Church Wide Fast
Nourishing your spirit through Fasting
Fasting is a spiritual discipline where we refrain from certain foods for a spiritual purpose
WHY DO WE FAST?
To humble ourselves before God (Ezra 8:21)
For guidance and direction (Acts 13:2-3)
For spiritual strength. Before He began His earthly, Jesus fasted for 40 days. He knew He was going to need spiritual strength to fulfill His purposes. Fasting may make us physically weak, but we will become spiritually stronger and more prepared to do God’s work.
To seek deliverance and protection (Ezra 8:21-23)
To gain victory (Judges 20:26-28)
To worship God (Luke 2:37)
WHAT IS THE DANIEL FAST?
The Daniel Fast is a method of spiritual fasting based on the prophet Daniel’s experience fasting . You can discover the story of Daniel in the book of Daniel in the Old Testament. Like Daniel, we can all be troubled by something. In a time of trouble, Daniel prayed and fasted for wisdom, direction, and strength. He decided to fast the King’s rich royal foods and decided to eat vegetables and water only. Daniel fasted to remain undefiled, to repent for the sins of his people, and to draw closer to God. There are two passages in specific that the Daniel Fast is based on:
“Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.” (Daniel 1:12)
“In those daysI, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint my self at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.” (Daniel 10:2-3)
From this experience Daniel was said to gain knowledge, wisdom, spiritual understanding, favor, and even better appearance (Daniel 1:15-20) in addition to answered prayer and spiritual insight (Daniel 10:11-12). The Daniel Fast can be 7, 10, or 21 days in length.
In fasting, the intent is to deny the flesh and be reminded of our need for God and to draw near to Him.
WHAT IS FASTING?
DAILY DEVOTIONALS
Prayer is essential during a fast. Without prayer and spiritual focus, a fast is merely a diet. To help you and encourage you with your prayer time at the beginning of your day, you will receive a daily morning devotional from Fusion Church throughout this church-wide fast. We encourage you to also start a prayer journal, spend time in worship, meditate on God’s Word, study books of the bible, etc. The daily devotionals will start on January 8th. You will also receive an invitation to Fusion’s Daniel Fast Facebook Group where you can share prayers, recipes, words of encouragement, ask for prayer, etc.
FOODS TO AVOID ON THE DANIEL FAST
Animal products: All meat, dairy, seafood, and eggs
Sweeteners: Agave, nectar, artificial sweeteners, brown rice syrup, brown sugar, cane juice, corn syrup, malt syrup, raw sugar, and other syrups.
Leavened bread: Bread made with yeast.
Refined and processed foods: Foods that contain artificial preservatives, food additives, white flour, white rice
Deep-fried foods: All fired foods
Solid Fats: Butter, lard, margarine, and shortening
Chocolate
Some beverages: Alcohol, coffee, and other caffeinated beverages
“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others, but by your Father who is in secret. And you Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18).
21 Days of Fasting - BREAKTHROUGH
This January at Fusion Church, we're kicking off the New Year with 21 days of Fasting! Over the last few years, we’ve started the year by fasting... and we’ve witnessed breakthroughs all across our church! For many of you, the Daniel Fast may be the meaningful sacrifice you chose for this season. The Daniel Fast consists of no meats, sweets, bread, alcohol, or soda... and instead eating fruits, vegetables, and drinking water!
To help you stay nourished on the Daniel Fast, we will have a daily devotional in our 21 Days of Fasting Facebook group. There you will find recipes, testimonials, and experiences of those who are also fasting. Each recipe follows the guidelines for the Daniel Fast while also fueling your body with the important nutrients it needs.
Recipes:
OVERNIGHT OATS
Mix 1/2 a cup unsweetened nut milk, 3/4 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1/2 cup oats, and let sit for at least 6 hours or overnight. Add in any flavorings of choice or spices such as cinnamon and vanilla extract. When ready to eat, give it a stir, then top any combination you wish: chopped apple and walnuts, peanut butter and bananas, strawberries and almonds, pumpkin and pumpkin seeds.
SMOOTHIES
Below, I've listed a variety of ingredients to include in nutrient-packed smoothies. Try one or a variety for a tasty breakfast or snack!
Spinach, strawberry, and banana with hemp seeds (for a protein boost), use water or nut milk to blend.
Mango, pineapple, and coconut milk with plain, unsweetened vegan protein powder.
Avocado, banana, kale, plain unsweetened vegan protein powder, nut milk.
Blueberry, strawberry, spinach, hempseed, nut milk.
BAKED OATS
Mix 2 cups of oats, 2 tablespoons of flaxmeal, 2 cups of nut milk, and 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Add flavorings of choice such as pumpkin, blueberries, strawberries, apples, raisins, cinnamon, vanilla, banana, or walnuts.
Bake at 350 degrees in a greased 8x8 pan for 30 to 35 minutes. Top with any toppings you wish like peanut butter, a splash of nut milk of choice, or some homemade berry chia jam, and enjoy.
QUINOA & BROWN RICE BOWLS
Cooked quinoa or brown rice, topped with roasted veggie of choice (broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, peppers, sweet potatoes, onions, etc.), and beans of choice (black beans, roasted chickpeas, lentils). Add a drizzle of tahini sauce or top with hummus.
MEATLESS CHILI
Three-bean chili with peppers, and onions, add some pumpkin to thicken and give it a boost of fiber and vitamin A. Add chili seasonings. Top with roasted pumpkin seeds, nutritional yeast, and even a dollop of hummus to mimic sour cream.
HUMMUS
This is going to be the best thing to have on hand. All you need is chickpeas but any bean can be turned into hummus, or tahini (like peanut butter but made with sesame seeds), typical seasonings are salt, pepper, lemon juice, cumin, and olive oil, and keep the liquid from the beans to help make it super creamy. Blend everything in a food processor and drizzle in the bean liquid in small amounts at a time until it is creamy enough for you, you won’t need it all. Add some roasted red peppers to make red pepper hummus, roasted beets will give it a great red color, or jalapeno for a nice spice.
HOMEMADE CRACKERS
Use all the seeds you have on hand like flax, sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, and chia. Add water so the flax and chia gel up making a dough, add oil and seasoning of choice. Flatten it out on parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, flip the whole thing over, and bake another 10 minutes but keep a close eye on it because seeds burn fast. Then, cut into squares once it's done. Eat with hummus, along with soups, or as a snack with fruit.
FALAFEL
Blend chickpeas with flaxmeal, and seasonings of choice, and blend until it forms like a dough. Place scoops on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Enjoy with salads, as a snack with veggies, dipped in hummus or tahini sauce.
I hope all of these tips and suggestions are going to help you have a successful Daniel Fast. May you be prepared and well fed, so that you can focus your time and energy on finding God and not worrying about what you are going to eat. These new habits you learn during these 21 days are also great options to keep you fueled throughout the year to better your health and eating habits! God bless and enjoy this special, set-apart time of seeking God!