The New Year Fast
Beginning at sundown on Sunday, January 5th*
- There is no hard rule for when to begin the New Year Fast. Most often, the fast begins at sunset on the first Sunday of the New Year. However, if you or your community choose another day, then that is 100 percent ok. Allow the Lord to lead you on when you can be most successful for your fast.
Now is the perfect time for you to begin preparing your spirit, soul, and body for the upcoming New Year Fast. You’ll join hundreds of thousands of followers of Jesus Christ as you dedicate the coming year to your Lord. Plus, you’ll enter into one of the most influential spiritual experiences as you commit yourself to the 21 days of extended prayer and fasting.
The Daniel Fast
Most people will use the Daniel Fast as their method of fasting for the New Year Fast. This partial fast allowed more people to start the New Year with fasting as they can continue to fulfill their obligations and responsibilities at the workplace and home.
Preparation Schedule
Today – Plan to begin the New Year with extended prayer and fasting.
December 29 – Decide on the purpose of your fast. Do you have financial needs? Health concerns for you or someone you love? Perhaps a relationship needs healing. Or you want to learn more about prayer, your faith, and how to trust God more.
December 30 – Begin to prepare your body for your fast. Start now to wean your body off caffeine, sugar, and processed foods. The most critical issue is caffeine. To avoid headaches, extreme fatigue, leg cramps, and other withdrawal symptoms, but sure to begin cutting back now.
December 31 – Gather the supplies you will need for prayer, study, and meditation. Do you have a study book or a course that you’d like to use for your fast? How about a journal or worship music. Think about how to make your fasting time rich in growth. Also, consider our Daniel Fast – Only Believe Course.
January 1 – Plan and prepare a “secret place” where you will meet each day with your Father. Gather your Bible, journal, study books, and other supplies. Then select a place where you will “meet with the Lord” each day. It may be a kitchen table, a comfy chair, or a spot on your sofa. Plan when in the day you will meet and make plans to be consistent.
January 2 – Clear your calendar. Consider your schedule over the coming weeks and clear your calendar of as many activities as possible. Treat your fast as a personal spiritual retreat. Free up time. Reduce stress. Rest in the Lord.
January 3 – Drink plenty of water, reduce sweets and processed foods. Clear your body of the chemicals commonly consumed in the typical way of eating. Increase the amount of water you drink as you reduce your daily consumption of coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
January 4 – Plan and prepare meals that you can serve when you begin your fast. Plan easy meals, including soups and salads, casseroles, baked sweet potatoes, simple breakfasts. Use the recipes we provide. The key is to deny the flesh rather than trying to figure out ways to feed it (see Daniel Fast Mistakes You Want to Avoid).
January 5 – Final preparations and then enter into your Daniel Fast at sundown. I hope you are excited and feel confident that you are well prepared for a powerful and life-changing spiritual experience with your Lord. Begin your fast at sundown. Step into the experience. Allow your Father to lead you and develop your relationship with Him.
Only Believe
Jesus says, “I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” Unlike how we operate in the world where we “believe it when we see it,” Jesus calls us to enter into a partnership, level of trust, and position of faith with Him to believe that He will fulfill the requests we have for our needs and desires.
Sadly, most Christians are told “to believe,” however rarely are we taught “how to believe.”
That’s the focus of our Daniel Fast course for 2020. A series of online teachings that you can access from your computer, tablet, phone or other digital devices, will lead you on a path where you will learn how to ask the Lord for your desires and needs. Then how to enter into a place of trust and assurance, so you do “only believe.” And then how to receive from the Lord as He fulfills your requests.
Check out the course using this link: Daniel Fast – Only Believe
Enter into a life-changing experience with your Father. Allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you as you learn how to increase your faith, deepen your trust in God, and discover how to “only believe.”
Your Next Steps
- Decide that you will not indulge the flesh during your Daniel Fast. Instead, begin thinking about your spiritual life and what you want for your faith.
- Consider your upcoming fast. Start thinking about when you will begin. Examine your heart and what the purpose of our fast will be. Think about how you can lighten your load during your fast so you can receive more from the loving Father.
- Start to collect recipes and meal plans for simple, nutritious, and easy meals, so you don’t spend so much time preparing meals, but instead focus on God.
What do you do to keep your meals simple so you can avoid stress, focus on God, and grow in your faith? Please, share your thoughts below.
We always value your thoughts and insights. Please leave your comments below and be blessed on your fast.
Ooooops….all comments deleted and am doing again!
Thanks for your continued guidance and encouragement to do the Daniel Fast which I started from last year.
I come from Nepal, remote country in South Asia. I started this fast from today, 7 Jan. Not all non-preservative food are available in the country as the stable food here is rice, pulses, vegetables and meat (processed as well). I have prepared my prayer goals, topics and plenty of learning and listening from the Lord is anticipated which I need beginning of the year. I listen to Pastor Janzen Franklin other times too but especially during this period. I am 61 years old and in full time job, this is my last year and as it is I’m on the slimmer side and after 10/15 days, people will start asking me “what’s wrong with you” questions. Can I have simple rice, pulses and vegetables all cooked in olive oil and fruits and nuts in between? OR wheat bread cooked in the fire? Appreciate your guidance.
Dearest Grace,
I have been to Nepal many times. I love your country and some of my most favorite experiences happened there.
Yes, eat the foods that are available to you. I encourage you to keep your meals simple. All vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, healthy oils, and unleavened bread is suitable for the Daniel Fast. So you are ok.
Be blessed on your fast and I hope the very best for you in the New Year.
I truly thank you for your guidance with the Daniel Fast and other aspects of life. You are truly a blessing to me. Our church did the fast last year and God did His Amazing Work in our lives. To God Be The Glory!!!
Thank you for your lovely message, Janice.
Our God is so very good. I am blessed by this call that the Lord laid on my heart in 2007.
I hope the best for you on your fast. God has so much for us to learn and discover as we draw nearer to Him.
Be blessed.
Hi there!
I’m new in this fasting thing. How many prayer requests do I have to pray about. Is five okay?
Hi Lucy,
God’s Word says, “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.”
So bring to the Lord your needs. However, you also want to make sure you can focus on areas of study and hearing from God.
Lean into God. Spend time with Him. And open your heart to Him. Speak openly to Him and tell Him of your needs and your desires.
Be blessed on your fast. I’m so glad you’re with us.
Can you use herbs for seasoning? Can you use herbs for drinking or making teas?
Hi Maria,
You can use herbs and spices for cooking. However, the only beverage on the Daniel Fast is water. So no tea. (See Daniel 1:12).
Be blessed on your fast.
Thank you, for this great information. A lot of people who fast believe they can still eat whatever after they conclude the fast for the day. So your information is clear and helpful. I love a cup of hot coffee with honey in the mornings to wake me up. I will have to make more than a 100% effort not to consume it for 21days.
Happy, Bless, Prosperous, Healthy New Year
Cheryl Graham
Italy
I love to fast but I now have acid reflex. I am concern about fasting as I do not want to cause anymore effects on my stomach.
Hi Kereen.
You can fast. However, due to your physical issues, you may need to modify the fast. Drinking only water will bring no harm. Eliminating sweeteners from your meals will bring no harm. Eating simple meals will bring no harm. So, modify the fast to meet your specific health issues so you can receive the powerful and life-changing lessons God has for you.
Be blessed. I know you can do this!
Hi Susan, From the first time I heard and experienced the Daniel Fast, over ten years ago, I have been a Fast encourager to others. My initial impact was total cleansing, mind, body, soul and spirit, RIGHT ON TIME! I so look forward to January 5th cleansing to begin to take me closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and our honorable Father God. I would not be who nor where I am if it were not for my belief in Them and the fasting. Totally works for my Purpose4Life!!! Thank you Susan for your humble obedience, guidance and positive spirit of leadership from afar. Bless you and your Family, Forever and always in all ways!!! Super Love
Blessings to you, Juernene.
Our God is so good and the more we submit to Him in the lovely way He desires (in love and relationship), the better our lives will be.
I hope the very best for you on your fast and in this New Year. Thank you for your encouraging words. I receive the blessing you send to me and my heart is filled.
Dear Susan, once again we have come to the best time of the year. This year I’m encouraging the congregation to set goals with a plan. Because a goal without a plan is just a wish. Thank you for your devotion and caring for the body of Christ.
Right on, Jose!
Blessing to you. As I write these words, my heart is praying to our Father to fill you with His strength and His wisdom as you fulfill that call He has on your life. You are a treasure to Him and those He has placed in your circles of influence. Be blessed to be a blessing to those in your care.
I hope the best for you in the New Year.
Pray for my husband Jerome who don’t communicate and hurt me with the words like I must changes but I am doing everything in this marriage to make it work. His mind set is not right , like he said I must first touch him even if we want to be intermitte, I must first do everything I’m so tired but JOY COMES IN THE “MORNING” I only cleaning on God’s word and forget about yesterday.
Dearest Reny,
My heart hurts for your heart. And I believe the same is with God. Keep Christ at the center of all you do. Love your husband with true love. And at the same time, love yourself by not being abused in any way. Honor your body as it’s the temple of God’s Holy Spirit.
I also encourage you to do some things that bring joy into your life as you walk on this part of our life journey. Pray for your husband. Ask God to heal his heart and fill it with true love.
Be blessed. I pray for you.
Can you exercise at the gym during the Daniel Fast ?
Hi Annette,
Yes, you can exercise and continue on the care you are giving God’s temple (your physical body).
The Daniel Fast is a very healthy way to eat and is rich in protein if you plan your meals with plenty of whole grains and leafy green vegetables.
Be blessed on your fast.
Thank you. I’m preparing 💜
Please pray that I do the fast the whole 21 day with prayer, staying focus praising God, and that reveals to me what He want me to do next. Amen
You can do this, Debra.
Your Father has deep and powerful truths to teach you that are available as you submit to Him. One of the greatest benefits of the Daniel Fast is learning in a very direct way, to not cater to our flesh. Rather, we exercise submission and lean into God, even when our flesh rebels.
You can be successful. You have God living inside of you. And He only wants the very best for you. Keep that your focus and you will be successful on your fast.
Be blessed.
Been doing the Daniel fast for quite a few years now. My approach is a bit different. Only water the first three days, then only fruits and vegetables (not canned) for 18 days. I’m looking forward to this years fast. Shalom.
Blessings to you on your fast, Bart. It seems the modified fast has worked well for you. I hope the very best for you as you seek God and His amazing wisdom during your time of extended prayer and fasting. Such a powerful way to usher in the New Year.
Be blessed
My first goal is to connect with God every single day of the fast. I know there is great blessing in denying self for connection with the Holy Spirit. I also need to lose weight and don’t want to concentrate on my flesh and a diet plan. I believe this fast will have great blessing for me in spiritual and physical ways.
Thank you for your post, Nancy.
God is so very good. He’s invited you to draw nearer to Him as you spend this time drawing nearer to Him.
Honor your body as God’s dwelling place. Care of it. Accept the honor of being the caretaker of His temple. And be blessed on your fast. You will do well as you keep your eyes on Him.
Be blessed on your fast and in the New Year.