The new year is imminent, or may already be here by the time you read this post. I pray you will find 2015 to be a special year spiritually. Many people, even whole church congregations are preparing themselves to hear from God concerning direction for the next12 months of their lives. My church in particular is inviting all who will to join together in a fast for 21 days starting Monday, January 5. Although it is discretionary, Destiny Worship Center (DWC) will follow the Daniel Fast. I have joined the DWC church members for two years in this same fast although I had never heard of the Daniel Fast until 2012.
Personally, I enjoy cooking: the decision of what to fix, the shopping, the prep, the frying/sauteing/boiling/mixing/baking (whew!) and anything else that goes into the preparation of a meal. The clean-up...not so much. In this late-in-life development I even like to read cookbooks as much as I do my mystery books. And, if I'm looking for a particular recipe, I'll go online--spending too much time--in search of it.
So, when the idea of revamping old recipes and/or adding new ones to my culinary repertoire was presented, I thought this surely was a "sign" that I needed to undertake this fast's challenge. The first year I concentrated on finding acceptable vegan recipes that could be spiced into a palatable form. It was fun, and, since I was alone during the week, it was easy enough to do. If I didn't like a dish, anything remaining after one serving could be chucked pretty easily. J
The fact is, I had missed the real purpose of the fast. So what if I lost a few pounds during those 3 weeks; was that my goal? Although I knew the rudimentary concept of a fast was to draw closer to God, my relationship with Him didn't seem to have developed or blossomed beyond what it was before the fast. After the first fast participation in 2012, I felt like I had done way too much for the little that it accomplished. In my perception, it was a bust!
But, because it was such a disappointment to me, I started researching the Daniel Fast more and connected with a couple of very informative and encouraging resources. Susan Gregory has written some books (& some e-books that you can download) with the expanded thrust of the Daniel Fast becoming a continuation into our everyday life. Rick Warren & friends has developed a program with the same focus called the "Daniel Plan." There is even a small group at DWC with the same emphasis. (I might have to look into that one...)
Anyway, I have slowly come to the realization that my focus on buying, cooking and enjoying new and different foods for the fast was not what I wanted to concentrate on this year. As an article posted by Susan Gregory suggested, I'm going to select simple and humble dishes this year. I hope my efforts to prepare "pleasant" foods that I could squeeze into the restrictions of the Daniel Fast are a thing of the past.
"I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2If you wish to join or individually participate in the Daniel Fast, here are a couple of places to look for information on the purpose, encouragement, devotionals and food preparation. Hopefully, you will find at the end of 3 weeks that you have drawn closer to the Lord and He has drawn closer to you.
Susan Gregory's website Rick Warren's Daniel Plan 12 Recipes for Daniel Fast
Ladying for December 31, 2014: "Life needs to be prepared for! There is no better groundwork for a new year than to spend time getting direction and purpose from the Lord. Do everything you can to "hear" from Him! You will not be disappointed."
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