“I see the ‘Daniel Fast’ trending everywhere. Is this just a new New Year’s resolution, or is there something deeper to it?”
It is easy to mistake a holy discipline for a common “resolution,” but for the believer, the difference is found in the heart’s intent. Daniel didn’t skip the king’s meat to lose weight or look better for the cameras of Babylon. The scripture tells us “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself” (Daniel 1:8). He was drawing a line in the sand. When we fast today, we aren’t just following a trend; we are forensicly separating ourselves from a world that tries to feed us its values. We fast because we are hungry for the King’s return, not just a healthier body.
“I have a busy job and a family. Does the Bible say I have to stop eating entirely, or are there other ways to do this?”
The “Scriptural Exhibit” shows us that there isn’t just one way to fast. While an absolute fast (no food or water) was used in times of extreme crisis—like Esther facing the king—there is also the “Partial Fast.” This is where we see the “dot format” of Daniel’s discipline: “I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth… till three whole weeks were fulfilled” (Daniel 10:3).
If your health or duties don’t allow for a total fast, start by cutting out the “pleasant bread”—the treats, the entertainment, and the luxuries that dull your spirit. The goal is “costly grace.” If it doesn’t cost you something, it isn’t a sacrifice.
“I’ve tried fasting before, but I just end up cranky and tired. Am I doing something wrong?”
That “crankiness” is actually a forensic look into your own soul. It shows you exactly how much you rely on food or caffeine to keep your mood stable instead of relying on the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave us a firm instruction for this: “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance… but wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast” (Matthew 6:16-17).
When the hunger hits, use it as a trigger to pray. If you are just hungry without praying, you’re just on a diet. To defend the truth, you must replace the physical meal with a spiritual one—the Word of God.
“What is the actual ‘Verdict’? Does fasting really change anything in 2026?”
Fasting changes the person who does it. It thins the veil between you and the Creator. In a world that is louder than ever, fasting is how we turn down the volume of the flesh so we can hear the “still small voice.” The Verdict is simple: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). By fasting, you are telling your body that God is more important than your next meal. That kind of faith is what the Lord honors when the Great Day arrives.