In Daniel chapter 1, Daniel and his companions from Judah were chosen by the King’s officials to learn the language and literature of the Babylonians. Each man was given food and drink from the king’s palace, but Daniel asked the overseer to give them only vegetables and water. After 10 days, Daniel and his friends were not only healthier and stronger than the others but verse 17 says, “God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.” Verse 20 then says, “In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom”.
From this passage we can see several things about Daniel’s fast:
He was specific - Daniel wasn’t vague in his objection to the Babylonian diet:
He was committed - Daniel made a spiritual commitment to God “that he would not defile himself.” Dan. 1:8
His was disciplined - Daniel asked permission to be tested for 10 days. During this time he remained faithful to his fast and didn’t waver from the test. When we fast we must remember that:
He was a witness to others - Daniel made a statement of faith when he asked for only vegetables to eat and water to drink. It was a testimony to the others of his faith and commitment to God.
He left the results to God - Daniel told the overseer in verse 13, “as you see fit, deal with your servants”. Daniel knew that God would cause them to be healthier and stronger than the others. The result didn’t come just because Daniel fasted, but because he trusted God to bring about the desired results. Remember:
Food Guidelines for The Daniel Fast (Foods we may eat)
Whole Grains: brown rice, oats, barley
Legumes: dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black-eyed peas
Fruits: apples (applesauce), apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries,
cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon
Vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, gingerroot, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, spouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini (veggie burgers are an options if you are not allergic to soy)
Other foods: seeds, nuts, sprouts, olive oil, tofu, soy milk
Liquids: spring water, distilled water, 100% all natural fruit juices, 100% all natural vegetable juices, protein drinks if they don’t include dairy
Foods to avoid:
Words of caution:
When participating in a partial fast, you may want to adjust your fasting to certain days or certain meals instead of doing a complete Daniel fast, i.e. eating only the foods listed. Some people, because of dietary or medical issues, may not be able to completely restrict some of these foods or eat only these foods. The intent is to replace the “choice foods” with veggies, grains and water or juices as a desire to draw closer to God.
Information based from the book, Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough: A Guide to Nine Biblical Fasts by Elmer L. Towns, Ó 1996 by Regal Books, Ventura, CA and The Daniel Fast Cookbook Ó 2007 by Susan Gregory.
From this passage we can see several things about Daniel’s fast:
He was specific - Daniel wasn’t vague in his objection to the Babylonian diet:
- The king’s food was against Jewish dietary laws
- Daniel and his friends had vowed against drinking wine
- The king’s food had been offered up to idols/ demons
He was committed - Daniel made a spiritual commitment to God “that he would not defile himself.” Dan. 1:8
His was disciplined - Daniel asked permission to be tested for 10 days. During this time he remained faithful to his fast and didn’t waver from the test. When we fast we must remember that:
- The level of our spiritual commitment will be reflected by the amount of time we spend in prayer during the fast
- Our commitment to the scheduled time will help us to complete the fast and not give up early
He was a witness to others - Daniel made a statement of faith when he asked for only vegetables to eat and water to drink. It was a testimony to the others of his faith and commitment to God.
He left the results to God - Daniel told the overseer in verse 13, “as you see fit, deal with your servants”. Daniel knew that God would cause them to be healthier and stronger than the others. The result didn’t come just because Daniel fasted, but because he trusted God to bring about the desired results. Remember:
- The Daniel fast will bring spiritual insight, “to those four men God gave knowledge”.
- The Daniel fast is longer than one day - they fasted for 10 days.
- The Daniel fast is a partial fast - they ate but only vegetables and water.
- The Daniel fast requires abstinence from party or junk foods.
Food Guidelines for The Daniel Fast (Foods we may eat)
Whole Grains: brown rice, oats, barley
Legumes: dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black-eyed peas
Fruits: apples (applesauce), apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries,
cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon
Vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, gingerroot, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, spouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini (veggie burgers are an options if you are not allergic to soy)
Other foods: seeds, nuts, sprouts, olive oil, tofu, soy milk
Liquids: spring water, distilled water, 100% all natural fruit juices, 100% all natural vegetable juices, protein drinks if they don’t include dairy
Foods to avoid:
- all meats & animal products (meats, dairy, fish, etc.)
- all refined or processed foods
- bread and other baked goods
- dairy products including eggs, milk, cream, etc.
- white rice
- fried foods
- caffeine or caffeinated beverages
- carbonated beverages
- foods with preservatives or additives
- refined sugar
- sugar substitutes
- white flour and all products using it
- margarine, shortening and high fat products
- junk foods with high fat & sugar contents
Words of caution:
When participating in a partial fast, you may want to adjust your fasting to certain days or certain meals instead of doing a complete Daniel fast, i.e. eating only the foods listed. Some people, because of dietary or medical issues, may not be able to completely restrict some of these foods or eat only these foods. The intent is to replace the “choice foods” with veggies, grains and water or juices as a desire to draw closer to God.
Information based from the book, Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough: A Guide to Nine Biblical Fasts by Elmer L. Towns, Ó 1996 by Regal Books, Ventura, CA and The Daniel Fast Cookbook Ó 2007 by Susan Gregory.