What My 21 Day Daniel Fast Taught Me About Comfort, Gluttony, and Grace

Sticky note on fridge symbolizing fasting and seeking God over comfort food

If you’ve ever started a 21 day Daniel fast thinking, “This will be good for my health and my walk with God,” and then found yourself obsessing over food anyway… yeah, same.

Last month my church did a corporate fast. I jumped in with a Daniel fast: no meat, no sweets, no junk. On paper it looked spiritual. In my heart, God was about to expose something way deeper than my grocery list.

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
— Proverbs 19:21

I went into the fast with plans. God came in after my patterns.

Why I Chose the Daniel Fast (and How My Motives Were Mixed)

I told myself I picked the Daniel fast because I wanted to honor God with my body and join my church in seeking Him. That was true.

But if I’m honest, I also picked it because it still allowed me to eat throughout the day. No meat and no sugar, yes—but I could still snack, still fill space, still stay comfortable.

About halfway into the 21 day Daniel fast, I started to notice a theme:

  • I was thinking about food a lot.
  • I was planning my next meal instead of planning time with God.
  • I was giving food my attention when I was bored, stressed, or avoiding what I felt.

Technically, I was “fasting.” Practically, I was still letting food run the show.

Comfort Over Clarity: How Food Became My Distraction

One of my biggest hopes for this fast was clarity—especially around calling and career:
Raw Faith, 12:2 Collective, FCA, life direction, next steps.

But my journal from those days exposes what was really happening:

  • I’ve been distracted easily.
  • Watching a lot of shows and movies.
  • Food is a distraction for me—a place to feel comfort.

Instead of leaning into discomfort and listening for God, I was stuffing the space with food, screens, noise.

It wasn’t that God was silent. It was that I was full of other things.

The Last Week: Eating After Sunset

By the final stretch, I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me deeper.

I realized I was still using food for comfort—just with cleaner ingredients. So for the last week, I shifted to eating only after the sun went down.

Not as some extra-spiritual flex and not to impress anyone.

Simply because I knew:

“If I can reach for food whenever I feel something, I’ll never learn to reach for God instead.”

That last week was rough:

  • My stomach growled.
  • My body felt tired in new ways.
  • Old cravings flared up—hard.

But in that weakness, I saw the truth—I don’t just enjoy food. I often use food—to comfort, to numb, to avoid.

That’s not just overeating. That’s gluttony of the heart—running to something created to do what only the Creator can.

Naming the Real Issue: Gluttony as a Comfort Habit

I used to think gluttony only meant “eating way too much.” God showed me it’s deeper than quantity; it’s about dependence.

For me, that looked like:

  • Eating when I was bored instead of bored enough to pray
  • Grabbing snacks when I was stressed instead of casting cares on God
  • Using fullness as a way to not feel what was really going on

The 21 day Daniel fast didn’t magically fix my relationship with food. But it did force me to be honest:

  • I run to food for comfort.
  • I run to screens for numbness.
  • I often run to everything except God when I feel empty.

That’s the part He wanted to deal with.

Learning to Be Hungry and Holy

Here’s what I’m slowly learning on the other side of the fast:

  • Hunger can be a reminder, not an emergency.
  • Discomfort can be a cue to pray, not just to eat.
  • Fasting isn’t about earning anything from God—it’s about seeing what already owns your heart.

Now, when I feel that “I need something” itch, I’m trying (not perfectly) to pause and ask:

“Do I really need food right now—or do I need God?”

Sometimes the answer is food. I still eat. I still enjoy it. But sometimes the answer is, “You’re anxious. You’re lonely. You’re overwhelmed. Bring that to Me.”

That shift—from pantry to Presence—is slow, but it’s changing me.

Wearing the Reminder: God’s Still Working On Me

This journey is exactly why the God’s Still Working On Me design means so much to me.

It’s not just a hoodie—it’s my reality:

I’m still learning to surrender cravings.
I’m still learning to choose His voice over my feelings.
I’m still learning to let Him be the One who comforts first.

If you’ve ever used food to cope, felt guilty after eating, or looked for comfort everywhere but God…you’re not alone. And you’re not a lost cause.

Sometimes we need a physical reminder of a spiritual truth. That’s why I created pieces like:

If this story hit you at all, you might find it helpful to wear the reminder you’re trying to live.

Final Thoughts: Plans, Purpose, and Real Hunger

I started this fast with my own plans—“Get clarity. Get discipline. Get direction.”

God had His own purpose: “Let Me show you what you’re really hungry for.”

And that’s the thing about Proverbs 19:21—our plans can be great, intentional, even spiritual. But in the end, His purpose wins.

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