265. Post-Pandemic Daniel Fast
Daniel Fast is starting this Sunday. For 21 days, those who participate in the fast will abstain from meat, grain, dairy, sugary products, coffee/alcohol and media. Those who find it challenging to do the complete fast can still participate with “media fast.”
We are about to come out of the two-years-long pandemic, which was challenging and disruptive in many ways. As the world has changed, we need brand new wisdom from God to know what to do and what to do differently in our lives. Removing ourselves from all the distractions will help us find clarity in discovering God’s good and perfect will for our lives in this season.
Many books explain why fasting is necessary and its benefit, but the Bible doesn’t explicitly teach why fasting is needed. But it is not difficult to notice that many people in the Bible fasted whenever there was an urgent need (Ezra 8:23), a great danger (Esther 4:3, 16), or before an important task. (Matthew 4:2, Acts 13:3) Interestingly, pagans also fasted when they were confronted with their evil. (Jonah 3:5) So, we see that fasting is something people naturally do under unnatural events or situations. We feel the necessity to do something different when we want to change, and it usually starts with limiting their diet. Fasting what we consider essential fortifies our resolve to overcome challenges and enhance our courage.
However, when we do fasting simply for its benefit, we can miss the most crucial goal, which is deepening our relationship with God. As difficult as it seems, God made it easy to relate to him, mainly through his Word and prayer. Our goal during Daniel fast is “intimacy,” not tangible benefits (though there are many).
We encourage participants to read the entire New Testament through the “New Through 30” Bible plan. Though it is 30 days plan, if you read three extra days of portion during each weekend, you can finish it in exactly 21 days. (So ten days worth of reading each week) I encourage choosing more readable translations such as NLT. It will help you read faster and add freshness to the reading.
