Daniel 1 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned yourfood and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.” Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and be.er nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
Daniel 1:8-16
Why Fast?
Fasting is to voluntarily abstain from eating/drinking for an extended period of time. “Eating” and “drinking” can represent anything that is holding you back. What do you “consume” in terms of social food, intellectual food, spiritual food, and emotional food? Are these things distracting you from your relationship with God? Are you relying on things that have nothing to do with God to get you through your day? You may not even realize you have an addiction. For example, if you “have to have” coffee every day, and you are not willing to give it up, you are addicted. Maybe your fast needs to just be about coffee. Ask God and He will show you. Everyone doing a physical fast should consult a physician first. If you have medical issues, consider fasting TV or media. The point is that there is something God wants you to separate yourself from for three weeks so that you can see Him more clearly. Don’t cheat yourself by removing yourself from the fast entirely.
FASTING GOAL: A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH THE LIVING GOD
“He must increase and [we] must decrease.” -John 3:30
“Be ye holy, for I am holy.” -1 Peter 1:16
You may experience many benefits from fasting (cleansing your body, breaking addictions, etc.), but the goal of fasting is to experience God. Right now your life may be all about you, what you want, and when you want it. Imagine if you separate yourself from your perceived needs (such as food)…you may see that life is all about Him.
Other examples of biblical fasting
Special revelation - Exodus 34:27-28
In times of war - Judges 20:26
Courage and wisdom - Esther 4:3,16
In times of grief - Nehemiah 1:4, 2 Samuel 1:12, Samuel 31:13, 1 Chronicles 10:12
Spiritual recuperation - 1 Kings 19:1-9 Mourning - Daniel 10:1-3
Repentance - Jonah 3:5, Daniel 6:18
Ministry preparation - Matthew 4:2 Spiritual power - Mark 9:29
Ministry commissioning - Acts 14:23
Set aside self for holiness - 1 Corinthians 7:5
Spiritual discipline - 1 Corinthians 11:24-28 (Paul “fasted often”)
FASTING PREPARATION
Prepare your heart:
In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God appears to Solomon and explains that if His people are going through a hard time, they should seek Him and follow His ways. Then, He will hear their prayers and heal them. Be willing to hear what God says needs to change, and be willing to change. Don’t continue to sin. What are the paths He wants you to walk? How much does He want you to pray and read His Word? Tell God that you surrender your life to Him and that you want more of Him and His way.
Prepare your motives:
Ephesians 1:3 says that there are spiritual blessings assigned to us. We can never exhaust them! Who knows what God wants to give you or show you? Maybe He wants to bestow gifts such as wisdom, anointing, prayer power, healing power, teaching power, joy, or encouragement. When you eliminate things that are keeping you from focusing on God, He is able to show you things about your life that you never knew.
Prepare your body:
If you decide to eat only fruits and vegetables for your fast, it will result in cleansing of your physical body. You may feel sick as your body detoxes, but you’ll make it! This isn’t a mind game to see if you can survive eating less or not watching ESPN, but about experiencing God. Some people ask, “What does not eating have to do with my relationship with God?” Pastor Miles’ response is, “Stop eating and find out.”
Prepare your schedule:
Decide where you will meet with God, what and when you will eat, and how you will spend your time differently. Remember, the fast is about communing with God, so don’t fill your time with distractions that will keep you from feeling hungry. Create a plan and commit to spending more time with the Lord.
Fasting Guidelines:
Explain to your family in advance what you are doing.
Request privacy from those find out what you are doing.
Ask them not to discuss it with you until your fast is over.
Never complain or brag about your fast, and avoid talking about it.
Establish an accountability partner for prayer & encouragement.
Stay away from negative people.
Spend as much time as possible alone in solitude and prayer.
Acknowledge that your flesh cannot be trained, but must be crucified.
Journal as you pray and meet with the Lord. Write down the miracles God does in your life!
