worker many times, and I thought we had a good relationship. But I had always been wary as of late considering that she often seemed to switch moods on and off. Now we all have our days where we don't want to be bothered, and where we might come off as annoyed by others simply existing (this is me many times lol). But this co-worker was not holding back in showing me their true colors. And I've probably already seen their true colors, but I didn't want to admit it. And now that this co-worker is no longer at the job, It's hard to admit that it may be easier going forward. But I'm glad that this happened, because now I know where I stand according to them, and even better, I can give them fully over to God to work. But I'm still glad that I was able to be a blessing to them regardless.

One last thing that happened during this fast, was my lack of hunger. Yes, the whole point of fasting is to be filled with God's word and not food- but it really hit me during this fast. I wasn't digging into the fridge as much to look for food, I wasn't constantly feeling bad about not eating my favorite foods (though the thoughts did enter my mind, if I'm being honest!), and whenever I did eat according to the fast, I was fully satisfied. God opened my eyes to see that I can be complete in Him, and even better...I already am! I just had to see that I was, and that's what fasting does...it reveals to you what is already true: God is all we need everytime. And if we're being honest, I can live without the juicy steak, the cheesy bread, and the root beer float. As long as I have Jesus, I have the best food ever! (See John 6:22-59).

Closing out of the fast, I realized that my worship is worth more to God than my diet. Although I had moments where I was scrolling through 'foodgram', I put those all aside when it was time to go to God (which was all the time). Because at the end of the day, it is about your heart. I was trying to give God praise whenever I could, and worship Him through the fast. My God has provided for me this summer, and has protected me even when I didn't know it. He is wonderful. He is holy. He is worthy of all my time, praise, and honor. Without Him, I am nothing. So this fast, I wanted to show Him that I am willing to give everything up for Him.

Giving all you love up for God is a reflection of God giving up His love-Jesus- for you!

-Sherry Amor

If you were able to participate in this fast with me, or if you are interested in completing one, I highly encourage you to just start! We have the Daniel Fast Guide available when you sign up with your email, and be sure to check out our Youtube Live for Daniel Fast, and our Bible Study Wednesdays! God bless and Happy Studying!