There has been an increased interest in the subject of fasting. This is a good thing, too. My fascination with the subject began as I was trying to, in the midst of my own ministry, rationalize why something that was crucial to the life of Jesus was absolutely absent from mine. It didn’t sit well with me.
Later, a friend introduced me to Dallas Willard’s The Spirit of the Disciplines and The Divine Conspiracy. Those two books opened my eyes to discipleship in Jesus and how his way of life was pivotal to the core of discipleship. I began to inquire of a number of friends who, consequently, had been wondering the same things.
So I began the practice of periodic fasting. It has become a valuable component to my own spiritual formation in Christ. Because of the affinity I’ve developed for the practice, I’ve continued to read from others on the subject. One such read is a book by Susan Gregory entitled, “The Daniel Fast.”
Susan was otherwise known as The Daniel Fast Blogger. Thankfully, she put her thoughts, recipes and encouragement into book form. She has written a thought-provoking book based upon principles derived from the respected Old Testament figure, Daniel.
She sets the stage in Chapter 2 by “Dusting Off an Ancient Spiritual Discipline.” Here she opens a portal into the biblical practice of fasting. She offers numerous examples from both Old and New Testaments of those who engaged in the discipline. She outlines the various types of fasts (absolute, normal, partial). And of course, she expounds upon the nature of The Daniel Fast.
Chapters 3 & 4 are essentially the purposes behind fasting. She is incredibly thorough, citing passage after passage revealing purpose upon purpose. After giving the first four chapters honest consideration, if a person isn’t sold on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits of fasting, something is amiss. Her case is clear. God, does indeed care about the totality of a person. In fact, the whole being is sanctified “completely” and the “whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless…” (1 Thessalonians 5:23, ESV). There is a link between spiritual formation and bodily well-being. Health, while not the most important part, plays a notable role in our emotional and spiritual well-beings.
The Daniel Fast is a partial fast, not total abstinence from all foods. Daniel’s diet is incorporated for the purposes of reaping the physical, mental and spiritual benefits that can be achieved through participating in it. It, like absolute fasts, can detoxify the body and pave the way for clarity of thought. It also teaches us to lean on God as the source of all physical and spiritual sustenance.
The book is immensely practical. Gregory affords reader with a five step plan to do The Daniel Fast. She ingeniously incorporates a section that provides food lists and recipes. The last portion of the book is actually a 21 day devotional guide for those who are willing to do The Daniel Fast.
This book is wonderful. If you are one who is sensing that you need to make some dramatic lifestyle changes to improve your health and spirituality, this is a great way to ease into the process. Don’t pass it off as silliness, it is not. Jesus believed in the practice of fasting. He worked under the impression that those who would follow him would sustain the practice in their lives (Matthew 6:16-18). The practice wasn’t about asceticism as we know it. It was a way to orient or reorient ourselves towards the One who we need most, the One who supplies all our needs.
