I think there is one point that just about everyone can agree. And that is that we are living in a very stressful, chaotic, frenetic time. So many activities and so many distractions seem to be calling our name and vying for our attention.
You may have a deep calling within your soul for a reset. A time when you can center, once again, on your relationship with God, with becoming calmer in your soul and perhaps even focusing on your health and wellbeing.
Entering into a 21-day period of extended prayer and fasting might be the perfect prescription for your spirit, soul, and body. Let me invite you to see what can be available to you during this spiritual experience.
Fasting is Not About Food
First, let me point out that the Daniel Fast, like all spiritual fasts, is not about the food. It saddens me to see how so many people have turned this powerful method of extended prayer and fasting into a focus on “scrumptious Daniel Fast recipes” or “mouthwatering recipes for your Daniel Fast.” That approach to the Daniel Fast misses the purpose God designed for fasting. Learn more.
Instead, entering into an extended period of prayer and fasting is the time to simplify your life so you can focus more on God. Also, one of the most powerful lessons and experiences you can have during your time of prayer and fasting is recognizing the battle you have between the flesh and the spirit. We live in a culture that has glorified food, and consequently, it’s even happened by so many who highlight the different way you’ll eat while on the Daniel Fast.
I encourage you to keep your meals simple, easy to prepare, and not at all the focus of your fast. Instead open your heart and your soul to the powerful lessons, insights, and experiences that the Lord has for you.
Strengthen Your Spirit
Spiritual fasting is like going on a personal and private retreat for yourself. During your time of fasting, you can spend more of your time and attention on God, His Word, and the ways of kingdom living. It’s very possible that during your time of extended prayer and fasting that you’ll develop habits, routines, and practices that you can use during your fast as well as after your fast for your spiritual growth.
You may have a longing in your heart to draw near to God. Possibly you feel distant from Him. I can promise you He longs to have you near Him. He longs to be with you. And He honors your desire to connect with Him.
Most often, reconnecting with God is not something that we can do in just one or two days. And therefore, an extended period of prayer and fasting is the perfect opportunity for you to lean into Him for your support and for your strength. You can reorder your days, and your practices, so you can put your eyes on Him rather than on all of the distractions that so often gain our attention.
Feed Your Soul
Your soul is made of your intellect, your will, your emotions, and your personality. While our spirit was reborn when we accepted Christ, our soul still needs a transformation to the ways of the Lord. During your time of extended prayer and fasting, you can check in with yourself. You can examine your heart and discover areas that you want to bring into closer alignment with the ways of God and His kingdom.
Many times when I’ve been fasting the Lord has shown me lessons He wants me to learn, adventures He wants me to take, and new insights that He wants me to discover.
Jesus says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you’ll find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29. Open your heart to the Lord and see what He has to teach you during your time of prayer and fasting. He loves you so very much and He longs to have you look to Him for your needs and desires.
As you think about a reset, this may also be a time when you can look at the way you use your time, making choices about what you’ll do and what you won’t do, setting goals for the lifestyle you want to live, and designing the future you’ll have along with the Lord’s direction.
Proverbs 3:5-6 calls us to powerful promise, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Acknowledging Him in all your ways means to bring God into the center of every part of your life. And so during your Daniel Fast, you can examine your heart, take a look at your life, and find ways and opportunities to bring God in so He can show you the very best way to live.
Renew Your Body
While the Daniel Fast is not about food, because of the simple meals that you’ll be eating during your spiritual discipline, your body will reset. You’ll be eating only simple foods and drinking only water.
It’s very likely that you’ll experience healings, including lowering your cholesterol, balancing blood sugar, dropping unhealthy pounds, or reducing inflammation and therefore lessening or eliminating muscle aches and pains.
You, as the caretaker of God’s temple for His Holy Spirit, you’ll likely experience a refreshment for your whole being as you take your flesh, the world, and food off its pedestal and instead lift the Lord up and focus on Him.
I truly believe that God has anointed the Daniel Fast for this time in the history of His church. The Daniel Fast, which is a partial fast, opens up this powerful discipline of spiritual fasting to many who would not be able to go without food for an extended period of time.
My hope for you is that you’ll encounter God in new and formidable ways during your Daniel Fast. Also that you’ll keep the focus on Him, and that you’ll experience the love, joy, and peace of Christ that renews you and truly resets you for this next season in your life.
How about you? Will you use the Daniel Fast soon? I love hearing from others. Please leave your comments below.
If you want to learn more about the Daniel Fast, you can purchase a copy of the bestselling book I wrote about it, which is now considered the “go-to guide” for this method of fasting. The Daniel Fast: feed your soul, strengthen your spirit and renew your body.
Hello Susan, thanks for this opportunity. This is my first time of coming to this site. I started my fasting this morning and was looking for something to guide me through it, then I got your site. The write-up is quite good and i will like some guidance on the prayers. The fast is personal to me as I see the need for a RESET in my life.
Greetings Susan, I am entering the “Daniel Fast” for the very first time. Years ago, I had experienced a water only fast (uneducated about the process of biblical fasting (and just how to fast correctly) and endured physical weakness, headaches and an eventual food eating binge. I am more “grown up” in the Lord now and came about your website only today while researching plant based eating online. Going through this (the Lord’s way) will benefit me mind. body, and soul. I thank God for allowing me to come across your website. I am preparing NOW to take this journey…
Hi Gloria,
I love how you acknowledge your maturing. God is so good how He “grows us up.”
It’s wonderful that you have the time to prepare. The first step to your successful fast.
Be blessed and expect great things from the Lord!
Hi Susan,
I am on day 4 of my Daniel fast. I normally wake up at 4 a.m for my morning prayer and meditation but today it was a bit difficult to get up. I do the fast every year and each year my relationship with God grows stronger. I thank God for you and your teachings.
Hi Portia,
Your body is probably adjusting to the different foods (and lack of caffeine). As you likely already know, you’ll soon shift into more energy and clearer thinking as your body is detoxed.
Thanks for your message. Be blessed on your fast.
Hi Susan.? I started the Fast Monday, the 7th. I’m experiencing results already as I’m focused, this time, more on the Lord and being in His Presence than on what foods I can’t have. This is life-changing for me. Thank you and continued blessings to you, precious woman of God. You are helping many of us grow up in the Lord.
Dearest Queen!
You are a treasure in my life! Thank you so much for your message. We have an amazing God. And He has so much to share with us as we press into Him and learn how to crucify the flesh.
Blessings to you, lovely woman of God!
I am very happy to join you again this year. Last year and the year before you had videos everyday with sheets and questions. I really loved that. I have been searching and looking for that but in vain. Are you doing it differently this year so that I stop searching.
God bless you Ms Susan Gregory you have been a big help to me.
Hi Hilda,
You are talking about the Journey in Faith series. You can sign up for them here: Your Daniel Fast Resources
Be blessed on your fast.
Thank you very much Susan. I am beginning my Daniel Fast on 14 January. Currently I am on a water only Prayer & Fasting with my church, which started on Monday, 7 January. I already feel the Holy Spirit working within me. My goal is to enter a higher level of life in the Spirit!
Thank you for your encouragement and that of all those participating. I know that I will emerge a different, new, spiritually rejuvenated believer!
God bless you!
Blessings to you, Hellen!
I hope the best for you on your fast. God is so good and always willing to reward us as we seek Him.
Thanks for your message
Thank You for allowing God to use you to bless the Body of Christ. This is my first time having TRUE knowledge of the Daniel Fast and how to correctly do it. This my 4th day and I welcome the hunger pain and stomach growlings – it reminds me I’m in the fast. Thanks for emphasizing that we not to make food the focus. The enemy always tries to hinder and distract us from the purpose which is to draw near. As Dr . Alicia Chole calls it “Holy decrease”- thinning our contact with the world so we can thicken our communion with God
Hi Beverly,
Thank you for your message. Sometimes I feel like a “lone voice in the wilderness” when I stress to keep the attention on food at a minimum. So many who publish and teach about the Daniel Fast make it a “food first” discipline, which it absolutely is not. Oops, there I go preaching again! 🙂
I hope the best for you on your fast. God will reward you with insights, favor, blessings, and revelations as you focus on Him, His Word, and His ways.
Be blessed and thank you for your message.
Thank you Susan!
Indeed the Daniel Fast is for such a time as this. Many of my sisters and brother are uncertain during this Government shutdown, but I’m reminded during my fast that Jehovah my God has the final say!!
Good word, Bonita!
Yes, we always want to put our trust in the Lord, and also make sure we recognize that we are citizens of His kingdom first! Praise God!
Be blessed on your fast.
Since starting my Daniel’s Fast on January 1, 2019, I have felt closer to God. I feel my body releasing toxins both spiritually and physically. I am my elderly Mother’s Caregiver and prepare her meals while fasting. I had to call an ambulance last Friday because she could not breathe well. She was in the hospital until last night. I have not had time to eat much so the Daniel Fast is great during this time. My church’s theme this year is S.M.I.L.E; Seeing Miracles in Life Everyday. I have seen a miracle each day since Jan. 1, 2019!
Praise God, Marcia.
Our kingdom of God experience is “not of this world.” I am so happy for you! You are tapping into the higher life of the Lord. And the more you lean into Him the more of His amazing grace you will experience.
Be blessed and thank you for your lovely message.
Thank you so much for this. It really helps because like you said we tend to focus on the eating part of it and not the spiritual part of it. Drawing closer to God is what I want to get right. Reading your blog really helps because it’s a reminder of where my heart should be. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Nomzamo.
Yes, we want to understand the purpose of spiritual fasting, and then practice it.
God loves you so very much. Learn into Him and He will reward you with His favor, blessings, and insights.
Be blessed on your fast.
I started on the 06th Jan 2019 and so far I am happy. I’m praying for inner peace. I need Jehovah to be my only source of joy. I’m praying for strength to focus on God only.
Praise God.
Caroline, I made 2019 my “Year of Joy.” Multiple times a day I repeat this declaration over my life. Whenever I sense any kind of negative thinking coming from me, I shift and declare, “This is my Year of Joy.” And continually declare the truths of God over my life.
You might want to adopt this practice. Our word and thoughts are very important. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8
Be blessed on your fast, dear one!
I started the fast on the 7th and yesterday, I failed miserably, but i’m determined to start again. It’s been a while since I fasted and I desperately need the reset and get back to where I once was with GOD. I’m praying I don’t get defeated again
Hi Cindy,
Our fasting experiences teach us about God and His ways, but also about us. So you are learning valuable lessons that will help you be transformed into the great life of character you want to become.
Check out this post: What Should You Do if You Quit or Break the Daniel Fast?
Be blessed on your fast.
Hi Susan,
We’re starting 21 days fasting on 12th Jan, as a church.
My family and I have decided to use the Daniel Fast and we believe that we will experience the presence of God in a new way. Thank you for your guidance on the same.
Hi Jacky,
What a joy it will be to enter into this powerful experience with your whole family. God is so good. He’s eager to show you His favor and blessings.
I hope the very best for you on your fast.
Hi Susan, I am on day 8, this is my first time. I want to get rid of anxiety issues forever and find answers to my business and financial issues. Over Christmas time, God was directing me to do the Daniel Fast. I need to get closer to God in all areas of my life. I found day 7 a bit difficult for me. I am blessed to be on day 8. I am writing down my feelings every day on the fast. God Bless everyone on the Daniel Fast.
Hi Lisa,
The Daniel Fast is a wonderful opportunity to turn more of yourself and your business over to God. I remember when I made Jesus the CEO of my business. God’s Word promises to bless the works of our hands. You might want to declare Deuteronomy 28:1-14 over your life and your business. This is the blessing of the Lord that Jesus gained for you! It’s already yours!
Our part is to Ask. Believe. Receive.
Be blessed on your fast.
God bless you Susan, I have been following you for many years and thank you for sharing your walk with God and the Daniel Fast. My husband and I along with our church fast for 21 days every year. We started at the beginning of the week. We choose the Daniel Fast and continue to follow your guidelines through your book. We look forward to this spiritual cleansing every year as we seek to draw closer to the Lord and for a blessed and prosperous year for our marriage, our families and our ministry. We also Fast throughout the year. Praying for you Susan. Be blessed.
Thank you so much for your blessing, Willette. I receive it! Our Lord is so very good!
I praise God for allowing me to come alongside His people as they turn their focus and attention to Him on the Daniel Fast. He gave me the instruction back in 2007 to, “Write about the Daniel Fast.” I had no idea then what He had in His mind for me. I am so very glad I accepted the assignment!
Be blessed on your fast, and thank you for your kind message.
This is my second year of Daniel Fast with u Susan. Last year I needed a financial breakthrough and God did just that. I got a senior post that helped me and those around me. This is my third day now as I started on the 7th. My prayer is that I may draw closer to the Lord and hear Him speak to me. I’m also praying for a major breakthrough at home.
Praise God for His faithfulness, Zoliswa.
You have experienced His mighty works in your life. He always delivers on His promises as we to our bard, which is to believe.
Be blessed on your fast. I am so glad you are with us!
Starting my fast on 13 January. I did the Daniel Fast last year and really started having a much closer relationship with the Lord. I have been struggling lately and am really looking forward to the fast!
Hi Alice,
God’s Word says that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. You’ve experienced that encounter before and you can again as you enter the fast with your focus on Him and His ways.
Be blessed on your fast.
God is the source of my strength and there’s nothing that I wouldn’t do for Him. One of the hardest parts for me is reading. I get bored so easily. I can talk about God over and over and over again, but just sitting down to read I get so bored. How can I break that addiction because I think it’s an addiction.
Hi Lisa,
I truly believe you are citing an issue that is pervasive in our culture today. We are on stimulus overload with all the social media, television, digital tools, etc. You are not alone!
Here is my suggestion: first, pray about this matter. Ask the Lord to show you how you can find value in the written Word. Ask Him to help you experience the living power of the Bible or other material you’re using.
Second, you can “turn down the stimulus.” Consider putting boundaries on the amount of social media you use and the amount of television you watch. Make inner peace your quest and your desire.
I hope this helps. The really good news is that you are aware of this problem. That’s the first and essential step to growth and change.
Be blessed on your fast.
I can so relate to Lisa’s issue so thank you for that response. I am on day 3 of my fast and have not been getting into the Word as I should. Have been tempted a few times to deviate from fast but have managed to persevere
Hi Desiree,
We learn so much about ourselves on the fast. The more you can take food off its pedestal, the more success you will experience.
Be blessed, dear one. And thank you for your post. You are helping others!
Thank you for your ministry, Susan! I have participated in the Daniel Fasts before and this year I am doing The Daniel Cure from your book of that name, starting with the fast now. Thank you!
I’m so happy for you, Caroline.
I hope the very best for you on your fast.
Be blessed!
Hi Susan, I started my fast on January 1st and God is showing up and showing off in my life. There is a lot going on around me but I am able to maintain peace of mind and I know it has to be God. This is my 5th year doing the Daniel’s fast and I look forward to the reset every year. Thank you very much for your inspiring teachings. I am believing God for a positive shift in my life and finances.
Praise God, Michelle!
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
His peace does surpass our natural way of thinking (all understanding). Just one of the amazing blessings we have available to us as we use the kingdom of God principles rather than depending on our own way of thinking. It’s surely a shift in how we live our lives.
Be blessed on your fast. I’m so glad you’re with us.
I started Sunday. I have a breakthrough. I have been standing for 4 yrs and each day I decide to give up God shows me something. I’m forever thankful for your encouragement.
Our God is faithful, reliable, and always delivers on His promises when we believe and put our faith in Him.
I am so happy for you, Tiffany. Keep goin’, girl!
Be blessed!
I am starting the fast with my church 1/10. I know and love the Lord but want to know and love him deeper. I also want His will and purpose for my life to really manifest as I walk it out in this season. I am an emotional eater and have been using food to deal with emotional issues. I know I have food on a pedestal and want this fast to be a catalyst as I change my eating habits and how I view food. Need prayer!!
Oh, Brenda!
Great intentions for your Daniel Fast. Awareness is the first step to change. So you are on your way. Trust in the Lord. And keep leaning into Him for your emotional needs. You’ll get there as you learn to depend on Him even more.
Be blessed on your fast.
Hi Susan,
Thank you for the great encouragement and may the Lord richly bless you as you continue to spread the gospel.
Today is my 3rd day on fasting and feel His presence, though I’m facing some really difficult moments in my marriage. Please pray for me. I need strength each day to press on and never look back.
Blessings to you, Euginia.
Relationships can be very challenging. Obviously, I don’t the circumstances of your marriage challenges. However, I do know that love is God’s powerful agent for change and transformation. I encourage you, in your quiet time, to pray with a deep love for your husband. No strings attached. Just love. And not your love, but the love of Christ to wash over your husband and you, also. Invite the Lord to do a mighty work in your hearts.
And lean into the Lord. He is your Comforter. He understands your heart. He wants to help you through these challenging times.
Our church begins Daniel fast Thursday. Im so excited to see what great and mighty things await.. Thank you for your encouragement.
Praise God. He is faithful!
Be blessed on your fast.
I experienced something the first morning of the fast that surprised me. For months now I’ve been getting up at 4:30am, 7 days a week to pray/meditate, do my devotions and drink coffee before starting my day. I look forward to that time with our Lord. Day one of the fast, Sunday, my alarm went off and I stalled getting out of bed because the coffee would not be there. At that moment I realized how much I need this fast to get my spiritual life and priorities in order. Today is day three and I’m doing better but have a ways to go. I need these 21 days.
Hi Wade,
One of the great benefits of the fast is that we learn so much about ourselves! And I believe one of the greatest areas of awareness we are exposed to is how much we cater to our flesh! Been there, done that 🙂
You will do well, friend. You inspire me as I see how you truly are clay in your Potters hand.
Be blessed, Wade.
Good morning,
I started the fast on the 7th and messed up on the 8th. I am starting over today. My desire is to get closer to God. Please keep me in prayer.
Hi Patricia,
Fasting is a powerful learning experience. You’re learning about yourself and as you know better you can do better.
I encourage you to read this post: What Should You Do if You Quit or Break the Daniel Fast?.
Be blessed on your fast! God is good!
Thank you for the reminder that I should be spending less time preparing food, not just as much or more!
Be blessed on your fast, Jasmin!