DIFFERENT IN 90 BIBLE READING PLAN

The "Different in 90" Program is designed to deepen spiritual formation and help you be more fruitful for the cause of Christ and the glory of His Church. The program starts with a 30-day reading program that will take you through the entire New Testament from Matthew through Revelation.

The reading program starts your journey toward being different by allowing the word of God to feed your spirit. A person once told me: Bible"Whatever we feed will grow and whatever we starve will die." So let's start the journey toward being "Different in 90" by feeding our spirit with the Word of God. "All flesh is like grass and its gory like the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower fades but the word of the Lord abides forever." (1 Peter 1:24)

Instructions:  There are two built-in days a week so that you will have time to rest or catch up. Also included in the reading plan are a "Weekly Thought" and a "Verse for the Week" that may serve as a memory verse or a reflection to meditate.

This will not be easy, but if you press through you will be well on your way toward being "Different in 90." During the reading plan you are invited to blog on our Facebook page about "Different in 90." There you can share with others how life transformational this experience has become.

Let's get started!

Pastor Ricky A. Woods

WEEK 1:

Weekly Thought:  Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don't have the strength.
                          --President Theodore Roosevelt

Verse of the Week:  But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them." (Acts 16:25)

Daily Verses:

Day 1 - Matthew 1:1 - Matthew 12:50

Day 2 - Matthew 13:1 - Matthew 23:39

Day 3 - Matthew 24:1 - Matthew 28:20 and Acts 1:1 - Acts 4:37

Day 4 - Acts 5:1 - Acts 15:41

Day 5 - Acts 16:1 - Acts 28:31

Grace Day

Grace Day 

WEEK 2

Weekly Thought:  "In Him there is feeling and will, responsive to the deepest yearnings of the human heart."
                                    -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Verse of the Week:  "And He called to Him the multitude with the disciples and said to them, 'If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Mark 8:34)

Day 1:  March 1:1 - Mark 11:33

Day 2:  Mark 12:1 - Mark 16:20, James & Galatians

Day 3:  1Thessalonians, 2Thessalonians and  1Corinthinians 1:1-11:34

Day 4:  1Corinthians 12:1 - 2Corinthians 13:14

Day 5:  Romans

Grace Day

Grace Day

WEEK 3

Weekly Thought:  "Men tend to hold on when there seems to be no point in holding on, because they find that they must."
                                                 --Dr. Howard Thurman

Verse of the Week:  "Finally brethren, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is honorable, whatsoever is just, whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is lovely, whatsoever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8)

Day 1:  Luke 1:1 - Luke 9:62

Day 2:  Luke 10:1 - Luke 20:47

Day 3:  Luke 21:1 - Luke 24:53, Ephesians and Philippians

Day 4:  Colossians and Hebrews

Day 5:  Philemon, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 Timothy and Titus

Grace Day

Grace Day 

WEEK 4

Thought for the Week:  "Truth is powerful and it prevails."
                                 --Sojourner Truth

Verse of the Week:  "I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit because apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

Day 1:  John 1:1 - John 10:42

Day 2:  John 11:1 - John 21:25

Day 3:  2Timothy, 1John, 2John, 3John and Jude

Day 4:  Revelation 1:1 - Revelation 11:19

Day 5:  Revelation 12:1 - Revelation 22:21

Grace Day

Grace Day 

Congratulations! You just finished the first phase of "Different in 90." There are only 60 days left.

PRAYER IN 30 DAYS

Welcome to the second part of the Different in 90 spiritual formationpraying process of 30 days of prayer.

A vital component in the Christian faith tradition is prayer. Prayer not as magic to only obtain something sought, but prayer as the means of building an intimate relationship with God.

My Uncle Lucian King, who was a deacon at the Miles Ch
apel Missionary Baptist Church, was known as a man of fervent prayer. Uncle Lucian once said to me "whatever does not get done in the church from preaching and praying, ain’t much gonna get done." Whereas the grammar may be bad, the insight was profound. The witness of the church’s greatest strides in history came as a result of its preaching and praying. Someone once said that the church lives in its preaching and that is true because the church’s power for living comes from its prayer life. The early apostles were found frequently in prayer and laid a tradition of prayer as a key component in spiritual development and in spiritual warfare. Paul tells the church at Ephesus to pray at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication. 

A significant part of what shaped the civil rights struggles and the success it obtained came as a direct result of the prayer life of the movement's participants. The mass meetings of the civil rights movement were in part prayer meetings where God’s guidance and help were sought for the strength needed to do what had to be done in spite of the risk. Dr. Harold Carter, Sr., in his classic work the “The Prayer Tradition of Black People” states that one faces life on one’s knees and does so with the firm belief that life’s battles could be fought and won on one’s knees.

Dr. Peter Marshall served the U.S. Senate from January 1947 to January 1949 and his Senate prayers were known for their fervor, conviction and inspiration. Seventy years later the prayers of Dr. Peter Marshall are still being read for their inspiration and the call for people to come together and pray. The last prayer he offered in the Senate was one that he had written days earlier and died before being able to deliver it. Dr. Clarence Cranford read the prayer that Dr. Marshall had composed as the Senate prepared to open: 

"Deliver us our Father, from futile hopes and from clinging to lost causes; that we may move into ever growing calm and ever widening horizons. Where we cannot convince, let us be willing to persuade, for small deeds done are better than great deeds planned. We know that we cannot do everything. But help us to do something. For Jesus’ sake. Amen."

Prayer is never outdated and always makes the human condition and the willingness of the Almighty to be our guide if we let Him. Let’s begin the journey of prayer together as we move toward being “Different in 90."

There are five basic forms of prayer: 1) confession and repentance; 2) praise and adoration; 3) thanksgiving; 4) supplication; and 5) intercession. During your time of prayer over the next 30 days, spend some time selecting a particular form of prayer to pray instead of trying to pray all forms at once. Make this time about getting to know the heart of God and allowing God to shape what is in your heart. There will be a prayer each day that you can read that serves as the means to invite you to pray. You are also encouraged to pray about a particular concern each day that will aid you in growing in Grace. Finally, you are asked to journal your prayer reflections each day as a part of your own private prayer diary. Thank you in advance for being my prayer partner as we embark upon the work of spiritual renewal. Prayers 2-15 are original prayers written by me for the "Different in 90" ministry.

Dr. Ricky A. Woods
Senior Minister 

DAYS 1-15 OF PRAYER

Day One: Pray for the Glory and Honor of God
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Two: Pray for the Church of the Llving God
Lord, we thank thee for thou church in whose bosom we have learned thou word and heard thou voice and sang songs of Zion. May her light always be as a guiding light on the seas of life that leads all travelers safely home. Strengthen those who have been granted her safe keeping that the sacred trust may never be compromised, nor her witness tarnished by the imperfection of human fragility. You, Oh Lord, who have purchased her as a ransom bride, provide all that is needed in days of waiting so that upon your return the marriage celebration may take place with all who have found safety in her arms. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Three: Pray for the Spread of the Gospel
Lord, the world in which we live is in need of good news, news that tells us that there is cleansing from the past, confidence for the present and courage for the future available for all through the gospel of Jesus Christ. May that news spread in my home, my community, my country and around the world until the name of Jesus is spoken with confidence and conviction by every man, every woman, every boy and every girl. Give aid to all that labor to the spread of the gospel by the preaching and teaching of thou word or by delivery of scripture into the hands of those whose hands have never touched the holy pages that speak of such glad tidings. Amen
Your Prayer:

Day Four: Pray for the Unsaved
Lord, we know that it grieves your heart that there are men and women who have rejected the gift of salvation. Yet, your love continues to make itself known to them through acts of mercy and grace. May your spirit continue to move and witness in ways that the walls that separate them from all that you have in store for those that love you come tumbling down even as the walls of Jericho.
Your prayer:

Day Five: Pray for a Spirit Empowered Life
Lord, I am aware of the temptation within me to yield to the things that satisfy my flesh and bring no value to the kingdom of God. I know that Satan desires to sift me like wheat even as he did for Peter. Help me to aspire to the more noble things, the things that honor you, the things that give a good report, the things that are gracious, excellent and praise worthy. Help me to live under the control of the Spirit and to be led by the Spirit so that there will be a witness that the Spirit lives in me. Amen.
Your prayer:

Day Six: Pray for Discernment 
Lord, help me to know your will. Show me the way you expect me to go and the path for life that I am to choose. There is so much noise in the world around me it sometimes crowds out my ability to hear your voice. Make me ever sensitive to the things of God so that I will be able to discern what is of God and what is not. Let me not be deceived by forces that work against your kingdom nor deceived by the path of least resistance. Recall your word to my mind in the moments of need that might arise. For it is in hearing your word I hear your choice for me. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Seven: Pray for Rest
The Sabbath is a day, oh Lord, that you have made that we might know the joy of rest from labor. Let me not think that it is possible to work without rest and renewal. There is no duty, no demand and no difficulty that requires my constant attention without trusting you to keep everything in safe keeping. May I be able this day to disengage from all that draws my attention away from those who love me and desire time alone with me even as you desire time alone with us. Grant the rest that can only come when all the cares of life are cast before you. Remove the anxiety that can rob us of the rest we need and give us cooling water for our spirits that they may be refreshed in thee. 
Your prayer:

Day Eight: Pray for Healing
There is so much sickness in our world today, O Lord, and there are many that we know as well as those we do not know that are in need of a touch from you. We come to you this day on the behalf of others seeking your grace and mercy that may lead to recovery and restoration. As the countless came to you in the days of your flesh and you healed them all--the blind, lepers, cripple and the infirm--receive these we bring before you in prayer and may all receive touch that can make a difference. Honor your promise that the prayers of the righteous avail much. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Nine: Pray for Wisdom
You remind us, Lord, time and time again that your ways are not like our ways. Grant us the wisdom to lean upon you and trust you and not our own understanding. Help us to gain a wise heart so that the witness of wisdom may not be lost in a generation given to folly and that we might turn to the truth. Help us know how to build our lives on the things that will last so when the storms come that will surely come, wisdom would have built her house and the foundations would be secure. Amen
Your Prayer:

Day Ten: Pray for Hope
O Lord, it is difficult to be hopeful when things seem so bleak but the psalmist tells us to look unto the hills from whence our help comes. Grant us the ability to always look up even when weighted down by troubles and cares. May you, O Lord, tend to the flame of hope that was first lit upon the altars of our hearts when we heard your word and yielded to your spirit. Whereas the flame may become dim from time to time, guard so that it may never go out until it will no longer be needed because we will abide in perfect union with thee. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Eleven: Pray for Church Leaders and Missionaries around the World
Lord how grateful we are that there are still men and women that answer your call to serve your church. For those who continue to make untold sacrifices for the care of your people and labor at teaching them your way, we give thanks. Meet every need that may arise in their lives because of their service to thee. Help those who receive their care cherish them for their work's sake. May their number increase as you see fit so that there will always be someone to carry the gospel mantle and wear the shoes of peace of those who bring joy and glad tidings. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Twelve: Pray for Strength and Endurance
Oh Lord the Christian race is not one won by the swift or the strong but is won by those who endure until the end. Grant me now the endurance needed for whatever trial that may beset me. Your promise is that you will be with me always. My ancestors told me you would not put more on me than I could bear. So let me not lose heart in well doing but be faithful in all things concerning thee. Give me strength, Oh Lord. Give me Grace, Oh Lord. Give me the victory that can only come from endurance. Amen.
Your prayer:

Day Thirteen: Pray for Unity
Lord you said that the world would know we belong to you by our love and our unity. You prayed in the days of your flesh that we might be one. Help us to resist all the forces that would deprive us of the unity you prayed for and died to make possible. Sweep through the church with a new breeze of unity that binds us closer to one another and closer to you. Put down every faction that would lift itself up above you. Help us to let go of our craving for independence and help us see our need for each other and for you. Amen.
Your prayer:

Day Fourteen: Pray for Our Enemies
There may be nothing more radical, Oh Lord, that you call us to do than to pray for our enemies. Help us to see the way that leads to reconciliation is a path paved with prayer for our enemies. May you, Oh Lord, open their eyes and cause them to see the futility of their cause and the harm inflicted upon themselves. Break down the dividing wall that causes separation and let us each see the other as one whom Christ shed his blood for and calls us to be at peace with. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Fifteen: Pray for Everything
Oh Lord, for the privilege of prayer and telling you all that is on my heart, I am grateful. Hear now my longings, my hopes, my dreams, my aspirations, my desires. Bathe them all in your word so that my desires might always be holy. If it be necessary that they are altered or changed because of your will, help me to accept it and follow in the path that you lead. Bless all of those who are dear to me and those whose lives have helped to make my life better. Keep me ever longing for the home that you have prepared for them that love you and never forget my alien status in this world of grief and woe. May my love for you shine ever bright until I arrive in the city not made with hands. Amen
Your prayer:

We are now at the half-way point of the 30 days of prayer. The remaining prayers will be a collection of prayers from various Christian persons throughout time whose prayers are read constantly today as a source of encouragement and hope for the church today.



   prayer  


DAYS 16-30 OF PRAYER

Day Sixteen: John Baillie - A Dairy of Private Prayers
Evening of the third day: O thou before whose eyes all human hearts lie bare and open, forbid that I should seek to hide from thee anything that I have done or thought or imagined. What must forever be hidden from knowledge of others, that let me now openly acknowledge in thy presence. What no proper shame kept me from committing, that let no false shame keep me now from confessing. O thou whose tender mercies are over all thy works, humbly and sorrowfully I crave thy forgiveness for the sins of this day; for every weakening and defiling thought to which my mind has given harbor; for every word spoken in hastiness or passion; for every failure of self control; for every stumbling block which by deed or example I have set in another’s way; for every opportunity lost; for every blessing thanklessly received; for loitering feet and a procrastinating will. Grant that as the days go by thy Spirit may more and more rule in my heart, giving me victory over these and all other sinful ways. To thou loving guard ship, O holy father, I commend all those dear to me. Bless all those among whom my lot is cast and grant them a satisfying sense of thy reality and power. Be with all those who tonight are in peril or distress. Be in every sore heart; in every stricken home; beside every bed of pain; giving to all the blessing of thy peace. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Seventeen: A Prayer About What To Do with My Life by Howard Thurman
Give me the courage to live! Really live not merely exist. Live dangerously, scorning risk, live honestly, daring the truth--particulary the truth about myself! Live resiliently- ever changing, ever growing, ever adapting. Enduring the change of pain as though it were the travail of birth. Give me the courage to live, give me the strength to be free and endure the burden of freedom and the loneliness of those without chains; let me not be trapped by success nor by failure, nor by pleasure, nor by grief, nor by malice, nor by praise, nor by remorse! Give me the courage to go on! Facing all that waits on the trail-going eagerly, joyously on and paying my way as I go without anger or fear or regret taking what life gives spending myself to the full, head high, spirit winged, like a god on and on till the shadow draws close. Then even when darkness shuts down and I go out alone as I came naked and blind as I came even then gracious God hear my prayer: give me the courage to live. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Eighteen: A Prayer by Thomas Merton
Our hearts are heavens and our eyes are light years deep, sounding your will, your peace, in its unbounded fathoms: Oh balance all our turning orbits, till that morning upon the center and level of your holy love: then lock our souls forever in the nucleus of its law. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Nineteen: A Prayer from the Negro God by Benjamin Mays
Oh Father you are a good God, because some are lying on their beds of affliction, some are behind prison bars, some are in hospitals and some are sleeping in their graves; yet we have been wonderfully blessed with health. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Twenty: A Prayer by Peter Marshall - The Cry of the Human Heart
Lord Jesus, thou knowest the things that are trembling upon our lips, stirring in our hearts and along the corridors of our souls, walking on tiptoes across the cloistered spaces of our consciousness, conforming to the distant pealing of an angelus, looking expectantly upward, making prayers without words, breathing aspirations that have only wings. Hear us we pray thee as we call upon thee for help, for strength, for peace, for grace, for reassurance, for companionship, for love, for pardon, for health, for salvation, and for joy. Hear us, Lord Jesus. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Twenty One: A Prayer by Saint Augustine
Come O Lord in much mercy down into my soul and take possession and dwell there. A homely mansion, I confess for so glorious a Majesty, but such as thou are fitting up for the reception of thee, by holy and fervent desires of thine own inspiring. Enter then and adorn and make it such as thou canst inhabit since it is the work of thy hands. Give me thine own self, without which, though, thou shouldst give me all that ever thou hast made, yet could not my desire be satisfied. Let my soul ever seek thee and let me persist in seeking, till I have found and am in full possession of thee. Amen.
Your prayer

Day Twenty Two: A Prayer from God’s Minute Book 365 Daily Devotions and Prayers for Family and Home Worship by H. W. Crews
Our father in heaven we praise thee for the mercy seat to which we can come and before which thou art so pleased to have us bow. Help us to approach it with pure hearts and with sincere motives. Teach us our need of thee. Show us how dangerous it is to live without the consciousness of thou presence. Walk with us as Jesus walked with his two companions to Emmaus. Help us to commune with thee as friend with friend. Prevent us from willful sin. Subdue our heart’s rebellion and keep us at peace with thee. Help us to be patient and sympathetic with all who may need our help. If we have wronged anyone give us the grace of repentance and confession. If any have injured us, enable us to forgive and forget. Bless our home and all who are dear to us by the ties of kinship and friendship. Inspire and strengthen us so that we will be able to glorify thee in home, in school, in the factory, or shop. Forgive us wherein we may in any way have grieved thee and aid us in our efforts to avoid the mistakes of yesterday. Our prayer is in the name of him who loved us and gave his life to save us. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Twenty Three: A Prayer for Gratitude by John F. Kennedy Thanksgiving Day 1963
Let us therefore proclaim our gratitude to Providence for the manifold blessings. Let us be humbly thankful for the inherent ideals and let us resolve to share those blessings and those ideals with our fellow human beings throughout the world. On that day let us gather in sanctuaries dedicated to worship and in homes blessed by family affection to express our gratitude for the glorious gifts of God and let us earnestly and humbly pray that he will continue to guide and sustain us in the great unfinished task of achieving peace, justice, and understanding among all men and nations and of ending misery and suffering wherever they exist. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Twenty Four: General Patton’s Prayer at Bastogne
Almighty and most merciful father we humbly beseech thee of thy great goodness to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon thee that armed with thy power we may advance from victory to victory and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish thy justice among men and nations.
Your prayer:

Day Twenty Five: A Prayer by C.T.Vivian Before His Arrest in Albany,GA, During the Civil Rights Movement.
We ask O Lord your blessings upon us and your safekeeping of us as we go into jails that have misused us as we go into jails where men have been beaten, where the waters have been placed upon the floors, where there has been no heat. Keep us from illness, keep us from the brutality of this official. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Twenty Six: A Child’s Prayer Author Unknown
Lord Jesus I thank you for the gift of this new day. When you came to earth for us you grew as a child in wisdom and grace. As Lord you received children in your arms. You blessed them and said that your kingdom belongs to them. Dear Jesus receive me also on this day and hear my prayer. Bless my parents, teachers, and all those who love and care for me. Keep me safe from danger and guide me to be truthful, honest, kind and helpful. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Twenty Seven: A Prayer by Rev. P. H. Balasbaugh
Our father worthy of all honor and praise and whom we desire to worship in spirit and in truth help us humbly come to thee in prayer in this quite hour. May thy hand that hovered over us during the past night with protecting care and measured to us the rich blessing of peaceful slumber and refreshing rest, now guide our feet to the duties of the day and there shield us from harm. There give us thy spirit of love and tenderness, thy grace to sustain us in temptation and travail, thy presence by thy spirit to help us in all we may do. Dwell in this home ever. Lead us on to glorify thee in all things until at last life’s duties are finished, received us thyself above. Amen
Your prayer

Day Twenty Eight: A Prayer for Peace by Abraham Lincoln
Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet if God wills that it continues until every drop of blood drawn from the lash shall be paid another drawn with the sword so still it must be said that the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. With malice toward none with charity for all with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for the widow and for his orphans, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and a lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. 
Your prayer:

Day Twenty Nine: A Prayer by W.E.B. Dubois
Give us grace O God to dare to do the deed which we well know cries to be done. Let us not hesitate because of ease or the words of men’s mouth or our own. Mighty causes are calling us the freeing of women, the training of children, the putting down of hate and murder and poverty all of these and more. But they call with the voices that mean work and sacrifice and death. Mercifully grant us O God the spirit of Esther that we say I will go unto the king and if I perish I perish. Amen
Your prayer:

Day Thirty: A Prayer by Mary McLeod Bethune
Father we call thee father because we love thee. We are glad to be called thy children and to dedicate our lives to the service that extends through the willing hearts and open hands to the betterment of all of mankind. We send a cry of thanksgiving for people of all races, creeds, classes and colors the world over, and pray that through the instrumentality of our lives the spirit of peace, joy, fellowship and brotherhood shall circle the world. We know that this world is filled with discordant notes, but help us father to so unite our efforts that we may all join in one harmonious symphony for peace and brotherhood, justice, and equality of opportunity for all men. The tasks performed today with forgiveness for all our errors we dedicate, dear Lord, to thee. Grant us strength and courage and faith and humility sufficient for the task assigned to us. Amen
Your prayer:

THE DANIEL FAST

Welcome to the the Daniel Fast.
daniel fast
Richard Foster in his classic work, "Celebration of Discipline," states the following about fasting: “Throughout scripture, fasting refers to abstaining from food for spiritual purposes." It stands in distinction to the hunger strike, the purpose of which is to gain political power or attract attention for a good cause. It is also distinct from health dieting, which stresses abstinence from food, but for physical not spiritual purposes. Because of the secularization of modern society, fasting--if it is done at all--is motivated either by vanity or the desire for power. That is not to say that these forms of fasting are necessarily wrong but their objective is other than the fasting described in scripture. 

Biblical fasting always centers on spiritual purposes. Throughout scripture there were persons at various times who practiced the spiritual discipline of fasting. Moses the lawgiver fasted, David the King fasted, Elijah the prophet fasted, Esther the queen fasted, Paul the apostle fasted and Jesus the Savior fasted.

There are three types of fasting. 
(1) The first is a normal fast. In a normal fast, people abstainwater from all food but can drink water. The body cannot survive extended periods of time without water.
(2) The second type of fast is an absolute fast which is a fast that abstains from all food and water.
(3) The third type of fast is a partial fast that was practiced by Daniel and his friend when they refused the king’s food and ate only natural foods of fruits and vegetables and drank only water. This partial fast was recently named the Daniel Fast and is widely used in Christian circles today. You can learn more about the Daniel Fast at www.Daniel-Fast.com

We will be using the partial fast model employing the principles of the Daniel Fast. However, for those who are able and will, each Wednesday you may want to go farther by abstaining from all food and drinking water only.

It is important during the time of fasting to spend some quiet time alone in meditation and reflection about your spiritual journey to come to a deeper understanding about how God may be leading you. Let this time be about discovery and not seeking something in advance.

I would also encourage you to select a good devotion book to read during your time of fasting. Examples include "Pilgrim's Progress" by Bynum, "In the Grip of Grace" by Lucado, "The Inward Journey" by Thurman, "The Substance of Things Hoped For" by Proctor just to name a few. The readings will be helpful in helping to create the time alone from the distractions of thinking about not eating.

Whereas fasting deals primarily with abstaining from food. Another important aspect of fasting is self denial. Therefore, our fast will deal not just with food but other aspects of life that you self-select to deny yourself to grow closer to God and deepen your spiritual sensitivity. I would encourage you to journal your experience.

So let’s keep pressing on. Blessings and grace be with you.

DANIEL FAST OVERVIEW & RECIPE SOURCES

Types of food included in the Daniel Fast:
Vegetables and fruit, preferably fresh or frozen. No sweetened drinks or sweetened fruit.

It is advisable to take vitamin, mineral and possibly protein supplements during the fast. You may also include various nuts to serve as a protein supplement.

Foods not included in the Daniel fast:
Sugar and sugar products (desserts, soft drinks, etc.)

Drinks including caffeine (coffee, tea, etc.)
Bread, grains, and rice
Meats, fish, poultry, dairy products, eggs

Water: Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily during the fast. This is very important.

Side effects: You may experience moderate to severe headaches for the first day or two as your body rids itself of caffeine, salt, sugar, and various impurities.

Important exceptions:

  • Anyone with a medical condition related to eating or under the treatment of a physician must consult his or her doctor.

    Children, especially small children, will have special needs that must be considered. Under these conditions, find some sacrifice in the area of food that can be made without endangering health.

    If you have extreme difficulty with the fast, such as impairment of your ability to work at your job, you will have to make adjustments. This is not a failure of will, but is wisdom. Seek the Lord and discuss it with your pastor to find alternatives. 

Recipe Sources:
http://www.daniel-fast.com/daniel-fast-recipes/

http://pinterest.com/hayleymcroft/daniel-fast-recipes/
http://jerlinewilson.com/21-day-daniel-diet-recipes.html

Purchase the Daniel Fast Cookbook or Holy Bites: How To Spice Up Your Daniel Fast at www.amazon.com

Local Veggie Friendly Stores & Restaurants:
Bean Vegan Cuisine
Berrybrook Farm Natural Food (salads, food)
Brixx (salads, pizzas)
Chop't Creative Salad Company
Common Market (frozen & fresh grocery)
Crisp (salads)
Fern Restaurant
Food Lion Fresh Produce Section
Harris Teeter Salad Bar
Juice Bar
Nekter Juice Bar
Living Kitchen Restaurant
Mellow Mushroom (salads, pizza)
Trader Joe's (frozen & fresh grocery)
Whole Foods (extensive hot buffet, frozen & fresh grocery)
Zada Jane's Restaurant

FOOD LISTS

Foods to include in your diet during the Daniel Fast…

All fruits: These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned (watch for added sugar).

Apples

Apricots

Avocados

Bananas

Berries

Blackberries

Blueberries

Boysenberries

Breadfruit

Cantaloupe

Cherries

Coconuts

Cranberries

Dates

Figs

Grapefruit

Grapes

Grenadine

Guava

Honeydew melons

Kiwi

Lemons

Limes

Mangoes

Melons

Mulberry

Nectarines

Oats

Olives

Oranges

Papayas

Peaches

Pears

Pineapples

Plums

Prunes

Raisins

Raspberries

Strawberries

Tangelos

Tangerines

Watermelon

 

 

Vegetables: These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned (watch salt content). 

Artichokes

Asparagus

Beets

Broccoli

Brussel sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Chili peppers

Collard greens

Corn

Cucumbers

Eggplant

Garlic

Ginger root

Kale

Leeks

Lettuce

Mushrooms

Mustard greens

Okra

Onions

Parsley

Peppers

Potatoes

Radishes

Rutabagas

Scallions

Spinach

Sprouts

Squashes

Sweet potatoes

Tomatoes

Turnips

Watercress

Yams

Zucchini

 

 

Legumes:

Dried beans

Black beans

Cannellini

Beans

Lentils

Lupines

Black eyed peas

Green beans

Green peas

Kidney beans

Peanuts (includes natural peanut butter)

 

Pinto beans

Split peas

Lentils

White

Peas

 

Seeds

All nuts (raw, unsalted)

Sprouts

Ground flax

Cashews

Walnuts

Sunflower

Sesame

Almonds

Natural Almond Butter

Whole Grains:

Whole wheat

Brown rice

Millet

Quinoa

Oats

Rolled Oats

Plain Oatmeal- not instant

Barley

Grits (no butter)

Whole wheat pasta

Whole wheat tortillas

Plain Rice cakes

Popcorn (see recipe in FAQ’s)

 

 

 Liquids:

Water (spring, distilled, filtered) can be flavored with lemon, lime.

Unsweetened Soy Milk

Rice Milk

Almond Milk 

Other:

Tofu

Soy products

Herbs

Sea Salt

Small amounts of Sea Salt

Small amounts of Ezekiel Bread

Small amounts of Olive Oil

Spices (read the label to be sure there are no preservatives)

 

FAQs

What about prepared foods?
Read the labels of all prepared foods. Remember the Daniel Fast is sugar-free and chemical-free. So, if you use any canned fruits, vegetables, packaged foods or prepared sauces, you must read the label to be aware of the ingredients.

What about pasta?
Make sure the label says whole grain pasta with no additives (watch for sugar). Whole grain pasta offers 7 grams of protein per serving (3/4 cup of dried pasta).

I know it says raw, unsalted nuts, but what about roasted nuts?
The goal would be to stick to raw, unsalted nuts. But these are harder to find so in a pinch just make sure you get plain roasted, unsalted nuts with no preservatives.

How do I get enough protein in my diet while on the fast?
The following are protein-rich foods that are allowed on the Daniel Fast… almonds, sunflower seeds, lentils, beans, quinoa, brown rice, split peas, whole grains and tofu.

What kind of peanut butter is allowed?
A natural peanut butter with no additives…watch for sugars including molasses. Smucker’s creamy natural peanut butter has nothing but peanuts in it.

What about popcorn?
Corn is listed in the vegetables-to-eat list. You can use a pot on the stove…here is a recipe.

1) Put two tbsp. of olive oil in the bottom of a large pot.
2) Add enough popcorn to cover the bottom of the pan.
3) Turn heat to medium high. Look for the first popcorn kernel to pop.
4) Put the lid on the pot. Using potholders shake the pot over the burner.
5) Continue shaking until you no longer hear kernels popping. Remove from heat. 

How can I identify whole grain foods?
Typically if the ingredient lists "whole wheat," "rolled oats," or "whole corn" as the first ingredient, the product is a whole grain food item. Another way to identify whole grains in the foods you eat is to look in the nutritional facts information and check if the food item contains dietary fiber. If it contains a significant amount, it most likely contains whole grains. "Wheat flour" is not a whole grain and therefore does not indicate a whole grain product.

What about salad dressing?
Most creamy salad dressings contain sugar and are off limits. Olive oil and lemon or lime is an option.

Do I need to eat organic foods while on the fast?
No, but it is suggested because organic foods are produced without the use of feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin and without employment of chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides.

Where can I go out to eat?
Well, we think you can go anywhere and order cautiously, asking lots of questions to the wait staff, knowing ahead of time that you may be ordering a salad with olive oil and a baked potato with no extras.

How much can I eat?
As long as they are included in the list of foods, we recommend eating until satisfied.

Should I avoid canned foods?
Yes, as much as possible due to the high sodium content. If available, sodium free or low sodium canned products and frozen foods are an alternative.

A PRAYER OF BLESSING

By Dr Ricky A. Woods

Thank you Lord for the privilege to have embarked together as a congregation in 30 days of prayer. As we have read the prayers of Saints of old, written and said our own prayers, we rejoice to have a God that allows us to approach his throne as children of promise. May these days spent with you strengthen us and empower us for deeper fellowship with you who are the lover of our souls. As this time of prayer ends, may not our longing to pray conclude with the passage of time but bless us in ways that we quickly run to you not just for help and aid but to spend time in your presence and learn afresh and anew how deeply loved we truly are. Now to him who is able to do more than we can ask or think, be power, glory and honor forever Amen.