Day 15 Recap Hard to believe that this fast is almost over. I had a good day at church yesterday, in spite of battling a cold which I caught at work. I believe change is on the horizon and God is working behind the scenes on mine and my family's behalf.
Day 16 Recap One of the things that have come out of this is that my spiritual antennas are way up. The Holy Spirit has revealed some things to me that give me goose bumps when I think about it. One such instance happened when I was praying for DH. While praying for him, God gave me a message to give him. When I delivered the message, (I did it over the phone), DH was silent for a good 30 seconds. I felt when the word connected with his spirit. I've always wondered what was on the other side of surrender and commitment...I think I'm getting a taste of it now.
This is what I was thinking of doing with my prayer journal. Right now I'm also listening to Practice of the Presence of God.
Day 17 Recap I had a good day at work. I had a early meeting so I spent some time in the Word and skipped the gym. I'm determined, with God's help to finish this year in a much better place spiritually, physically and emotionally. I believe this fast has laid the foundation for this to be done.
Glad to see that you are sticking with the fast, OP! What if you are already doing a version of this fast for health reasons? I have food allergies and have to watch what I eat and I already eat a lot of what is permitted on the fast. I know that one of the purposes of the fast is to cleanse the body so that you can grow closer to God. Will this aspect work if you are already eating like this?
If you are already eating vegan and are cutting out sugar, I've read that you could eliminate something that caters to the flesh etc. social media, entertainment, TV etc. Ultimately, I believe each individual should seek God's guidance as to what to eliminate during this fast. For me, He told me to restrict my diet (as per the Daniel Fast guidelines) as well as cut out Netflix. Hope this helps.
Day 18 Recap In the back of my mind, I keep wondering what's next? On Day 22, will my life be different? Has my life changed? Will others be able to detect a change? I really don't want to lose my momentum and this intimacy. I guess this is another thing to pray about.
I haven't been doing the Daniel Fast, but I have been doing my own sort of fast for almost two weeks now. Like you, I don't want to loose any momentum. Quite frankly, I think I won't be able to go back to the status quo. Tuesday and much of Wednesday I was having a really difficult time, so much so that I was seriously considering throwing in the towel. However, yesterday evening something in me shifted and I decided to keep going. Since this shift, I have noticed that my prayers have changed. Not that my prayers were on the wrong track before, but I'm finding that my prayers are more focused on me being the person God has designed me to be and being more confidant as I walk in my calling. I say all that to say, while people may not be able to see the change in me right now, the change on the inside of me will soon manifest on the outside. Maybe you will experience the same. I appreciate you sharing your journey. Its been a blessing.
I don't think I will be able to as well. But we can't afford to be ignorant of how the devil works. The flesh will always try to lure us back to that place of complacency. We will have to be on guard and militant about preserving what we fought so hard to obtain over these past few weeks.
Day 19 Recap I had an awesome time at prayer meeting at church last night. We were reminded to have our own relationship with God, and not to depend on others' relationships to carry us through. I learnt this a long time ago as I used to depend on my parents' relationship with God. However there is nothing like being able to talk to God for yourself and to see him move in your own life, due to things you have personally asked him for.
Day 20 Recap All I can think about is how scared I was to do this and here I am almost at the end. It just goes to show that sometimes our mind is our own greatest enemy. It also proves that fear has a crippling effect and stops us from doing more and launching out further in God. As William Carey ( the father of modern missions) said " Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God". Don't let fear hold you back from being all that God has called you to be. This is just the beginning for me and as I continue to press for more in God, I won't allow fear to hold me back.
All, I wanted to add info about a fast from wrong thinking (it's a fast from the inside out) as well in case you have never heard of it. I am doing that as well as a modified Daniel fast. https://gregorydickow.com/fastfromwrongthinking/
Day 21 Recap I made it! With God's help, I completed my first Daniel Fast. I've already seen some answers to what I've been praying for. Some other things haven't physically manifested yet, but I believe that they will very very soon. I intend to keep up this intimacy level - it was so refreshing and invigorating. There is so much to attain in God. It just means giving up some of the fluff that distracts us, but its worth it in the end. Funny enough, my pastor addressed what to do at the end of the 21 day fast/prayer in prayer meting yesterday morning. Remember a few posts back how I said it was a concern of mine? Funny how God works right? My pastor said that its easy to get caught up in the 'high' and we may start to feel a bit of pride. He said that, based on his personal experience, that's the quickest way to get back in the valley, only to have to start the climb all over again. He noted that, instead of doing this, we should pretend as if we are still in the valley. Continue to hunger and thirst after God, continue to go hard after Him. In doing so, we will always maintain the 'high'. On the physical side, I think I'm going to limit my consumption of meat. I hardly missed it and therefore I think I can successfully eat a more plant based diet. I may start reintroducing fish in my diet this week, but I will definitely not be eating as much chicken as I used to. Now with regards to sugar....that's a whole other story, but I will take it a day and a step at a time. To all those who lurked, liked, posted and encouraged me along the way - thank you! It was not my intention to start doing a daily post (I'm rather introverted and don't like to draw attention to myself), but I felt led to do this. Hopefully it will encourage some one later on who might be contemplating doing this fast. Continue to walk with God and aim to attain all that He has for you. That's certainly my intention!
@janiebaby Honestly it has been up and down. There are days I'm on a spiritual high and then there are days like today (actually this whole week) where I've been feeling down and thinking that God has forgotten me. I must say that my entertainment appetite has changed significantly - I gave up Netflix while I was on the fast and I'm yet to watch a show on Netflix. My prayer life has also improved - I spend more time in prayer these days and I feel like something is missing if a day passes and I have not read my Bible. On the physical side, I'm still eating more plant based meals. I haven't had any meat yet, only seafood. I'll continue to stick with this method of eating for the time being. I'm happy that I did this fast. I definitely have no regrets.
I'm gearing up to do another 21 day fast, beginning next Wednesday (I have client dinners on Monday and Tuesday, so I just decided to start clean on Wednesday). I'm glad I made this thread last year. It was refreshing to read through my little daily recaps . I'm going to try and do the same this year, and record it in this thread. Is anyone doing the Daniel Fast this year as well?
That's great. I'm on Day 6. Mornings are the hardest as all I'm having is fruits and nuts. I have to keep reminding myself that my focus should not be on food but on the spiritual connection I'm seeking to strengthen.
