Introduction

Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore, he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” — Daniel 1:8 NKJV

“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message and had understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three weeks were fulfilled.” — Daniel 10:1-3 NKJV

The Daniel Fast, based on the above Scriptures, is a three-week partial fast, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and water. This spiritual discipline is designed for healing, spiritual insight, wisdom, and breakthrough.

This devotional follows the Book of John, encouraging participants to read one chapter daily, meditate on its truths, and journal insights gained through prayer and reflection. May God bless you on this transformative journey.

Day 1: Discarding Our Preconceptions

Theme: Trusting God’s plan for our lives.

Scripture: John 1:45-4

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”  Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 

Nathanael was not the only one misguided about the Messiah.   The first chapter of John mentions that although Jesus was in the world, and the world was made through Him, the world did not know Him. (John 1:10) The world had a certain picture of who the Messiah would be, where he would reside, and how he would fulfill his purpose – but they got it wrong!  Likewise, people often develop preconceived notions about who we are based on our outside appearances/circumstances.  Thank God that God looks at the heart of an individual, not the outside appearance.  Therefore, we can confidently say that it doesn’t matter what our zip code is, what side of the train tracks we were born on, the color of our skin, our gender, etc.  What matters is that if God be for us, who can be against us?  When God calls us, as He called His Son to do something, we know that He will equip us and provide all that we need to fulfill our purpose.  Therefore, we can confidently say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13 

At the start of this fast, consecrate yourself to seek God and to be rooted in Him.  Discard your preconceptions and endeavor to know God intimately and to be known by Him intimately.  He will reveal your purpose and speak to you concerning the issues for which you fast. Have a journal in hand and jot down the impressions that His Spirit gives you.

Reflection:

• Discard preconceptions and seek to know God intimately.
• Consecrate yourself and ask God to reveal His plans and purpose.
• Journal impressions God places on your heart during prayer.

Supporting Scriptures: John 1:45-46; John 1:10; 1 Samuel 16:7; Philippians 4:19; Philippians 4:13; Jeremiah 29:13

Day 2: Faithful Obedience

Theme: Trusting and obeying God’s instructions.

Scripture: John 2:5
His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

In this Scripture, Mary, the mother of Jesus, tells the servants at a wedding in Cana that both she and Jesus attend, to do whatever Jesus tells them to do.   She says this after informing Jesus that the wedding attendant has run out of wine.  More than anyone else, she knows that Jesus has the power to do anything – even turn water into wine.  Jesus tells the servants to pour large vats with water, which miraculously turns into wine. This is the first recorded miracle of Jesus’s ministry.   

On our fast, we need to adopt Mary’s child-like faith, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”  Immerse yourself in prayer and the Scriptures during your fast.  Feast on His presence and meditate on the Scriptures below.  The reason why Mary knew that Jesus could do anything goes beyond having conceived him supernaturally. She spent intimate time with Him. 

Oftentimes, when we pray, it’s perfunctory. We don’t spend enough time in His presence to get to know Him. God tells us to “be still and know Me.” Prayer is a two-way communication. We pray, then we should be still, even marinate in God’s presence to hear what He has to say about the things for which you’ve prayed. When we you do this, you will discover the truth of the words of Jesus, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Matthew 4:4b.  After your prayers, spend quiet time in His presence with a journal and record the impressions/words that the Spirit tells you.  And, whatever He says to you, do it! 

Reflection:

• Cultivate a deeper prayer life, listening to God’s voice.
• Record impressions during prayer and follow His guidance.
• Trust God’s plan even when it challenges your understanding.

Supporting Scriptures: John 2:5; Luke 1:38; Luke 5:5; Psalm 119:105; Luke 11:28; Matthew 4:4

Day 3: Spiritual Birth

Theme: Transformation through being born again.

Scripture: John 3:3
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Jesus speaks these words to Nicodemus, a Pharisee who comes to visit Jesus in the dark cover of night.  Jesus explains that to understand the things of God, one must be born again – born by the Spirit to understand spiritual matters.  This is done when one places their faith in the One God sent to earth to save the world, His Son Jesus Christ! Then we are delivered from spiritual dimness to spiritual light. Then we can appreciate and even yearn for more of God. 

On your fast, ask the Holy Spirit, the One with whom you have been baptized when you made Jesus your Lord and Savior, to strengthen you, to open your understanding of the Scriptures, to reveal your purpose, and to speak to you regarding the issues for which you fast. Open your journal and write about the things for which you need the Holy Spirit to give you understanding. 

Reflection:

• Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s purpose in your life.
• Pray for understanding of Scripture and areas of personal growth.
• Journal the areas where you need clarity or transformation.

Supporting Scriptures: John 3:3; Romans 8:5-6; 2 Corinthians 5:17; John 14:26; Romans 8:26; John 16:12-15; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 1:13

Day 4: Freedom in Christ

Theme: Letting go of burdens to experience Christ’s freedom.

Scripture: John 4:28-29
The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”

After the woman at the well’s divine encounter with Jesus, she left her waterpot and went her way to testify of the goodness of the Lord.  Likewise, when we encounter our Lord, he confronts the issues we carry around day in and day out, the issues that weigh us down, the issues we hope others will take away – but only He has the power to do so.  After an encounter with Christ, we are confronted with love, not condemnation, reconciliation not recrimination, and restoration, not isolation.  We are empowered to live out our life’s purpose.  We are free of the weights that the enemy has placed on us.  We can finally put the waterpots down. 

On your fast, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any waterpots that need to be ‘put down’ so that you can be free to fulfill your purpose.  What weight has the enemy put on you?  What negative thoughts plague your mind that drag you down?  With the help of the Holy Spirit, you can put these ‘waterpots’ down that have dragged you down for so long.  God wants you to live a life free from heavy burdens.  He wants to give you life and life more abundantly. In your journal, write about the waterpots you have to put down in your life to experience authentic freedom in Christ. 

Reflection:

• Identify and release your “waterpots” (burdens or hindrances).
• Ask the Holy Spirit for help in experiencing true freedom.
• Journal about the areas in your life where you seek freedom in Christ.

Supporting Scriptures: John 4:28-29; John 3:17; Matthew 11:28; John 10:10

Day 5: The Desire for Wholeness

Theme: Seeking and accepting God’s healing and renewal.

Scripture: John 5:6
When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

Just like the man that Jesus met at the Pool of Bethesda, there are some situations that we find ourselves in that we’ve been a part of for a long time, sometimes a lifetime.  We can get comfortable in a bad situation and not seek help or know how to get help.  Jesus is the only way out of a helpless situation.  He offers hope in a dark place.  He can do the impossible if we truly desire to be made whole. 

On your fast, consider situations you have been in for a long time, whether in your health, relationships, jobs, etc.  Ask yourself if you want to be made well.  If so, ask the Lord to heal you and make you whole, to give you the strength to step out of a negative situation so that you may prosper and have all that God intends for you. Pray and journal about things for which you’ve settled but you know that you need a release from. This is your year! 

Reflection:

• Consider areas where you’ve settled for less than God’s best.
• Ask God to heal and strengthen you to step into wholeness.
• Journal about the situations where you need God’s intervention.

Supporting Scriptures: John 5:6; Matthew 19:26; Matthew 17:20; Mark 11:24; Isaiah 41:10; Jeremiah 32:17; Jeremiah 32:27

Day 6: Spirit and Life

Theme: Finding strength and renewal through God’s Word.

Scripture: John 6:63
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

In this Scripture, Jesus speaks to the disciples of the power of His Words.  His words are spirit, and they are life.  There is creative energy in Jesus’s words.  In John 1:1, these words are recorded about our Lord and Savior: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” There is power in the Word of God because Jesus is the Word.  

To prosper, we need to meditate daily on God’s Word, for there is spirit and life in God’s Word. Just as our physical body needs physical food to prosper, our spiritual person needs spiritual nourishment from the Word of God. Additionally, we experience renewal and transformation by meditating on God’s Word. Romans 12:2 tells us, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (NLT) We experience transformation when our thoughts line up with God’s thoughts. To do that, we need to renew our minds with God’s words till they become one. That’s when you experience the miracle of transformation. 

On your fast, continue to pray and meditate on Scripture daily.  Jesus lets us know that the flesh profits nothing.  As we fast, we are denying ourselves.  By doing so, we are weakening the voice of the flesh (our will to do things that oppose God’s will) and strengthening our Spirit man to hear God’s voice more acutely.  Areas that previously held us captive and prevented our growth in God will be conquered on the fast as we meditate on God’s word and apply it to daily practice. In your journal, write down a Scripture and meditate or think about it. Say it over and over until you memorize it. Write about what God is saying to you about this Scripture. 

Reflection:

• Meditate daily on Scripture and memorize key verses.
• Write about how God’s Word speaks to you and transforms you.
• Deny the flesh and strengthen your spirit during the fast.

Supporting Scriptures: John 6:63; Joshua 1:8; 2 Corinthians 4:16; Hebrews 4:12; Luke 9:24; Romans 12:1-2

Day 7: The Promise of the Holy Spirit

Theme: Refreshment and Renewal through the Holy Spirit

Scripture: John 7:38 

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. 

Jesus promises to baptize those who place their faith in Him with the Holy Spirit, described in this passage as living waters that flow from the heart of the believer.  This is a never-ending flow of water that quenches the thirst of everyone who thirsts for more of God.  It is the third person of the Trinity that comes to inhabit the heart of the believer.  The Holy Spirit opens our minds to understand Scripture, teaches, convicts, prays for, and empowers us. 

On your fast, develop an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.  Study about the Holy Spirit.  Come to know His power to renew you, empower you, strengthen you, and root you deeply in Christ. 

Below are some Scripture references about the Holy Spirit. After reading about the Spirit, write in your journal the Scripture that mostly touches you; write a prayer to the Holy Spirit and ask that He continue to guide and sustain you on your spiritual journey and throughout this fast. 

Reflection:

• Study about the Holy Spirit to gain understanding of His role in your life.
• Journal about Scriptures that touch you the most about the Spirit.
• Write a prayer to the Holy Spirit..

Supporting Scriptures: John 7:38; John 14:26; John 14:26; John 16:13; Acts 1:8; Romans 5:5; Romans 8:26-27; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ezekiel 36:27; 2 Timothy 1:14; Ephesians 5:18; 1 John 2:27