What is it?

A “Daniel Fast” is a specific twenty-one day fast based on the book of Daniel. For twenty-one days, Daniel denied the Babylonian delicacies and ate only vegetables and water - proving God’s sustaining ability (Daniel 1:8). There was another time in Daniel’s life, where He prayed for twenty-one days, before the archangel Michael came with direction from God (Daniel 10:13).  

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In Daniel 1, Daniel chose not to eat the royal food that he was being served and only ate vegetables and drank water. Another time (in Daniel 10:2-3), he deprived himself of choice food, meat, and wine as he sought out the Lord in prayer. Most commentaries believe “choice foods” would have been bread and sweets. The intention of the Daniel fast is not to duplicate exactly what Daniel did, but the spirit in which He did it. Daniel’s passion for the Lord caused him to hunger and thirst more for spiritual food than for physical food, which should be the desire of anyone choosing to participate in this type of fast.

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As you fast, try not to get too hung up on what you should and shouldn’t eat. Remember, the most important part of the fast is that you deny yourself physically so that you may seek God in prayer and grow closer to Him.