In the late Middle English sometime between 1150 and 1500 AD, a word was coined. That word was breakfast. Prior to breakfast the term used was morning meal. It was made by joining two words – break and fast. In essence, it was the meal that broke the fast from the meal of the prior day. Some call that meal dinner. Some call it supper.
Breaking from a long-term fast like 21 days should be done gently. If you were doing a full fledge Daniel’s fast, do NOT go and get yourself a Whopper with cheese, a Sweep-the-Kitchen Johnny’s Pizza or a Caniac. Your stomach will not appreciate it. Slowly add back the things you want to add into your diet. Leave out the bad stuff you just shed. Why add something bad back to your body if you’ve just been detoxed from it? It’s better for you to leave it out.
Now some of you may not have lasted the 21 days. You do what God has called you to do. If He leads you to 14 days, then do 14 days. If he leads you to go 7 more days, then be obedient and do 7 more days. The fast is over when God says it’s over.
Fasting is something we as Christians should do regularly. Maybe not the 21 day Daniel’s fast, but some sort of fast. Maybe you fast 3 hours a week, and during that time you pray, meditate, worship and read Scripture. Maybe you fast one day a week. It’s a discipline and a lifestyle, a relationship enhancer.
Why did you fast? Did you fast because your friends were doing it? Did you fast because it’s what you do every January? Did you fast to lose weight? What was the purpose of your fast?
Did your fast make you physically weak? Did you find yourself craving “real food?” Did you find yourself being energized at some point? Did you see God’s hand move? Did God answer any prayers whether the way you wanted or not? Who did you pray for while you were on your fast? Did they see results of your fasting and praying for them?
What did you get out of fasting? Is it something you would do again?
These are all important questions, and if you journal, take time to answer them. Document what happened during your fast. The Hebrews used to stack stones in places where God provided or did something miraculous, and they would tell their children and grandchildren the story every time they passed the stones as a reminder. Journaling is a way to stack your stones. Lest you forget.
It’s my sincerest prayer that your walk with your Lord, Savior and the Spirit was renewed, strengthened, and enriched, and I hope it becomes part of your walk with Christ. Feel free to share what you learned during your fast in the comments below. Thank you.