As we wrap up 21 days of the Daniel Fast, many of us may be wondering, what happens now? For 21 days, we’ve expressed our love for God, strengthened our prayer, repented, and more. Many of us have witnessed breakthroughs and unimaginable blessings.
Remember that just because the Daniel Fast has ended doesn’t mean we stop what we’ve started. Prayer is something we should continue to do regularly and from time to time praying and fasting can help us in our walk with God. If you are wondering about praying and fasting in the future, below are a few reasons to continue to do so on an as-needed basis.
- To seek God’s guidance—Judges 20:26. It is easy to be distracted in our world and for many of us God may already be telling us what to do but we don’t hear him. Fasting and praying will help us remove the desires of the flesh and focus on God and his guidance. If you find yourself needing guidance from God consider praying and fasting for some time.
- In times of grief — Joel 2:12-13. Losing a loved one is one of the hardest things to deal with. Grief is painful and necessary as a part of moving forward. Fasting and prayer help us in seeking the comfort of God.
- For protection— Deuteronomy 31:6. Do you find yourself fighting with the enemy? Praying and fasting during spiritual or physical warfare remind us that we are walking with God. He is with us in the best and worst of times.
- To overcome temptation— Matthew 4:1-11. As Christians, we are tempted every day. By praying and fasting we can overcome temptation by turning to God, repenting, and recommitting to our Christian faith.
- To minister to others— Isaiah 58:3-7. Part of being a Christian is asking God to use us for his good. Whether that’s ministering to others or being examples of his good work. Praying and fasting will help you recognize where God wants you to use your talents and how to do so in difficult situations.
There are many reasons we may take time to pray and fast; this is not an exhaustive list. Remember that prayer is a requirement when fasting otherwise we are simply starving ourselves. As we’ve learned in these 21 days, we only grow closer in our faith when we fully accept God into our lives and that means constant prayer and growth in our Christian walk. In doing so we are blessed and favored.
In this season of prayer and fasting, how has God blessed you? Share in the comments below.
