Why Does God Reward Fasting?

The Daniel Fast is a plant-based partial fast. It is based on the Prophet Daniel when he was under the rule of Babylonian kings for their personal service. Daniel recorded three occasions of fasting, though he likely fasted many more times since he was a man of God.

Daniel 1:12-15 is where we find the model for the 10-day Daniel Fast.
John Piper writes, One crucial question remains: Why does God respond to fasting?
Why does he reward us when we fast? That he does is strewn
across the pages of the Bible and history. And Jesus promised he
would: “Your Father who sees [your fasting] in secret will reward
you” (Matthew 6:18, RSV).

Church At The Park family, we are going to fast from Jan.23-Feb. 1, 2012.
Fasting can help you get back your passion for JESUS! It can reconnect you to JESUS! These next 10 days, whenever you have a desire for your favorite foods, you will be reminded of why you are fasting because it sharpens our spiritual focus and strengthening our prayer, and help us to identify with Jesus and aiding us in repentance or our desire to hear the Gospel.

Foods to include in your diet during the Daniel Fast

All fruits. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Fruits include but are not limited to apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon

All vegetables. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Vegetables include but are not limited to artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini, veggie burgers are an option if you are not allergic to soy.

All whole grains, including but not limited to whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley, grits, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, rice cakes and popcorn.

All nuts and seeds, including but not limited to sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame. Also nut butters including peanut butter.

All legumes. These can be canned or dried. Legumes include but are not limited to dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, white beans.

All quality oils including but not limited to olive, canola, grape seed, peanut, and sesame.

Beverages: spring water, distilled water or other pure waters.

Other: tofu, soy products, vinegar, seasonings, salt, herbs and spices.

Foods to avoid on the Daniel Fast

All meat and animal products including but not limited to beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and fish.

All dairy products including but not limited to milk, cheese, cream, butter, and eggs.

All sweetenersincluding but not limited to sugar, raw sugar, honey, syrups, molasses, and cane juice.

All leavened bread including Ezekiel Bread (it contains yeast and honey) and baked goods.

All refined and processed food products including but not limited to artificial flavorings, food additives, chemicals, white rice, white flour, and foods that contain artificial preservatives.

All deep fried foods including but not limited to potato chips, French fries, corn chips.

All solid fats including shortening, margarine, lard and foods high in fat.

Beverages including but not limited to coffee, tea, herbal teas, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and alcohol.

Are You Busy?

What does the Bible have to say about laziness?
Proverbs 13:4 ESV The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. People “without purpose”, “lazy people” or those that “just don’t care”.

Lazy? Not me. I’m busy. Up early, up late. My schedule is filled from
beginning to end. I love what I do and I love getting stuff done. I
attack a daily to‐do list with the same intensity I play basketball. Me
lazy? I don’t think so!

Or at least I didn’t think so. That is, until I read about the difference
between busyness and fruitfulness, and realized just how often my
busyness was an expression of laziness, not diligence.
I forget now who first brought these points to my attention. But the
realization that I could be simultaneously busy and lazy, that I could
be a hectic sluggard, that my busyness was no immunity from
laziness, became a life‐altering and work‐altering insight. What I
learned is that:

• Busyness does not mean I am diligent
• Busyness does not mean I am faithful
• Busyness does not mean I am fruitful

Recognizing the sin of procrastination, and broadening the definition
to include busyness, has made a significant alteration in my life. The
sluggard can be busy—busy neglecting the most important work, and
busy knocking out a to‐do list filled with tasks of secondary
importance.

When considering our schedules, we have endless options. But there
are a few clear priorities and projects, derived from my God‐assigned
roles, that should occupy the majority of my time during a given
week. And there are a thousand tasks of secondary importance that
tempt us to devote a disproportionate amount of time to completing
an endless to‐do list. And if we are lazy, we will neglect the important
for the urgent.

Our Savior understood priorities. Although his public ministry was
shorter than one presidential term, within that time he completed all
the works give to him by the Father.
The Father evidently called him to heal a limited number of people
from disease, raise a limited number of bodies from the dead, and
preach a limited number of sermons. As Jesus stared into the cup of
God’s wrath, he looked back on his life work as complete because he
understood the calling of the Father. He was not called to heal
everyone, raise everyone, preach copious sermons, or write volumes
of books.

While we must always be extra careful when comparing our
responsibilities with Christ’s messianic priorities, in the incarnation he
entered into the limitations of human life on this earth.
So join me over the next few days as we discover the root and nature
of laziness, so that we might devote ourselves to biblical priorities and
join our Savior in one day praying to the Father, “I glorified you on
earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do”
(John 17:4, ESV). By C.J. Mahaney