DESTINED TO WIN CHRISTIAN CENTER
“ENTERING OUR SEEKING SEASON”
FASTING GUIDE
January 2016
For the past ten years our congregation has started each New Year with the
sacrifice of seeking our Lord’s face with fasting and protracted prayer. We
prepare in the month of December to enter into our seeking season by preparing
ourselves to exercise the spiritual disciplines that we have been taught with
prayer and worship. This is a great time to plan, strategize, and set your
intentions for 2016.
2016 will be a phenomenal year. We are in a FAVOR zone and we want to stay
there. We will continue to focus on Building Bridges, Reaching People and
Transforming Lives. This is an extremely volatile time on our planet. It is
imperative that we “Stand in the Gap” through intercession like no other time.
God has called each of us to be difference makers. We are called to influence the
world-as salt and light-to compel men to repent from darkness and to turn to the
Kingdom of light. As the world continues to walk in greater gross darkness and
there is uncertainty; we are assured of the fact that we have already won in
Christ Jesus.
2016 will be a year of equipping and activation as we train and develop into a
strong apostolic house of prayer with a supernatural discipleship culture.
Our 21-Day Fasting and Prayer theme for 2016 “Standing in the Gap” speaks to our
assignment-as a local church-to pray and reach the souls of the people in our
families, our friends, other loved ones and communities.
This guide will serve as an assistant to you and your family as we participate
together in seeking God. This year our fast will begin on Sunday, January 3,
2016 and will end Sunday, January 24, 2016. It will be a time of intense worship,
prophetic declarations and ministry. Please mark your calendars and make
arrangements to attend the weekly corporate prayer meetings. In addition I
would advise you to lighten your schedule for the month and to make sure you
are scheduling plenty of private time for you to seek the Lord individually.
As your servant-leader, I really want to admonish you to plug into this seeking
season with all of your heart and with great expectations, looking for God to
perform His word. Do not take this time for granted. I believe this year’s seek
will set your year on fire like no other year.
In the Master’s Use, Your Servant-leader,
Pastor Kelvin
We have provided (3) types of fasting schedules based on levels of
commitment; Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced. Please consult a
physician, if necessary, before committing to the fast of your choice.
Type of Fast: Daniel Fast
Dates: Sunday January 3, 2016 thru Sunday January 24, 2016
Daniel Fast Description
The Daniel Fast is for those who want to honor God by fasting from certain foods
for a designated length of time. There are also big health benefits for those who
choose to do the Daniel Fast. However, this fast is primarily a spiritual
experience.
The reason Daniel's dietary choice is called a fast is because Daniel gave up
certain foods to honor God. He was fasting from "Royal Food" that would defile
his own body, and also defile God. In doing this Daniel honored God with his
body, mind, and soul.
Genesis 1:29 (NIV)
29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole
earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."
God gave us the wonderful gift of food. That food is fuel for our body. As a
Christian, I have learned that our bodies are a temple of God. We are given our
bodies to use, and care for as long as we are on this earth. Unfortunately, much
of the food we eat is no longer of God, it man-made.
When Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden they were given a wide variety
of delicious food to eat. The Garden had every sort of fruit and vegetable we
could imagine. All of the fruit was fresh and healthy to provide fuel for God's new
creation, Man and Woman. The food was not processed, there were no
preservatives, or chemical sprays on that food. However, in the 21st century
food is not so natural and organic. The Daniel Fast takes a commitment to not
only eliminate certain foods, but to be sure that the foods that are eaten are
natural and organic. The average person in America has a heavy body. Not just
heavy with excessive weight, but also heavy in toxins. These toxins cause many
known and unknown health related issues. When those toxins are removed,
health is often restored. God can offer restoration to those who eat as healthy as
Adam and Eve once did.
Daniel 1:11-16 (NIV)
11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 "Please test your servants for ten
days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then
compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and
treat your servants in accordance with what you see." 14 So he agreed to this
and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of the ten days they looked
healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal
food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to
drink and gave them vegetables instead.
Daniel asked only for vegetables and water because he did not want to eat any
"Royal Food". In some ways this sounded funny to me the first time I read it. I
imagined him starting off that first day with a plate of vegetables, and a cup of
water, determined to not eat any other foods. Doing this did not only restore
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azaria to better health, but they physically
appeared healthier and better nourished. Within just 10 days, they looked better
than the guards that watched them!
Daniel 1:8 (NIV)
8 But Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king's
food or drinking his wine, so he asked the head of the palace staff to exempt
him from the royal diet.
Daniel was determined, as mentioned in the Bible. It was this determination that
helped Daniel to accomplish this mission. Without that determination, Daniel may
have given up before experiencing the results. How often do we give up before
getting to the results?
Through his choice of food, Daniel sacrificed temporary satisfaction for long term
benefits. Every day we see advertisements about fast foods, or un-natural foods
that are convenient, but not healthy. Perhaps overweight people or people with
health problems should be in the commercials for unhealthy food. Instead we
see commercials with healthy looking people eating unhealthy food. Is this not
false advertising? Regardless of advertisements, or food packaging, we are
responsible for our food choices.
Even food or drink labeled as "diet" is often very unhealthy. This is due to the
artificial ingredients and dangerous chemicals and toxins added. During the
Daniel Fast, it is important to read the label of any package. Usually, if the
ingredient list is longer than a paragraph it is a good indication of artificial
ingredients. This is especially true when you cannot even pronounce the names
of the ingredients on the list.
Daniel 10:2-3 (NIV)
2 at that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no
meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks
were over.
Daniel fasted for 21 days. This does not mean that you should not commit to a
longer or shorter time to fast. While 21 days was ideal for Daniel, you do not
need to commit to this exact length of time. However, I recommend a minimum
of 7 days in order to see and feel the immediate health benefits, and realize the
spiritual benefits.
Even lotions were avoided during the time Daniel set aside to fast. Since lotions
are absorbed directly into the skin, they too can be a threat to any person's well
being. This is especially true over time if unnatural lotions are used daily.
There are many different versions of what has become known as the Daniel Fast.
What is more important is your commitment to God during this time.
Ideally, one should avoid the following:
-Animal products, Sugar, Caffeine, and AlcoholTo get a bit more specific this means absolutely No Meat, Milk, Fish, Fried Foods,
Butter and Margarine, Shortening, White Flour, Preservatives and Additives,
Refined Sugar (high fructose corn syrup, etc.) Sugar Substitutes (NutraSweet,
etc), Caffeine (coffee, black tea, green tea, white tea) and Alcohol (Beer, wine,
etc.)
Note: Decaffeinated coffee is also off limits since it still contains a small amount
of caffeine.
Organic foods to eat during the Daniel fast:
WHOLE GRAINS: Brown Rice, Oats, Barley
LEGUMES: Dried Beans, Pinto Beans, Split Peas, Lentils, Black Eyed Peas
NUTS: Cashews, Walnuts, Almonds, Sunflower seeds, etc. (no peanuts)
FRUITS: Apples, Apricots, Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries,
Cantaloupe, Cherries, Cranberries, Oats, Figs, Grapefruit, Grapes, Guava,
Honeydew Melon, Kiwi, Lemons, Limes, Mangoes, Nectarines, Papayas, Peaches,
Pears, Pineapples, Plums, Prunes, Raisins,
Raspberries, Strawberries, Tangerines, Watermelon, Oranges, Coconuts, etc..
VEGETABLES: Artichokes, Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage,
Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chili Peppers, Corn,
Cucumbers, Eggplant, Garlic, Gingerroot, Green Peppers, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce,
Mushrooms, Mustard Greens, Okra, Onions, Parsley, Potatoes, Radishes, Red
Peppers, Rutabagas, Scallions, Spinach, Sprouts, Squashes, Sweet Potatoes,
Tomatoes, Turnips, Watercress, Yams( not candied), Zucchini, etc..
Drinks: Spring Water, Distilled Water, 100% Fruit Juices, 100% Vegetable Juices,
naturally decaffeinated teas (Peppermint tea, Chamomile, etc.)
How to Prepare Yourself for a Fast
There are several steps you can take to help prepare you for a fast. Before you
start to consider any fasting, you certainly may want to have a close look at your
eating habits. It makes little sense to fast, when before and after the period of
fasting you still continue with poor eating habits. Proper food from the point of
view of pure, fresh with healthy vitamins and minerals contained in the food you
eat is what you want to learn to eat day after day. Properly preparing your
body for a fast not only makes the fast itself easier, but also improves
the results.
1. Educate yourself as much as you can about the fasting technique you are
going to use.
2. Write down all the instructions for your fast and organize a plan and schedule
on paper before you begin. This is important because once the fast begins, you
might try to convince yourself to quit. The schedule can then act as a contract
you have made with the fast that you must keep. Remind yourself why you are
doing the fast and remember that it is important.
3. Taper off your addictions in the days prior to your fast. Cut down on
caffeine, salt, sugar, cooked food and meats, etc. If you cut them off all
of a sudden, expect to experience headaches, stomach aches and a
general feeling of discomfort.
4. Begin eating smaller meals prior to your fast. Resist the temptation to eat a
big "last supper" the night before the fast. Cutting down your meals a few days
before signals your mind, stomach, and appetite for the fast.
5. Gather everything you need for your fast before you begin.
6. Eating a plant based diet.... can support you in creating harmony and health.
Prefer to eat things that are fresh rather than cooked food, i.e. salads and fruits.
Fruits of any kind, i.e. fruits, berries, nuts, natural cereal ... are of highest quality
in their vibration.
If possible select organic fruits and vegetables that have been grown in natural
sunlight and that have completely ripened in the Sun.
7. Drink the highest quality water that you can find (water that has high
purifying quality). The minimum for purification of your body should be 1 - 1.5
litre per day on cool days and up to 2 - 3 litre.
8. Use mild herbal teas (no caffeine). One or two cups of the right herbal tea
may support the purification and best possible function of your body.
9. Drink all the fresh fruit and vegetable juices you like especially the dark
greens.
9. Eliminate dairy products, eggs refined flour products and sweets.
10. Use only olive and coconut oils for cooking. Use no more than 2 tablespoons
of oil per day. Do not use butter or margarine of any kind.
11. Do not use salt. I would limit the use of spices.
12. Do not use any caffeine, alcohol, stimulants or recreational drugs.
13. Do not eat any fried foods.
14. If at all possible consume a warm cup of fresh lemon water with ginger tea,
especially upon awakening. A ‘green drink' each day would be good as well.