Every January for the past three years or so, my husband and I have done the Daniel Fast. This is a corporate fast that people typically do with their church. It’s a 21-day fast that traditionally starts on Jan 1st. It’s a reset for the new year, focusing on spiritual and physical health. It derives from the scripture, Daniel 10:3, where Daniel went on a no meat, bread, wine, or “rich foods” (depending on the translation you read) fast while he was praying for his people and about all of the sinfulness that was going on. What this has translated to in modern times is a fast from all white flour, meat/animal products, alcohol, and added/refined sugar. We only eat brown rice, legumes/beans, vegetables, and fruits. The first few times I participated in this fast were tough.
Let me tell you, the first time I gave up caffeine as a part
of this fast, I went through major withdrawal. I had horrible headaches and
even experienced leg cramping! I was like a zombie walking around for a few
days. My caffeine-addicted self didn’t
know what to do.
I am in a different
place spiritually this time around, I think, because it has not been too
terrible. It is tough, but I feel so
good and healthy that it is difficult to feel like I’m missing out most of the
time. I do kind of miss bread right now,
as we’ve just started the last full week of the fast.
Throughout the fast so far this time, I’ve enjoyed making healthy,
plant-based dishes, such as all veggie lasagna, where you make the sauce from scratch,
the “meat” is the mushrooms, you use thinly sliced zucchini as your “noodles”
and the “ricotta” is made out of cashews, spices, lemon juice, and nutritional
yeast. It is seriously yummy- even my family
loves it.
Our prayers have had a different focus each year with the
Daniel Fast. This time around, my
husband and I have been praying for a strengthened marriage, a stronger
relationship with the Lord, and for strengthened relationships with our
children. I do feel at this moment that our
prayers are being answered. There is
always room for growth, but our marriage is getting stronger. Our communication is improving, which is the
key to a healthy relationship. I feel like the Lord is preparing us for
ministry.
There are many reasons to fast, and fasting in general has
become a popular trend in American life.
We have apps on our phones to help track certain fasts, and we are doing
juice cleanses, and resets with our bodies to get back on the right track
physically. What we need to realize is
that we are also spiritually connected to food. Ever heard the term you are what you eat?
There’s a reason that saying came about. When we are eating whole foods and primarily
eating a plant-based diet, we are healthier and more in tune with how God
created us to be. We are more like God,
which is what he intended when he created us (Gen 1:26-27).
The fast this year has inspired me to primarily remain on a vegan
diet going forward, as I feel better and as I know this will ultimately help me
live a longer life and live the life God intended for me. I know
that our relationship with food in general is a struggle. My prayer is that we focus on living the
healthiest life we can so that we can live out the life God meant for us. He never wanted us to die early because of
heart disease or a diet-related cancer. If
this is a struggle for you and you’d like me to pray for you about this, please
let me know in the comments.
I love you, all, and hope you have a great week!
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