Why No Herbal Tea or 100% Juice!

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive about the Daniel Fast concerns herbal tea. People have a hard time understanding why they can’t have it on the fast, especially if it’s caffeine-free and organic. The same question is asked about fruit and vegetable juice.

The answer is really quite simple and it’s found in Daniel 1:12 where the Prophet’s words are recorded:

“Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.”

This is the anchor text that says we drink only water on the Daniel Fast. Tea and juice aren’t off the list because they are bad for you. They are off the list because there is no room for juice or tea in “drink only water.”

I hope this helps solve some of the confusion as to why  no other beverages are allowed on the Daniel Fast. When you think “beverage” during the Daniel Fast, you think “water.”

Now, let’s move to a little bit of a complicated matter, and that has to do with “juiced fruit and vegetables” that are allowed on the Daniel Fast. The reason they are listed is because many people have meals of juiced produce. It’s not a beverage . . . it’s a meal. One woman wrote to me today and told me she uses juiced meals when she’s traveling and at work.  But she also accompanies the juiced meal with a beverage . . . which is filtered water. So if you are making meal replacements by juicing fruits and vegetables, then they would be acceptable. It’s a fine line. Juice as a beverage is not allowed . . . liquid meals like smoothies and other plant-based protein drinks are okay.

Water has many benefits . . . including thwarting hunger, helping with detox headaches and cleansing the body. The average adult should drink at least 1/2 gallon of filtered water every day. If this is a new practice for you, you will be very surprised by the benefits you experience.

Daniel Fast on Paula Today

God is so good to have opened another door so others can learn about the Daniel Fast! I appear on Paula White’s television ministry program on January 6th and 7th where we talk about the Daniel Fast and its many benefits.

Susan Gregory and Paula White - The Daniel Fast

 You can check your Christian television schedule to learn of when the show will broadcast in your area . . .

The Daniel Fast and Fasting for Food

I am delighted to announce a new partnership with Compassion International, one of the most respected child-advocacy ministries in the world, and Richard Bloomer who is an associate professor at the University of Memphis. Richard and his team of researchers have conducted clinical studies that show the health benefits of the 21-Day Daniel Fast.

Together, we are all working to recruit men and women who are using the Daniel Fast to begin the New Year – to help raise funds so children who don’t have enough to eat can receive the food they need.

Go to http://Daniel-Fast.com/FFF.html to see a short video about this great opportunity to make a huge difference in the lives of hurting children. This is an exciting new program and truly puts the power of Christ’s love into action as we help those in poverty by “fasting for food.”

You can also visit the Fasting for Food site: http://FastingForFood.com

Daniel Fast – does it change God or change you?

I am now entering into my fourth year of teaching people about the Daniel Fast, a method of spiritual fasting practiced by millions of people throughout the world. Over the years, I’ve answered literally thousands of questions about the Daniel Fast and God has blessed me to make friends with men and women from more countries than I can count.

One thing I’ve noticed is that many people have a serious misunderstanding as to why they fast. And the greatest misunderstanding is that God will think of them as “better Christians” or accept them more readily if they complete a successful Daniel Fast.

But here’s the truth . . . you will not change God’s mind about you through prayer and fasting. The only thing that changes God’s mind about you – or I should say the only thing that will change your position with God – is Jesus Christ.  Because you believe in Christ and abide in Him and His word . . . that’s what makes you acceptable to God. Jesus makes you righteous and able to enter into the presence of the Holiest of Holy. The sacrificial blood of the Jesus did all the work that you will ever need to be acceptable to God.

Another misunderstanding about fasting is that we can change God’s mind by praying harder or more diligently when we fast – as if we need to counsel God so He can make the right decision about a matter.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God greatly desires His will be to “on earth as it is in heaven.” He wants the very best for you and everyone in your family. He wants you healed. He wants you free of worry and stress over money matters. He wants you to have loving and healthy relationships. His Word is full of what He wants – His will for you and for me and for all of humankind.

We don’t need to convince God or inform Him or guide Him. Instead, it’s the other way around. God is eager to shower you with love, healing, peace and goodness. He is good! He is love.

So what are the spiritual laws that God designed so that His will can be done on earth as it is in heaven?

It’s prayer. Prayers from God’s people serve as a conduit to release His will from the spiritual realm into the earth realm. Prayer is the essential element.

One of my favorite Bible teachers likens this spiritual law to a power plant. The power plant is there and eager to release its power to whatever needs it. So let’s say you have a light bulb that you want to use to manifest light. The power plant is where it is ready to release electrical power. The light bulb is with you ready to receive the electricity. But there is a missing part . . . the conduit – the wires. Once the right wires are in place the power plant can release the power – and the light bulb can receive it.

The same is with our amazing Father. He is in heaven full of power, love, mercy and grace. His will is to have His power released in the earth to relieve burdens, bring order to chaos, heal the brokenhearted, remove disease and so much more. But before His power can be released there needs to be the conduit – men and women declaring His will through their prayers. Intercessors are required to stand in the gap for those who can’t pray for themselves. Prayer warriors must voice the will of God for the needs in our world.

Prayer taps into the power plant – the almighty God in heaven – and allows Him to release His power and His ways into the earth realm – His will on earth as it is in heaven.

So prayer and fasting is a period of time where God’s children can separate themselves from their typical activities and focus on God and pray that His will be released in the earth. Jesus says in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” Notice all the elements? Prayers to heaven – the need on earth – the release of God’s power.

Enter a time of prayer and fasting using the Daniel Fast as your method of fasting . . . study God’s Word to learn His will for a situation . . . and then use your consecrated period of time to pray His will into the circumstances! He already knows everything you need. He’s the almighty God. He doesn’t need us to inform Him or convince Him or move Him.

Instead, God needs you! He needs you to pray . . . and sometimes prayer needs to be intense and focused . . . and that’s when it’s time for a fast! Fasting was designed by God to help us change what we’re doing in our typical days so we can pray that His will be done – on earth as it is in heaven.

Be blessed on your fast.

Daniel Fast Instructions

The Daniel Fast is a powerful method for spiritual prayer and fasting. And the Daniel Fast instructions are simple once you learn the boundaries.

You can get a copy of the Daniel Fast Guidelines emailed to you by clicking here: http://daniel-fast.com

The Daniel Fast eating plan is like a vegan diet with more restrictions. The only beverage is water. So the primary foods are fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. There are no sweeteners on the fast — and no processed foods or chemicals.

Clearly, the purpose of the fast is to draw closer to God. During your fast you will want to focus your time with God for a specific purpose or to gain His advice, intervention or direction in your life. Again, check out our website where we are able to be more specific about the Daniel Fast instructions.

The Daniel Fast in the Bible

The Daniel Fast is based on the fasting experiences of the prophet Daniel from the Old Testament in the Bible. It’s a partial fast where a group of foods are restricted for a spiritual purpose.

The Daniel Fast affords people a powerful time to focus special attention toward their God and His Word – the Holy Bible.

Since 2007, this blog has served thousands of men, women and teens who enter the Daniel Fast to draw closer to God, pray for specific purposes or to study the Bible and learn God’s ways.

My prayer is that you will spend some time on the blog and also visit http://Daniel-Fast.com and learn about the fast. You will find a caring and warm community here – and you can join our mailing list by going to http://Daniel-Fast.com to receive complimentary information about the fast, Bible study messages and devotions.

Be blessed as you continue to grow in the love and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Daniel Fast Instructions

The Daniel Fast is growing in popularity around the world. Just today I received messages from brothers and sisters in Christ from South Africa, Singapore, France, United Kingdom, Canada, and the USA!

The Daniel Fast is a totally plant-based way of eating. It’s based on the fasting practices of the prophet’s fasting experiences as recorded in Daniel 1 and Daniel 10, along with typical Jewish fasting principles. So the fast is centered on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, seeds and good quality oils (i.e. olive and canola).  You can also use herbs and seasonings.

The only beverage on the fast is water, but you can use juice and unsweetened soy milk (also rice, almonds, etc) on cereal or in recipes.

To learn more about the food lists, go to http://Daniel-Fast.com and request a copy of the Daniel Fast Guidelines and they will be emailed to you immediately.

Most people do the Daniel Fast for 21 days, however it is not a required length. Many fast for as few as seven days or for as many as 50.

There are no restrictions as to the amount of food you can eat on the Daniel Fast or when you can eat. However, we do want to keep in mind that this is a fast. So I encourage people to eat no more than three moderate meals and two small snacks.

For more information about the Daniel Fast, visit http://Daniel-Fast.com and review this blog. You can also find the Daniel Fast book and Cookbooks as the website.

Be blessed on your fast!

It’s Daniel Fast Time – Jesus Take the Wheel!

Hello my dear friends,

This little gals fingers are flying as fast as they can to answer Daniel Fast emails, respond to posts and fulfill orders! Thankfully, my will soon join me to help out! So if you are wondering why I seem “silent” to your specific message — that’s why.

I really do try to answer each one individually, but right now there are nearly 300 in just one of my inboxes . . . so you can understand my plight.

The best way to get information fast is to register at http://www.Daniel-Fast.com so you can receive The Daniel Fast Guidelines, fasting tips and news about the fast!

Thanks in advance for your understanding . . . and your prayers!

Be blessed as you prepare for the New Year Fast to continue to grow in the love and knowledge of Christ.

The 2010 New Year Fast – The Daniel Fast

Praise God! The time is fast approaching for the New Year Fast. So many of us have experienced amazing breakthroughs and a deeper relationship with God during this 21-day period of focused prayer and fasting.

First, let me say that there is no right or wrong time to start the New Year Fast. However, most people will start it at sundown on Sunday, January 3rd. Pastor Jentezen Franklin from of Free Chapel Church (GA and CA) has called the corporate fast he leads to begin on January 10th and conclude on the 31st.

Now if you or your church starts at another time, then all is well. So don’t worry about a specific date or time.

If you want a copy of the Daniel Fast Guidelines emailed to you, please visit http://www.Daniel-Fast.com and enter your first name and email list in the little form. This will subscribe you to the Daniel Fast Community where you will receive occasional emails with fasting tips, recipes, devotions and lots of information about spiritual fasting and the Daniel Fast.

Also, be sure to begin preparing for the fast about 10-7 days before your start date. Drink plenty of filtered water (home filtering is fine) and taper off caffeine, sugar and processed foods.

Lastly, decide your focus for the fast. Most important is to draw closer to God. But this is also an excellent opportunity to seek God for the challenges you may be facing right now.

Be blessed, dear one, as you read these words. I hope you stay in touch as you continue to grow in the love and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through prayer and fasting.

Another good reason for no MSG on the Daniel Fast

I just read an article from Johns Hopkins University that cited a new study about MSG. You can find it at MSG STUDY. It’s worth reading, especially when you wonder why you feel so good while on the Daniel Fast.

The article is also very convincing as to why most men and women lose weight while on the Daniel Fast. Here’s an overview:

The study finds that MSG causes the human body to gain weight three times more than those who don’t use the chemical! Here’s an excerpt:

“The study focused on 750 Chinese men and women, ages 40-59, living in 3 rural villages in north and south China. Most of the study subjects prepared their meals at home without commercially processed foods and roughly 82 percent used MSG. Those participants who used the highest amounts of MSG had nearly 3 times the incidence of overweight as those who did not use MSG, even when physical activity, total caloric intake, and other possible explanations for body mass differences were accounted for. The positive correlation between MSG and higher weight confirmed what animal studies have been suggesting for years.”

Most people think MSG (monsodium glutamate) is found only in prepared Chinese food or the food you get in Chinese restaurants. But the truth is that more and more food manufactures are adding MSG to their products because the chemical is a flavor enhancer.

Here is what is really amazing: in 1950 Americans consumed about 1 million pounds of MSG a year. Now that consumption has increased by 300 percent! That’s right, American consume more than 3 million pounds of MSG each year! And we wonder why we have a weight problem!

The best way to avoid MSG is to make you own meals from scratch. When that it’s possible, then - here we go again - READ THE LABEL on the foods you purchase to see what the ingredients include. One problem is that the law only requires ingredients to be listed if they represent a certain percent of all the ingredients. So if what seems like only a small amount of MSG is added, then it will not appear on the list.

I hope that most of those on the Daniel Fast are making most of your meals from fresh products and using packaged products that you can be sure don’t include chemicals. One thing I know is that many men and women continue to eat a more healthy diet with pure foods after they complete the fast because they realize good food is so good for them.

Please take a few minutes and read the article about THE MSG STUDY. You owe it to yourself and to your body!