Not One Headache in Almost Two Years - Apples of Gold - October 13, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 13, 2008

“Not One Headache in Almost Two Years”

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

Here is something to consider.

Since I went on the Daniel Fast I have not had one single headache.

That’s almost two years without a headache.

Now I admit, I was not a headache-prone person to begin with.  I never carried around my own little stash of pain pills. 

But I did get a headache now and then, and once in a while when I came home from work it would be bad enough that I would just pop some pills and go to bed.  Without giving it much thought I just chalked it up to too much time in front of a computer or the weather or who-knows-what.

Then in January, 2007 our church declared a 21-day Daniel Fast.  I had never been on a Daniel Fast, and I had never even heard of it until the year before.

It’s roughly based on Daniel in the Old Testament.  Daniel 1:12 says, “Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.”  And Daniel 10:2 says, “I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips…”

There are many variations on the Daniel Fast, but for me personally I settled on these five simple rules:
--Drink only water
--Eat no meat
--Eat no bread
--Eat no sweets
--Eat nothing fried.
Then as an addendum I included “avoid preservatives.”

So I started on this three-week Daniel Fast, and by the middle of the second day I had a huge headache.  It was a different kind of headache, though.  It sort of dulled my brain. 

On day three I woke up with a headache.  That was unusual for me because I never woke up with a headache.  Even when I had a headache I could always sleep it off and feel fine the next day.

And then by the middle of day three the headache started to break up, which was also unusual because if I had a headache earlier in the day, it never just went away.  But on that day it did, and by that evening I felt fine.

And I have not had a single headache since.

Now here’s a funny thing.  What about the things I blamed for causing my headaches?  All those conditions still exist, yet I get no headaches.

And it’s not like I was a terrible eater before, or terribly out of shape.  And I didn’t have any addictions like some people who drink Diet Coke all day, or coffee; or people who constantly munch on sweets. 

For me it wasn’t one big thing, but I guess it was everything, all added up.

Now I didn’t go into the Daniel Fast as a cure for headaches.  Like I said, I didn’t get that many to begin with. 

I went into the Daniel Fast as a way of drawing closer to God.  It’s a way to deny myself to better follow Jesus.  It’s a way to crucify my flesh in order to live more fully in the Spirit.

So my motivation was strictly spiritual, and I think I’ve grown spiritually because of the fast.

And then there is this byproduct, which reminds me of Daniel and his friends.  Daniel 1:8 says, “…Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine…” 

So his motive was spiritual.  As an orthodox Jew he did not want to defile himself before God by what he ate. 

But now look at the byproduct.  Daniel 1:15 says, “…they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.”

For me, the Daniel Fast was spiritually motivated, but it had a byproduct of eliminating all headaches.

By the way, I was a few months into the fast before the headache thing dawned on me.  I was telling someone about that initial headache and I just kind of blurted out, “And I haven’t had one since.” 

And now it’s going on two years, and still no headache.

Now you might say, “Gee, I should try that for my headaches.”  And that’s not a bad idea, but I say this.  If you are going to fast, why not go all the way and do it for spiritual reasons?  You will still get the physical benefits, plus the spiritual benefits which are actually more beneficial.

And for me, one of the spiritual benefits is the ability to stay on the fast.  I truly believe that not only did God call me to this fast, but that He also empowered me for this fast.  It has not been hard at all, and I’ve never been tempted to break it.

I first committed to 21 days like the others at church.  But somewhere in there I felt prompted to commit to the whole year.  Then at the end of last year I felt prompted to re-up for this year.  And I will likely recommit for 2009.

Now I’m not saying the Daniel Fast is the miracle cure for all headaches.  But if you suffer from headaches, it’s something you should consider.

The Daniel Fast eliminated all of my headaches, and I just thought you should know.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.

Past Apples of Gold about the Daniel Fast, found on www.wave94.com:

The Discipline of Hunger:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=240

Daniel Fast, Month Five:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=298

Fasting Creates a Space for God:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=404

Daniel Fast, One Year:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=465

© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
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