Introduction

Dear Reader,

When I was a sophomore in college, one of my professors said something that I remember verbatim…more than forty years later! (I truly believe this may be the only thing I remember any of my college professors saying.) Here is what he said, “What you feed grows; what you starve dies.”

At first, the words of this professor sounded intriguing. After 40 years of thinking about them, I now think they rate in the top five statements I’ve heard in my lifetime…not counting Scripture.

Think about this. What you feed grows; what you starve dies. What are some things we feed? Here are just a few things I thought of…

Our bodies Our minds Our spirits Our relationships

Our good habits Our bad habits Our education Our addictions

Now, what are some things we starve? Our bodies Our minds Our spirits Our relationships

Our good habits Our bad habits Our education Our addictions

Notice something? The lists are the same. We can feed or starve whatever we want in our lives. And here’s what happens. Whatever we feed grows. It gets stronger. AND whatever we starve gets weaker and eventually dies.

Over the next twenty-one days, I am challenging you to feed some good things in your life. And I am also challenging you to starve some of the destructive things in your life. What are some things that need to grow? What are some things that need to die? Chances are you don’t have to think too long for the answers to those questions.

I don’t know all that God will do, but I do promise that if you take this twenty-one day challenge with me, you will not be the same person at the end of the twenty-one days. You will experience some changes in your life that you have hoped would happen for many years. What is it that you want to feed? What is it that you want to starve? Answer those questions, and let’s get started.

I’m praying for you,Pastor Greg

What You Will Need

You Need A Bible – Each day of the twenty-one days I will be emailing you a devotional, which will begin with a Scripture. I am not going to write out the Scripture. I want you to look it up…in YOUR Bible. You may want to take a highlighter and highlight the Scripture that I send to you. Yes, it’s ok to mark up your Bible…God doesn’t mind. If you don’t know where a Scripture is located, look in the Table of Contents. I will be using the New International Version of the Bible, but feel free to use whatever you like. Sometimes it’s great to look at another version to get a deeper meaning of the Scripture.

You Need A Journal – Use a notebook that you can keep with you and use after the twenty-one day journey. This journal is for you to make notes, write down prayers, and write down thoughts that you have while praying and reading. Sometimes I use the left-hand side of the note pages to write down little tasks that I think of that I need to do that day. These are interruptions to my devotional time. But if I write them down, I can quit thinking about them during the devotional.

You Need A Place And A Time – If you don’t find a favorite place for your devotional and a specific time, you won’t do this! I tend to be a very early morning person, so it’s easy for me to find a place and time. No one is up when I’m up, so it’s pretty easy. You might be a night owl. Or you might not be a morning or evening person at all…maybe you're a soap opera person. Whatever your best time, give that time to God for the next twenty-one days.

You Need To SOAR In Your DevotionalsScripture is the starting point. Find and read the devotional Scripture each day.Observe what you read. What is God saying in the verse? Write that down.Apply the Scripture. Write down how you can apply this Scripture to YOUR life.Remember to PRAY and ask God to help you make the life application

You Need Some Good Daniel Fast Recipes – I have some of my favorites listed later in this booklet. You can also go online and get some great recipes as well.

You Need To Go Grocery Shopping – The Daniel Fast requires preparation. You can’t wait until the morning of the fast and then try to eat correctly. SO PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME!

The Following pages are specifically about fasting and the Daniel Fast. If you have any health concerns regarding fasting, please contact your physician before taking part in the Daniel Fast.

Why Fast?

I have a very dear friend who loves God. I have known this person for many years. I recently had a conversation with him about a habit that has had a huge grip on his life…he is a chain smoker. I want my friend to quit smoking for so many reasons. First, I want him to experience the power of God in his life in such a way that he will experience freedom from this addiction. I also want him to experience the physical health that comes from not smoking. I have never experienced an addiction to nicotine, but I have experienced other addictions in my life, and I know this about addictions. It takes radical action to defeat an addiction.

So I am asking my friend to quit smoking for twenty-one days…and I’m asking him to go on the Daniel Fast for twenty-one days. Both of these are radical actions and require a huge sacrifice to what he is usually doing. In other words, FEED THE GOOD THINGS…STARVE THE BAD THINGS.

I don't know if my friend will be delivered from smoking by going through this process. BUT I do know that if he abstains for twenty-one days, fasts and prays, smoking will have much less of a grip on his life than it ever has before. And I am going to be praying for him every day for the entire twenty-one days. Look at this promise from God’s Word.

Isaiah 58:6-9 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

In this passage, God talks about freedom from sin, addictions and oppression. He also says that when we are free from these things that we will be set free to serve others. When Jesus was sent by God to be tempted in the wilderness, the battle of temptation was prefaced with a fast. Jesus defeated temptation in part by fasting.

That’s what I want for you. I want you to be freed from things that have bound you…things that have hurt you. I want you to starve those things to death that are killing you, and I want you to feed the things that will bring you true life. With all my heart, I believe as you experience God more, you will choose sin less.

Let me give you another challenge. What is the biggest harmful temptation in your life? SAY IT OUT LOUD! Now, make the decision that you are going to resist giving into that temptation for the next twenty-one days while you are fasting. Get ready for something great to happen!

What’s The Daniel Fast?

First of all, fasting is about food…but it’s not about food. Let me explain. It’s about food in this regard. When the Bible talks about fasting, it is talking about restricting all or some foods for a spiritual purpose. I’ve heard people say that they were fasting TV. I think that’s a good idea. But that is not a fast according to Scripture. Fasting in the Bible means to stop eating some food.

That being said, fasting is not only about food. Self-denial of food is a necessary component of the Daniel Fast, but you must not let that take center stage. As difficult as it may be at first, do not get caught up in the food thing and miss the God thing. God is going to use this fast to help you grow stronger spiritually.

Now…what about Daniel? The Daniel Fast is actually taken from the prophet Daniel in the Bible. Go to the book of the Bible with his name on it, and you will see that Daniel had some foods that he would stay away from and some foods that he would eat. Thus, the name Daniel Fast.

I won’t go into great detail in this booklet, but participating in a Daniel Fast requires eliminating commonly enjoyed foods for twenty-one days as an act of worship and of consecrating oneself to God. There are may types of fasts, but I personally like this one, because I can do this for twenty-one days, and that is a great time to experience spiritual growth.

Foods that are allowed are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and oils. Restricted foods include dairy, meat, sugar, all forms of sweeteners, yeast, refined and processed foods, deep-fried foods, solid fats…and many other things I love. The Daniel Fast is a great entry-level fast since you are able to eat a large variety of foods.

You don’t have to be a spiritual giant to do a Daniel Fast. It's for anyone who is hungry for a deeper connection with the Lord and who is willing to make a three-week commitment to the spiritual discipline of fasting as a means of pursuing that connection. Let me share a couple of my experiences with the Daniel Fast: The first week is a little tough. It’s a complete change of everything I enjoy

eating. The first few days I get a terrible headache, because I stop drinking coffee. (I

plan to cut back on my coffee drinking several days before the fast begins.) By week two, I feel GREAT! The Daniel Fast is a much healthier diet than I

regularly eat (which needs to change) and my body is saying, “THANK YOU!” Bad breath usually accompanies the first few days of a fast. That’s your body

saying, “This Gunk’s gotta go!” I always lose weight. (Some of you won’t experience this because you don’t need

to lose weight. I'm praying about that…because I don’t like you very much.)

Foods To Eat:

Fruits: fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, canned

Vegetables: fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, canned

Whole grains: amaranth, barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, millet, whole wheat

Nuts and seeds: almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, nut butters

Unleavened bread: whole grain breads made without yeast, sugars, or preservatives

Legumes (canned or dried): black beans, black-eyed peas, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), great northern beans, kidney beans, lentils, pinto beans, split peas

Quality oils: canola, coconut, flaxseed, grape seed, olive, peanut, sesame

Beverages: distilled water, filtered water, spring water

Other: herbs, spices, salt, pepper seasonings, soy products, tofu

Foods To Avoid:

Meat: beef, buffalo, fish, lamb, pork, poultry

Dairy: butter, cheese, cream, eggs, milk

Sweeteners: agave nectar, artificial sweeteners, cane juice, honey, molasses, raw sugar, granulated sugar, brown sugar, syrups, stevia

Leavened bread and yeast: any bread with yeast, baked goods, Ezekiel Bread (contains yeast and honey)

Refined and processed food products: artificial flavorings, chemicals, food additives, preservatives, white flour, white rice

Deep-fried foods: corn chips, French fries, potato chips

Solid fats: lard, margarine, shortening

Beverages: alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks, coffee, energy drinks, green tea, herbal tea, tea

Student Fast

 

Greg’s Favorite Fast Foods

Breakfast

Apple-Cinnamon Hot Cereal1 (14.5-ounce) can coconut milk2 cups cooked brown rice1 apple, chopped, unpeeled (about 1 1/2 cups)1 banana, mashed (about 1 cup)  1 cup roughly chopped dates1 ½ teaspoons cinnamonPinch nutmeg

½ cup toasted pecans or walnuts

Add coconut milk, brown rice, apple, banana, dates, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat about 10 minutes or until heated through. Stir frequently to prevent burning on bottom of pan. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of pecans or walnuts over each serving.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about ½ cup)

Recipe Notes• Store chopped dried figs or raisins for the dates.• Add 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal.• Makes a great snack or dessert!• Store unused portion in refrigerator or freeze for later use.

Baked Oatmeal1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk½ cup unsweetened applesauce¼ cup chopped dried apricots¼ cup chopped dates or raisins¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts½ teaspoon cinnamon¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put all ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Transfer to an 8 by 8-inch baking dish that has been lightly rubbed with olive oil. Pour oatmeal mixture into dish and bake 45-50

minutes or until slightly browned and crispy on top.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 squares)

Recipe Notes• Spread almond butter or Date Honey on each serving.• This recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9 by 13-inch casserole

dish. Nutty Fruit Cereal1 banana, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)1/3 cup fresh blueberries1 tablespoon chopped almonds1 tablespoon chopped walnuts1 teaspoon unsweetened coconut flakes½ cup unsweetened almond or rice

milk

InstructionsPlace banana slices in a bowl and top with blueberries, almonds, walnuts, and coconut flakes. Pour in almond milk.

Yield: 1 serving (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)

Recipe Notes• Substitute chopped pecans for the almonds or walnuts.• Enjoy as a fruit and nut snack without the almond milk.*I change the walnuts out for pecans!

Fruit PizzaCrust1 ½ cups almond flour (meal) ½ cup roughly chopped pitted dates½ cup chopped pecans¼ cup unsweetened apple juice

Fruit Sauce¼ cup Date Honey½ cup sliced strawberriesTopping IdeasSliced apples, bananas, blueberries, grapes, kiwifruit, mangoes,

oranges, peaches, pineapples, strawberries InstructionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Place almond flour, dates, pecans and apple juice in a food processor. Process until mixture forms a ball. Press dough into 10-inch circle, about ¼-inch thick, on an 11 x 17-inch baking sheet or pizza pan (rub a little olive oil on your hands if dough gets too sticky). With a fork, poke holes all across crust dough. Bake 10 minutes, or until edges are browned and slightly crispy. Remove from oven and let cool completely, about 45 minutes.

Put Date Honey and strawberries in a food processor or blender. Process about 30 seconds or until smooth and creamy. Spread fruit sauce onto cooled crust. Top with your favorite assortment of sliced fruit. Refrigerate 3 hours or until chilled.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 slice)Recipe Notes: Substitute oat flour for the almond flour.

Cinnamon Baked Apples2 cups thinly-sliced apples, unpeeled (about 2 apples)1 cup unsweetened apple juice1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

InstructionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sliced apples in an 8 x

8-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk apple juice and cinnamon, and pour over apples. Bake 15 minutes, stir, and bake another 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup)

Recipe Notes• Pour over Baked Oatmeal.• Add sliced bananas, raisins, and chopped nuts.

Fall Harvest Oatmeal

½ recipe Cinnamon Baked Apples 2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats4 dates, pitted, chopped (about ¼ cup)2 tablespoons chopped pecans

InstructionsPrepare Cinnamon Baked Apples as directed. When apples are done, cook oats on stovetop according to package directions. To serve, place ½ cup oatmeal in two bowls. Top with apples, dates, and pecans. Pour 2 tablespoons of apple juice over each serving, and serve immediately.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Recipe Notes• Use figs or raisins instead of dates.• Store the other half of the apples in an airtight container in the

refrigerator and use the following day.

Lunch

Spinach Salad

2 cups chopped fresh spinach2/3 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed & drained1/2 cup chopped carrots1/2 cup chopped sugar snap peas1/2 cup chopped tomatoes1/2 cup chopped zucchini1 tablespoon sunflower seedsLemon-Tahini Salad Dressing

InstructionsPlace spinach, chickpeas, carrots, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, and zucchini in a large bowl. Pour Lemon-Tahini Salad Dressing (see below) over salad, and stir to coat. Sprinkle sunflower seeds, and toss gently. Serves 2.

Lemon-Tahini Salad Dressing

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice2 tablespoon tahini2 tablespoon water1 clove garlic, minced1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

InstructionsCombine all ingredients in a blender. Refrigerate until chilled. Makes 1/2 cup.

Here Are Some Great Ideas For Eating Lunch Out! Go to Moe’s and get a tofu salad with a bunch of veggies! Use oil &

vinegar dressing

Try Melt (Leesburg) and get their veggie burger – this will blow your mind. Don’t get their sauce on it. They have a great oil and vinegar combo for dressing!

Any good restaurant will have a great salad or salad bar with oil & vinegar dressing.

Dinner

Flatbread Pizza with Macadamia Nut Cheese2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour2 TB flaxseed meal1 tsp salt1 cup warm water 1 cup Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 cup Classic Tomato Sauce

Topping ideas: Green peppers, mushrooms, olives, onions, and/or roasted red bell peppers.

Instructions Mix flour, flaxseed meal, salt, and water in a food processor until dough forms a ball. Turn dough onto a floured work surface, and knead for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450º F. Rub a little flour on a rolling pin, and roll dough out onto a preheated pizza stone or an oiled pizza pan into a 12" or 14” circle (depending upon the thickness of crust you prefer). If dough is too sticky to roll, put some flour on your fingertips and press dough to edges. With a fork, poke holes all across crust dough. Bake 10 minutes, and remove from oven.

Spread Spinach Artichoke Dip across crust, and top with Classic Tomato Sauce. Add desired toppings. Bake 20 minutes or until edges of crust are brown and slightly crispy. Remove from oven, and let sit 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Serves 4-6.

Recipe Notes• Substitute Pesto for the Spinach Artichoke Dip.• Use Eggplant Tomato Sauce instead of Classic Tomato Sauce.

Place sauce in food processor, and pulse until it reaches desired consistency.

Grilled Portobello Steaks with Sun-Dried Tomato Tofu

4 Portobello mushroom caps

Marinade¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil¼ cup unsweetened pineapple juice or orange juice¼ cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos* or soy sauce2 tablespoons chopped green onions (green parts only)1 clove garlic, minced½ teaspoon dried crushed rosemary

Sun-Dried Tomato Tofu8 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into ½-inch rectangular slices (2 ounces each) 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained¼ cup sliced black olives2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

InstructionsPlace mushrooms in a glass dish with gills up. Whisk together marinade ingredients in a small bowl, and pour over caps. Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes.

While mushrooms marinate, prepare Sun-Dried Tomato Tofu. Place tofu slices in an 8 x 8-inch baking dish, and drizzle with olive oil. Top with sun-dried tomatoes and olives. Add basil leaves, parsley, and garlic powder. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to broil setting while tofu marinates. Put tofu in the oven and broil for 5-7 minutes. Preheat barbecue grill. When grill is ready, place mushroom caps over heat for 5 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time.

To serve, place grilled mushroom caps on a plate, top with tofu slices, and drizzle a tablespoon or two of the rosemary marinade over all.

South of the Border PizzaCrust:1 1/2 cups corn flour

1 cup whole wheat flour1 cup warm water1 TB extra-virgin olive oil1 tsp salt1/2 tsp cumin1/8 tsp cayenne pepperSauce:1 (15.5-oz) can pinto beans, undrained2 cloves garlic, minced1/2 tsp onion powder

Toppings:1 cup Salsa, liquid drained1 (14.5-oz) can corn kernels, drained & roasted*4 oz Taco Tofu Crumbles, optional (see recipe below)1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers 1/2 cup sliced olives1/4 cup diced onions1/4 tsp cumin

InstructionsPreheat oven to 450º F. Mix crust ingredients together in a large bowl or food processor until dough forms a ball. Rub a little flour on a rolling pin, and roll dough out onto a preheated pizza stone or an oiled pizza pan into a 12" circle. If dough is too sticky to roll, put some flour on your fingertips and press dough to edges.

With a fork, prick holes all across crust dough. Bake 10 minutes, and remove from oven. Cover crust with pinto bean sauce and salsa. Add 1/2 cup of roasted corn kernels, tofu crumbles, roasted red peppers, olives, and onions. Sprinkle cumin over pizza. Bake 15-20 minutes or until edges of crust are brown and slightly crispy. Remove from oven, and let sit 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

*To roast corn kernels, place on a lightly oiled baking sheet, and spread out in one layer. Bake at 450º F for 10 minutes, stir well, and return to oven for another 5-10 minutes. Corn should be slightly blackened.

Recipe Notes• Use the remaining roasted corn kernels in a stir-fry or as a salad

topping.• To simplify this recipe, do as much prep work as you can ahead of

time. Put everything in containers, and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to assemble the pizza.

• Drain the juice out of the salsa by pressing it in a colander; otherwise, the crust will tend to be a little soggy. 

• Add black beans.• For a gluten-free crust, use brown rice flour for the wheat flour, or

use all corn flour.

Great Internet Sources For The Daniel Fast & Recipes

www. ultimatedanielfast .com/

http://daniel-fast.com/recipes.html

www.caringcarrot.com/

http://danielfast.wordpress.com/category/daniel-fast-recipes/

Three Great Books For The Daniel Fast & Recipes

The Ultimate Guide To The Daniel Fast by Kristen Feola

The Daniel Fast Made Delicious by John and Ann Marie Cavazos

The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory