A Guide to the Daniel Fast

guide to the daniel fast

Every year we do our 7 Day Fasting & Prayer to kick off the New Year and we tend to get the same questions surrounding the Daniel Fast.  We just thought people would do some research on it and come prepared so we wouldn’t need to write about it.  However, there are still many questions so we decided to write our own post which is your ultimate guide the the Daniel Fast.

What is the Daniel Fast?

It is a spiritual fast.  This is not a diet even though for some it may have the effects of dieting and detoxing.  Please read the entire Daniel Chapter 1.  We are only sharing some of the verses below…

Daniel 1  (NKJV)

young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.

But 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. Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. 10 And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king.”

11 So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.

15 And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies. 16 Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

18 Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. 20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. 

Here are the highlights:

  1. Daniel entered the King’s palace eating this way, which tells me God gave him the wisdom to do that
  2. His way of eating aided him in interpreting dreams and visions
  3. It also gave him wisdom, revelation and understanding

Different fasts have different purposes,  when you go on a Daniel Fast you do this for the purpose of gaining revelation, understanding and wisdom.

How else do you think we are able to interpret that many dreams and visions during the 7 day fast in such a short time frame? Mental clarity and a sharpness in spiritual gifts.  Also, when we send the interpretations back to you because you are also clear you can see what needs to be done and action it quickly.  This works!

Believe it or not it has been scientifically proven that dairy and processed foods along with many others can actually causes brain fog and cloudiness in our thinking.

7 Worst Foods for Your Brain

3 Foods that Affect Your Mental Health

Daniel,  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were basically vegan when they entered the King’s palace.  I’m not telling you to become a vegan but I want to point out that other foods actually affect your mental acuity.




We already know that the NKJV version of the bible said vegetables and water.  That is pretty restrictive…it doesn’t even say fruits.  I know some of you are strict KJV people and think every other version is not of God but we want to share some of the others that have a variation of this.

Other versions of the bible

Daniel 1:12 The Voice (VOICE) “Daniel (to the guard): 12 Please, do us a favor. Put us, your servants, to the test for the next 10 days. Give us a vegetarian diet and water.”

Vegetarian – vegetables, fruits, gains & dairy products

Daniel 1:12 BRG Bible (BRG) “12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.”

Pulse – Plants, seeds – lentils, chick pea, beans

Daniel 1:12 Wycliffe Bible (WYC) “12 I beseech, assay thou us thy servants by ten days, and pottages be given to us to eat, and water to drink; (I beseech thee, assay thou us thy servants for ten days, and let vegetables be given to us to eat, and water to drink;)”

Pottage – soup, stew, lentil soup, polenta, porridge – oatmeal, cornmeal porridge

Majority of the versions stick with vegetable and water but there are others that add other items.

Which one should you follow?

That is completely and totally up to you. Whatever violates your conscience is a sin (Romans 14:23) so if in your heart you feel like certain foods are not allowed then you shouldn’t be having it.  At the same time you can’t judge someone else for not being as restrictive as you are.  For some of you, if you have a diet that has heavy processed food and meats, fruits a vegetable is really a fast for you.  Some people use salad dressing on their salads, others think you’re not allowed to do that.  Ezekiel bread is made from seeds and grains so some people have that, others think this is not allowed.  Some people season their food, others think you shouldn’t do anything else but salt and pepper.  Some people have dates, raisins and figs, others think those are too delicious to be included in a fast.

The Hebrew root word for delicacies is pathbag (Strong’s 06598) which means a portion of meat.  So one thing you know for sure – no meat!

If you are vegan, you also have to put some restrictions in place since you already eat this way.  So maybe you want to consider doing only vegetables and water.  Or maybe you need to raw. The bottom line is, if you don’t feel like you’re giving up something then you’re not fasting.

Some other things to consider while on this fast

In this age of over saturation with TV, newspaper, social media and cell phones, is it wise to be on a fast where guide to the daniel fastyour brain is now clearer to then fill it with garbage from reading your Facebook feed and watching YouTube? Probably not. This is why we highly recommend you cut back from the social media as you are waiting on the Lord during the fast.  They didn’t have these problems in the days of Daniel, so you have to use wisdom in how much you let in to your eye and ear gate during this time.

What can you drink?

Water.  We know for sure you can’t have any alcoholic beverages.  I often get the question can I have tea or coffee?  If you do, I’m thinking you have to go with almond milk or coconut milk and skip the dairy.  Some people still have juice because that’s from fruit.  Again, what violates your conscience?  No judging here.

What about the timing of the fast?

That’s up to you as well.  Remember it is scientifically proven that these some foods make your brain cloudy…why would you do a Daniel Fast from 6am – 6pm and then eat cheese, drink wine and have meat after that to go back on the next morning with 6am – 6pm?  You would be unclogging your brain to clog it up again to start over the next day?  Makes no sense.  You are undoing your progress.  You need to stick with it 24/7 for the duration of your fast – 3 day, 7 day, 21 days.  Whatever it may be you need to stay with this way of eating for the entire duration of the fast.  You are still eating your 3 meals a day or more.  I would think if you are vegan then doing 1 meal a day would feel more like fasting for you.  Just think about it and use your own judgement.

Daniel, I don’t believe, didn’t plan on doing  a 21 day fast.  He just needed to stay on it until he got a breakthrough. (Read Daniel 10) So you may start off with 3 days and realize you need to go with 10 days instead or even longer.  You stay on it until you get your answers.

Also, please note Daniel said “test us for 10 days”  so there has to be something to the 10 days, right?

Now let’s talk about the 21 Day Fast which we see in Daniel Chapter 10

Daniel 10:3 (Voice) “Daniel: When I received this vision, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three weeks. I had eaten very little, no meat and no rich foods at all. I had not enjoyed the taste of wine, nor had I used any oils to bathe or groom myself. I continued this way throughout the three full weeks.”

He didn’t shower or groom himself for 21 days!  Probably didn’t even brush his teeth! Eeww! LOL

Daniel 10:2-3  (NLT) “2 When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks. All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.”

Interesting that he said he had no meat or wine or rich foods.  So, I always thought Daniel was vegan but this appears not to be the case.  He did that to get into the palace and then once he was in place it appears that he went back to eating meat.  Am I wrong for thinking this?  Please say in the comments below.

Daniel 10:2-3 Names of God Bible (NOG) “2 During those days I, Daniel, mourned for three whole weeks. I didn’t eat any good-tasting food. No meat or wine entered my mouth. I didn’t wash myself until the entire three weeks were over.”

Nothing good tasting – interesting!

Now the Message version of the bible also said vegetables and water earlier but look at the difference when they talk about this in Daniel 10…

Daniel 10:2-3 The Message (MSG) “2-3 “During those days, I, Daniel, went into mourning over Jerusalem for three weeks. I ate only plain and simple food, no seasoning or meat or wine. I neither bathed nor shaved until the three weeks were up.”

What I am getting from all of this is that Daniel took it a step further when he did the 21 day fast.  It wasn’t the same as the initial 10 day “test us” period.  Just something to keep in mind.

Let’s talk about the Daniel Fast Food List

Now again, please know that we’re all at different levels so some of these may not seem acceptable to you but to others it is actually a fast for them.  We are giving you a list and if any of these violate your conscience, don’t do it.  It’s that simple.

List of Vegetables and Herbs for the Daniel Fast

List of Fruits for the Daniel Fast

List of Oils

List of Herbs and Spices

This list is not exhaustive and I know you are all in different countries and have access to different kinds of fruits and vegetables that are not on this list.

Getting through a 7 Day Daniel Fast is hard but doable but when we do extended fasts for 21 days or even 40 days the food can become quite tedious and we run out of ideas of what to eat or how to make it. So here are some recipes.

Here are some Daniel Fast Recipe Ideas

Breakfast

  1. Fruit Smoothie – Just blend whatever fruits you have together  or just eat any fruit you have available
  2. Vegan Breakfast Hash
  3. Oatmeal with cinnamon add berries
  4. Chick Pea Scramble with Zucchini and Thyme
  5. Southwest Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash

Lunch

  1. Salad – cucumber, tomatoes, onion, avocado, salt to taste, pepper, olive oil, balsamic vinegar.  Optional – Add chick pea or kidney beans for protein
  2. Corn and Black Bean stuffed Sweet Potato
  3. Harissa Portobello Mushroom Tacos
  4. Vegetable Soup – Chop up whatever vegetables you have and put them in a soup season it with salt, pepper, garlic and onion.
  5. Thai Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Dinner

  1. Zucchanoush you can each this with raw vegetables
  2. BBQ & Cauliflower Flatbread with Avocado Mash – you can put this on a lettuce leaf instead of using the flatbread
  3. Roasted Vegetables – brussel sprouts, carrots, potatoes chopped add olive oil, rosemary, salt, pepper roast for 40 minutes (depending on how small you chopped them) 400 degrees.  Eat this with spinach, kale, collard greens sauteed in olive oil with garlic
  4. Black Beans and Brown Rice
  5. You can take any kind of bean and make soup with it adding garlic, onion, salt and pepper for taste

Snack

  1. A piece of Fruit
  2. Nuts
  3. Hummus with vegetables Sundried Tomato Hummus
  4. This can be either snack, lunch or dinner – lettuce leaf filled with hummus, carrots, tomatoes, peppers
  5. Sweet Potato Chips or you could slice the sweet potatoes or potatoes like french fries put some olive oil and bake and eat this with hummus. Or season them and eat alone.

Restaurant Foods

If you are wondering about the restaurants where you can eat when you are on a Daniel Fast all you need to do is check the menu and ask them to show you all the vegan options, then you can go from there.  Side dishes are usual quite safe unless they are cooked in butter or cream.

Praying during the Daniel Fast

Remember that this is a spiritual fast so you need to have your list of items for prayer.  What do you need wisdom, revelation and understanding on?  You should be praying over these everyday. And reading your bible every night.  If you get dreams, ask God for the interpretation.  Since you will be very clear during this fast you will be able to quickly discern. And, if not?!  God will give you another dream that will clearly explain the first one.  He knows that you are doing this for revelation so He is going to make sure you get it.

Here’s another prayer that will help you during your fast as well Jeremiah 33:3 Prayer for Revelation of Hidden Things

In our last Daniel Fast, we had a participant that thought they needed to drop out of the fast because they didn’t have any more fruits and vegetables and no money to buy any.  We know that every one here is from different cultural, ethnic and economic background so…do you best.  It is your heart that is more important.  Give up something, that is what the fast is about. God knows your heart.

We hope this has helped you.  If you have any tips you can share about Daniel fast or any meals, recipe ideas, please share them in the comments below. You will be helping others.  Also, let us know if you have more questions.

Blessings

23 thoughts on “A Guide to the Daniel Fast”

  1. This fast is NO JOKE this year was my second year of doing it and when I tell you EVERYTHING that I wrote down that I’d like to see happen this year it is happening!!!…. Unimaginable things, that there is no way they could come to pass without the hand of GOD!……… All praise be to the Almighty!… without him we are NOTHING!.. All things are possible to those who believe!!.. and seek GOD daily!… Amen!..

  2. Hello, are you allowed to take nutritional supplements during the fast? Like a multivitamin and omega 3?
    Thank you.

  3. Dear MOP, I find myself frustrated ,the more I want to clear myself to hear the cloudier and louder it gets in my surroundings. While I fight hard to empty myself, work becomes heavier and decrease my abilities to hear. I feel like I am in a dessert and very far and lost.

    1. Keep pressing forward. Put on some soaking music to get into the presence of God. Look up Eric Gilmour Worship and listen to that.

    2. Regarding you having had thought he was vegan: not likely in my interpretation. I’ve interpreted them not wanting to defile themselves as in there were “unclean” foods being served so if they just stuck with vegetables they could still eat with them and not break the Law. The ten day testing period was for the chief of the eunuchs- he was trying to make sure he didn’t get in trouble for the boys dropping weight under his care since the king had asked for the best and brightest. I have a hard time even considering their diet in Daniel 1 as part of a “Daniel Fast” because it seems as if they ate this way the entire 3 years they were being educated with the king and based off how many kings are crammed in this book it was likely multiple years later that he had the vision that initiated his 21 day fast. There’s a theme throughout the whole book that says “go ahead and test my God” so I’m assuming that’s more where they were coming from with only eating vegetables instead of unclean foods for the time they were being educated. The 21 day fast seems more to me the kind of mourning and calling out to God, prayerful and lamenting, hungering for God, knowing He’s the only answer kind of fasting we’re accustomed to seeing throughout scripture.

      I appreciate that you leave such an open hand with what could be consumed on the fast. It really is so vague and up for interpretation, allowing for us to be fully dependent on Holy Spirit to lead us into what is right for us.

  4. I have a question, does flour tortilla count? I have been eating no dairy, no added sugar, no meat or fish or seasonings but herbs, fruits, oats, peanut butter (for calories), beans and vegetables but the flour tortilla comes to mind because I’ve been having one for lunch or dinner. I am concerned that is not good on such a fast. I’ve seen videos of people consuming them while on Daniel fast but I just want to make sure.

    Thank you!

    1. Hello Beloved Child, it’s ok if your spirit says it’s ok. Are you going to feel guilty after you eat it? It’s all about does it bother your conscience or not. This is an individual decision. Hope that helps.

  5. Tip for when you are low on money:
    2 vegetables that I know are lower in cost per pound and last a long time are cabbage and collards, which can be eaten both raw and cooked. I pair them with other vegetables and sometimes fruit for a salad. They always keep me filling full. Some stores pull the dark green leaves off the cabbage because the customers complain of small bruises/cuts. However, ask about those leaves, they are often time given away for free. If you know your cabbage there is more vitamins in those dark green leaves then the rest of the cabbage.

  6. No MOP, I’m not casting any form of judgement with my comment. Please reread. We all sought the Lord and He revealed Himself to us. All I am saying is how can we term it a Fast if we eat throughout the day and that it is instead a diet. I am truly shocked for I didn’t know that food could be eaten throughout.
    Daniel did in fact request a different diet from the one that the king stipulated and therefore didn’t Fast. The king fasted in Daniel 6 and Daniel fasted in chapter 9, no where in chapter 1 is Daniel truly Fasting, just dieting.
    Had I this prior understanding then I would’ve dieted too, I just didn’t know…

    1. hello Shana, I am of the same thinking like you are, I didn’t know one can eat during a fast, I was about to submit the same question but saw the answer here. I always deny myself food when am fasting so I now learn something new

  7. I have been having the same experience with the frequency of dreams!! It’s speedy…. fast. Accelerated. You will know that the Lord spoke to you by dream but between consciousness He then speaks and gives you the interpretation of what you dreamt; it’s like Ezekiel and/or Zechariah, they received instant revelations to what they saw.
    On the 29th the Lord gave me a new strategy to understanding HIS LANGUAGE. It’s not our dreams, we are not the ones who are doing the talking. When recording this pattern of speech, simply write: Lord, You spoke to me on such-and-such a date, You said or showed me that 2 very powerful looking men with electronic walking sticks came and took a number of people to a secluded, undisclosed venue (😇😁)… That was how God spoke to me of the Angelic assistance we received during the January Fast – the electronic walking sticks are indeed computers/tablets which some had…

  8. I’m shocked! So my Brethren were having 3 meals per day during the Fast?!?😮 I thought during a Fast we abstain from food and pleasures.
    I do know that we all did set aside time for seeking the Lord and in doing so we eliminated distractions and set our faces steadfastly towards Him, therefore He revealed Himself to us and since He is Light, He manifested the dark areas of our lives and gave us wisdom in how to solve the problems that we queried. So with that being said, I’m certainly not debating on whether or not we received revelations in our quest after a deeper relationship with the LORD.
    But… BUT… Is this concept of the Daniel Fast really Fasting? I know that after a Fast day is ‘broken’ food is eaten. How can one eat breakfast and lunch and still be Fasting? Doesn’t the Scriptures even teach that married people are not to have sexual relations during Fasting but afterwards?
    The term Daniel Fast must be then changed to the Daniel Diet.
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner?!??!?

    1. Yes! 3 meals per day plus snacks! Now, as I said from the beginning if this violates your conscience – don’t do it. If someone has never fasted before, they are used to eating bacon, eggs, sausage and hashbrowns for breakfast, hamburger for lunch, steak and potatoes for dinner and they snack on potato chips all day…this is a fast for them. We don’t judge people we take there where they are and we thank God they decided to start fasting. Also, don’t think that they are going to get their prayers answered any less than you…nope. Same blessing. God looks at the heart, He knows if it was a sacrifice for you or not. Also, some people are on medications which they have to take with a meal – they have to eat. Others are diabetic – they have to eat.

  9. So,…Daniel didn’t probably brushed his teeth for 21 days. EeeWww! LOL. that part got me really cracking up. Smiles* I believe Daniel went through that first 10 days fast based on God’s Instruction/Wisdom, so that they’ll be Wiser, Smarter and more Sagacious than the other students during their 3 years academy and training. And we so the proof of this when the King interviewed them…in the 2nd part in Chapter 10, Daniel already had the UNDERSTANDING of how to tailor his meals or diet to HELP him receive revelation, wisdom and understanding regarding any/whatever matter or visions. So, I think Daniel technically switches His meals/diet as occasion demands.

    Dear, MOP! You said there are various types of Fast for various purpose or reasons. Can you please help highlight some of them? We can do personal study on them ourselves. Also, I’ll like to ask that, is it a must that a fast be up to 3 days, can’t it be just a Day. (you listed 3, 7, and 21 days). As, I plan or intend to fast on every Friday’s of the week for personal development and projects.

    Also, I observe that personally since the January Daniel Fast, my spiritual understanding of scriptures and intelligence has been on a high, and I do have frequent dreams like 5 in 7 days . Sometimes in a day it can be twice, but some I may wake up and find it challenging to remb all the details again. Also, I observe that few mins before I wake up, I tend to hear or receive thoughts, instructions, it’s kinda light or faint, it kinda have same resemblance to when I’m having my quiet time, just that I know, I’m still on my bed. I’ll like to know what you think about this.

    Thanks.
    More Blessings.

    1. Hi Adeleke, Yes, if you do a search for all the different types of fasting in the bible you will see what was accomplished through them. As an example, Jesus fasted for 40 days, this was a dry fast – no food or water. And, you see what he was up against and then how He was launched into ministry after that. Different fasts have different purpose. We’ll write more about each one in the future but this will be a good place for you to start researching.
      Concerning the duration, if 1 day works for you and you accomplish what you need in this time then you can do that. I find that as we grow in the Lord, He commands endurance from us so you may find that 1 day doesn’t work after awhile and you need to increase that.
      I totally agree with you that Daniel had to change his eating/fasting habits as he went along. This is why researching the different types of fast and their purpose is a good idea. We don’t just fast for the sake of fasting, we need to know the type of fast we need and enter it knowing God will let us know when we are released from that. Notice, Jesus left the wilderness AFTER the devil tempted Him and He overcame…so that was the purpose. Therefore if it took 30 days He would’ve left then, if it took 50 days then that’s what it takes. We just need to be sensitive to the leading of the spirit when we fast. Blessings

    2. Concerning hearing in the morning…many times God does it that way because we can become busy or our brains receiving a lot of information during the day that it is difficult for us to hear Him. In the morning as you are waking up you can hear much easier. You also need to test the spirit just the same.

      1. Thank you MOP for this response,
        Iam curious about testing of spirits. How exactly can this be achieved.
        By the way, a friend of mine just sent this to me today and I am looking forward to joining the fast with my wife.
        Thank you.

        1. Hi Ephraim, We may need to do a specific teaching on testing the spirits. The long on short of it is that when you are reading your bible on a regular basis you will be able to easily discern if something is of the Lord or not. There’s more to it but that is the simplest answer that can be given in this forum. Blessings

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