Category Archives: Life Purpose

My Daniel Fast


Today is the last day of our 21-day Daniel fast. In one way, the fast went by so fast. In another way, it was slow and hard. 


David and I have this ritual of starting the new year with a 21-day Daniel fast. We believe it helps us to radically refocus our spirit, soul and body towards God. Daniel fast also offers tremendous mental and emotional benefits for wellbeing, including clarity towards goals and priorities.   It also helps clear out the old to make room for the new by creating space. 


There is a painful emptying that comes with fasting, which is really good for the soul. When you are able to disconnect from the world and your flesh, it strengthens your spiritual connection to God and to eternal priorities. In addition to restricting food, I also stayed away from scrolling or posting on social media in order to limit distractions.


It was hard for me getting back on the fasting wagon this year because I skipped it in 2022 due to pregnancy, lactation and postpartum. 


The first week was rough. My body went into a serious detox mode, which made me tired and sluggish. Plus I am still depleted, having not fully recovered from sleep deprivation and the sheer demand of taking care of two babies. 


Another reason this year’s fast was hard is a recent change that happened. David’s office has moved to a farther location, which means he can’t come home for lunch or pop by to assist if I needed help. It also means he gets back later than usual, and me picking up more on the home front. He is no longer able to help with afternoon school pick up for our oldest, which he did last year. 


And then there’s the challenge of figuring out and preparing the meals. I have 3 kids. My oldest is somewhat a picky eater. He declared that he doesn’t want our “fasting food”. Plus, it would be awful to subject him to our diet. He needs his regular balanced diet. The little ones are just starting solids so there’s a lot of trial and error with what they can eat. On top of this, I have to cook restrictive meals for our fast. All these to say that on most days, I’m preparing and figuring out three separate meals. It was time and energy consuming. 


Also, with my contractual job offering my executive coaching services to clients assigned to me, It was hard focusing on clients without coffee in the mornings, and with residual sleep deprivation from all of 2022 that carried over. Nuts were like my best friends in between sessions to keep my energy from taking a nose-dive. 


I must admit that I didn’t have as much structured, uninterrupted time to set aside to be in God’s presence. I took creative moments in between to reflect, read my Bible, listen to messages, and pray. 
One commitment I made though, was to read through and meditate on the book of Ephesians during the 21-days. I chose this book because of the themes of identity in Christ, understanding the work of grace and relational order that enables us to be effective in spiritual warfare and spiritual maturity. 


I am writing this as an invitation to you, in case you are curious and considering doing a Daniel fast. I believe someone out there may be encouraged to try this, or hopefully decide to join us in this spiritual practice in the future. 


If you haven’t done it before, it basically requires you to give up dairy, wheat, meat, sugar and coffee. You are allowed to eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains like oats, quinoa, couscous and brown rice. Avocados are really great if you like them. You can also eat beans and lentils. We usually have almond milk as a milk replacement. The most important factor is to avoid processed foods.


Because your dietary choices will be incredibly limited, it requires time to plan ahead. This was one of the challenges for me this year with little ones – to find time to plan and cook the right stuff. If you are the type that generally eats out, It’s hard to find eating or takeout places that meet the fasting criteria. You will need to think this through and be creative. 

As hard as it may seem, it’s a wonderful spiritual practice to incorporate into one’s life.


Well, I hope to hear from you, if you do decide to do it…or if you have done it in the past. 


I’m looking forward to my first cup of coffee in 2023. Bring it on!