Why Fasting Is Necessary
Fasting: to hear the instructions of god, clearly
What is the point of fasting?
Fasting can sound very intimidating. Can you imagine refraining from food all day, let alone for a few days or months? Of course, it is possible; many of us have either heard of religious groups that partake in a fasting period, or we may even know someone who has done it themselves. Fasting is abstaining from food or other things to give oneself to prayer and fellowship with God. It is an outward expression of an inward commitment to pursue God. When you fast, you slow down to hear from God. Rather than viewing the act as a cruel abstraction from the body, many people should be aware that fasting strengthens the mind and soul over fleshly desires and needs and is a way to dial back on distractions that can lead to un wise decisions.
What to consider before fasting
Tip 1: To anyone considering doing a fast, research what you need to do for the one you may be partaking in and prepare to get your mind focused on it. Then, ask yourself what you would like to accomplish with this fast. Are you striving to meet physical goals, spiritual, or both?
Tip 2: Fasting can take various forms and last different lengths of time. Therefore, there are intense levels of fasting and more beginner-friendly forms of fasting. The Daniel's Fast is recommended for a beginner-friendly fast. The origin story of this fast involves a story about Daniel, who refrained from eating the kingdom's wine and diet and only ate vegetables for 10 days (Daniel 1:1). To make this fast more manageable, one can even start out doing the Daniel Fast for at least 1-3 days and also if you want to go beyond eating vegetables, you can throw a little fruit in the equation. Also, to explain why this particular fast was necessary to Daniel and what he took away from his experience further, please read the whole chapter of Daniel before starting Daniel's fast or any fast in general.
Tip 3: Remember, the primary focus of fasting is not so much about the different acts of restraint but the overall discipline of starving your flesh (not just with food could be from lust, your desire to binge watch social media, or procrastination-to name a few) for God to edify your spirit much more than food can give you. That said, you can be flexible with your restraints and not make yourself feel bad if you slip up. What matters is that your heart is in it.
Tip 4: Refrain from ANNOUNCING it to others and those on social media. The point of fasting is to do it for yourself and to be focused while doing it. During your fast, you should limit time with others. I'm not saying to be isolated, but this is a time for ultimate focus.
Daniels Diet Made Easy
Here are some meal ideas for if you are considering the Daniel’s Diet:
Fruit cup
Non-Butter Popcorn
Homemade Salad with Oil based dressing-vinaigrette
Corn on the cobb
Salad from Chipotle
Hummus
Cabbage, peppers, and carrots
Plantains
Cherries
Vegetable Plate from your local soul food restaurant: Collard greens, black eyed peas, squash
Vegetable stir fry with Brown Rice or Zucchini Noodle
Herbal Teas
Vegetable Soup
Fruit Smoothie with Raw Honey (May be an Exception for a Sweetener)
Sweet Potatoes
Let's Get to Work: What You Need to Do While Fasting
Use sound doctrine: attend church, listen to a favorite pastor's podcast, or watch a sermon on YouTube.
Pray for guidance in areas of need and communicate with God through verbal or written journaling.
Read the Bible.
Seek further understanding from the Bible by watching YouTube bible study videos that visually explain each book.
Take notes on your daily experiences during the fast and record any revelations.
Do NOT listen to secular music.
Encourage a fasting partner to join you.
Only use productive apps such as Pinterest, Canva, Adobe Cloud, or other productivity platforms instead of social media.
The outcome of fasting
With so many distractions in this world from other people's opinions, social & family expectations, social media, and secular music and content, creating space for a sound mind and judgment is necessary. Whether intentional or not, consuming everyone's lifestyle and opinions becomes a part of your nature. Therefore it is necessary to allocate space to undergo internal focus and direction from God to detox unfruitful patterns in our lives and allow God to align us in our path. The concept of fasting proves that while it's beneficial to have supportive mentors (such as a favorite pastor, family members, or counsel) to help us grow spiritually, it's also essential to study the Bible independently to understand God and establish a personal connection with Him, which will allow you to become familiar with God's voice and being able to distinguish the ways how he uniquely speaks to you.
“I hope this article inspires someone to start experiencing the benefits of fasting. Everyone’s experience and takeaways will differ, but it is worth it.
Peace and ultimate love”
Thanks for the read!
