I don’t think we need to build a case and convince people that we are living in chaotic times. A few minutes watching the nightly news tells the story. The world is in crisis! Yes, there are some good things going on. But the challenges and the threats are very real and common!
Yet in the midst of all the turmoil, you and I can have peace! Peace of mind and security for our soul is available to all who follow Christ if we choose to live in His kingdom rather than in the world. Because of Jesus, we live by a different set of standards and a different set of rules. Here’s how Jesus explains it:
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27
The peace of God is already available. It’s waiting for us to take it . . . to receive it. Our part is to believe and then take action! What do we do to take action? We position ourselves under the direction of God’s Holy Spirit and then do whatever He tells us or directs us to do! It’s that easy and it’s that simple.
God’s Word is the first way we find how to follow in the way of the Lord. As you mature in faith, you will get to the point that you believe because it’s in His Word. That’s a good place to be! You’re not like Thomas, having to “wait and see” so you can believe. No, instead you have such a deep trust in God and who He says He is that you believe whatever He says! Again, easy and simple.
How do you develop a deep faith like that? He shows us in the Bible:
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17
You spend time reading, studying, and meditating on God’s Word. You read books by solid, Bible-based authors. You listen to teachings by trusted, Christ-centered teachers. And whenever you have doubt, you go to God and ask Him to help you gain understanding so you can move from doubt to faith.
An ongoing problem I hear about from so many Christian women and men is that they are just too busy to study. Too busy to pray. Too busy to spend time with God.
If you’ve felt that way, let me ask you a challenging question . . .
If you had an opportunity to spend 15 minutes each morning with Bill Gates, of Microsoft and the richest man in the world, would you be too busy for him? Or would you find a way?
My guess, is that you would do whatever you needed to do to make sure you could be fully present and alert to meet with Bill Gates. You’d be on time. Your ears would be open and you would hang on every word he spoke to you. I would, too. Just think of all we could learn from him!
You get where I’m going with this.
I know you get it because we both are fully aware that Bill Gates has nothing on God! Our Lord is so far more superior, richer, wiser, and more loving than Bill Gates! Even Gates would agree with that!
The likelihood of having a daily meeting with Bill Gates is greatly remote! Yet, God promises to be with us whenever we call on Him. He says He will hear our prayers. He says that whatever we ask in the name of Jesus and believe we receive it, that we can have it. He says He will never leave us and that He will reward us when we diligently seek Him.
We have free access to the Creator or everything, yet we choose to let the things of the world take up so much of our time that we don’t have the time or energy to meet for even 15 minutes each morning with our Lord.
Okay, one more bitter morsel of truth: So often we go about our busy times and get all caught up in the activities we’ve chosen for ourselves. And then something happens. We hit a rough spot. And that’s when we wonder why God would allow such a thing to happen. Afterall, we’re His children. He love us. He care for us.
The Word of God says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.
We also learn a powerful truth in James 2:26, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
God will do His part, if we do ours. That’s the way He set up the system. He has set before us life and death! And then He tells us to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19). How do we choose life? By living under the authority of our Lord, learning from Him, and then doing whatever He tells us to do!
The choice is ours. God already made His choice. He chose you to be His child. He chose to love you. He chose to give His Son up so He could be in one-on-one relationship with you.
What do you choose? And will you make sure you can meet with Him each day so He can teach you, love you, and care for you? The choice is yours.
Glory!! Thank you Susan, You are a blessing! I am learning how to draw closer to God through this Daniel fast. Thank you for being Obedient to God! now all who want to live stress free and wealthy with love will be able to do it too, because of you Obedience. God bless you and your family!!
Hello Susan, Thank you for your Obedience to the Lord!! thank you for your testimonies! I want all that God has for me and I will get it!. I am receiving some of it now! Thank You Jesus!! I am grateful to know that time spent with God is transforming. Thank you!
thank you for your obedience to God! I Love God and I am going to get all God has for me! this is what I needed and God sent me here! thank you for being obedient so that other people that want to hear and walk in the righteous ways of the Lord will be able too. thank you Susan.
My name is Saone from Gaborone, Botswana. I saw this book 2 days ago in a book store and i fell in love with it. I have been fasting for 21 days and I have seen the hand of God. He is faithful and just. He loves me and he said in His Word that His Grace is sufficient enough and i believe so. I know Him as my Healer, My Deliver, My Reedemer and God of Restoration. He is the Miracle Working God. I love Him so much. I am so blessed by all testimonies/commets above.
Thank you for your message, Boitumelo!
Praise God for our worldwide family of believers. I am deeply touched as I see how God has used this work to encourage and bless His people. He is so good.
Be blessed, dear one!
Dearest Susan~~ Just after the New Year I came across your book, The Daniel Fast, and I have to say that I had never heard of it before. I believe it was sent from the Lord. You see…for the month of January I have been taking time to sit at the feet of the Jesus and I have put some things on hold in my life so as to draw closer to my Savior.
With out going into detail, there has been a lot of sadness, pain and stress going on in my life, and it was time to stop and sit by the still waters where I knew I would be met by my loving savior.
The month of January has brought with it much refreshment and strength from the Lord, but… I knew more was needed.
I believe God brought your book into my life just when I was ready for it.
Starting tomorrow, Feb. the 1st, my husband and I will start the Daniel Fast. We are both going into it for our own personal reasons and desires for drawing closer to our Precious Heavenly Father.
I am more than ready and have longed for this, yet not knowing it was what I was longing for. 🙂 It has been an answer to my prayers
My husband has shocked me with his desire to do this, that is a HUGE answer to my prayers! God is good.
I appreciated what you had to say in your book about fasting with your spouse.
“Your fast is yours, others’ fasts are theirs”
Now I know that we both can go about this with the direction of the Holy Spirit in a personal way, and what ever the out come may be it was “our fast” personally.
When we desire to draw close to the Lord, He will always be found faithful!
I feel blessed that I have come across your path and look forward to following along with you.
Thank you for being faithful in the work of the Lord.
God’s blessings,
Debbie
HI SUSAN,I HAVE BEEN COOKING MY MEALS WITH SUNFLOWER OIL,IS IT GOOD OR BAD,DOES IT MEAN THAT MY FAST HAS BEEN BROKEN.
I WOULD ALSO APPRECIATE YOUR ADVICE,ALTHOUGH I HAVE BEEN GOOD WITH MY FASTING,I HAVNT HAD MUCH QUIET TIME WITH THE LORD,
I DO PRAY EVERY MORNING BUT IT IS RATHER RUSHED,DO YOU THINK THAT THE DEVIL IS ROBBING ME IN THAT MANNER.
DEAR SUSAN,IM ON MY 9 DAY DANIEL FAST,HOWEVER,THE PASTOR DID SAY THAT TEA IS ALLOWED.SO I HAVE HAD SOME TEA NOW AND THEN WITH SWEETENER AND A LITTLE MILK.DOES IT MEAN THAT I HAVE BROKEN MY FAST.
Hi,
All glory and praise to God!
Thank you for this websie. Is 100 percent coconut water allowed.
Thanks and God bless! I started today.
Thanks and praying for all.
No, the only beverage on the Daniel Fast is water.
“Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink” Daniel 1:12
Pulse is food grown from seed . . . and water is water. LOL This is why it’s the only beverage on the fast.
You could use unsweetened juice or unsweetened plant-based milk in a recipe.
Be blessed on your fast!
Im looking forward for 21 days fasting and wish to pray,dedicate my life to God,as im going through divorce and experiencing loss and trouble in my life.May God pls help me to recover all that belongs to me in Jesus name
God is merciful and just even in the worst of times. Jesus is fills any void yhat one has. I believe this will soon pass and turn out for good, In His Grip, Jimbeaux
Hello Susan
Name is fransleeca and I just started the 21 day concercation daniel fast. I am having issues with it because my body is so use to being lead by the flesh of wanting all these things that I can’t have i won’t to give myself to Jehovah God. Im asking for prayers to complete it. I have been falling off I will start praying and read my Bible for a couple of days and then just stop I have fallen short and I don’t want to fall short again and I feel like me doing the 21 days fast that I am on the right track and Conotifying after the 21 days.
I love turkey burgers, and grilled chicken and crackers is it possible to have this things for the Daniel Fast and I wouldn’t be breaking the fast?
Thank You
The Daniel Fast is totally plant-based. You can have Original Triscuits since they are made of ingredients allowed on the fast.
You can do this! It seems you are in a challenge to strengthen your spiritual muscles. Take one day at a time. Prepare meals ahead. Stay focused on God.
I know you can do this! He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Hi Susan,
I’ve seen some of the recipes calling for soy milk ( like the cereals ) , I’m not sure if I’d like soy milk ( I’m normally not a milk drinker) my question is can I use almond milk instead?
Thank you Sylvia
Hi Sylvia,
Yes, you can us unsweetened almond milk that is free of chemicals.
Be blessed!
Hello
some websites say you can drink whole bean coffee, does that mean grind the coffee beans or no coffee at all?
Not sure where you are getting this information, Vicki. It goes to show that just because it’s on the web, it doesn’t mean it’s correct.
The only beverage on the Daniel Fast is water (see Daniel 1) and no caffeine or other stimulants.
So, like you said, “No coffee at all.”
Be blessed on your fast!
Thank you Susan for this message. Blessings.
Thank you, Susan, for allowing God to use you as a vessel to reach his people. I have in my heart to study God’s word, but sometimes fall off. But I will continue to get back up and press towards the goal. I will never give up. Please pray for me to be stronger in areas that I feel weak, and to be filled with more knowledge of the word of God. Thank you and God bless you.
Thank you for the messages I truly needs to grow closer and establish a better relationship with the lord our God.
Hi Susan, thank you so much for the inspirational messages. I really need to hear those true words coming from you. I need to find time to pray and read God words each morning.
He will reward us if we diligently seek him!!!. No more excuses that are delaying our blessings. what a powerful message. How do we grow if we keep on postponing, endless reasons that are not taking us anywhere and destroying our thinking. Without faith no way that we can please the father. He is not pleased is like we are doubting Him . what a wonderful and blessed message from above. May God really empower you. VIVA JESUS VIVA!!!
Just this morning The Lord has called me to a 40-day time of praying/fasting/reading his word (double portion of the word). I looked and have found it is exactly 40 days today until Christmas.
I have prayed and broken down these 40 days into 7 day themed Bible study with the 8th day to recap which maps out my 40-days studying His word.
Now I need help on a 40 day Daniel fast. I have never done this before. Can you help me.
Lorraine,
You can do this. Keep it simple. Draw near to God.
Also, you can find lots of information about the fast here on this site and also on our other Daniel Fast site at http://danielfast.wordpress.com
Be blessed as you go deeper with the Lord.
Im just so thankful and greatful for each and every second i breathe life, GOD is such an awesome GOD believing by Faith that with GOD all things are possible. GOD has the power over everyone and everything, its up to us to trust believe and have Faith. Thank you, Lord for loveing all of us with your unconditional love. May you be glorified through it all. Stay Blessed brothers and sister’s in Christ and know that Jesus Christ is the Best. In Christs love, Deborah
Dear Susan, So thankful and grateful for your wonderful faith filled messages. I am going to share this message with my friends. I am currently getting better about getting in the word of God daily. I don’t always make it in the morning but I can certainly see how God is ordering my steps. I really enjoyed this article. I am not sure that I would meet with Bill Gates. That just isn’t a desire of my heart. But I have often thought about this in a different way. That is what if Our God didn’t make time for us because we don’t make time for Him?
What if He decided that He wouldn’t answer us because we didn’t want to spend time talking to Him when He wants that fellowship with us so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross for us? Thankfully He doesn’t work like that. So Thank you for challenging all of us to spend more time with our Loving, Merciful, Caring God. May God richly bless you as you continue to bring the word to people around the world.
Dear Susan,
Thank you. I read that God speaks to us through different ways. I believe he was speaking to me through you today. I was very good for a time, doing very well with my bible reading and spending time with God. I could see Gods goodness and blessings in my life. Work and other things got in the way and I chose to meet with those needs instead. You are very right, our hearts do harden when we move away from him, I can feel that has happened to me. Things just don’t seem right and I have no peace. Thank you again, I choose to meet with him every morning from now on.
God Bless you Susan and thank you for this challenge.
Thanks Susan for your inspirational words, God is really working to reach people through your work. I am challenged to reestablish my morning devotionals. I was doing them, but have fallen off the wagon and I can really tell a difference in my walk with him, I don’t feel the closeness and I really miss it. You would think that alone would be enough to get me back on track. Please keep the inspirational messages coming and I pray that God uses you mightily!
Praise God that He is wooing you to spend time with Him. Such great love toward you.
Our hearts do harden when we move away from the Lord. Yet, they soften again as we position ourselves under His authority and take comfort in His loving arms.
Be blessed, dear one. God is good.