Fasting in Scripture is typically associated with great need. We fast because we have a desperate desire to hear from God in this matter, at this time. It is the natural expression of our soul-hunger for God. We fast because our circumstances, whether personal or corporate, have grown beyond us. We fast because we need the grace of God to shower upon us in fresh new ways.
I reread the whole thing again, because this is what I going through. I didn't want to call upon God to answer my prayers and go about the rest of my day like every other day. Rather, I wanted God to supply me with everything my body would need for that day. I wanted to rely on God's strength, not my own.
I honestly cannot say that God worked through my fasting any more than if I had not fasted, but I did feel more at peace with my situation. It felt good to know that all of my problems of the day were now up to God. It felt good to know that if God could get me through the day physically. It reminded me that if God is in control of my physical well being, then how much more is he in control of any other problem or situation in my life. It felt like God was sharing my yoke of burdens that much more with me.
So, do I still think fasting is bad? Absolutely not. But I do think it needs to be practiced with caution and humility. For me, it was hard for me to not boast to others that I was fasting. The temptation is to make it look like I am more "Christian" than you, and I think that is what I always thought of before trying it myself. I also found myself thinking about all the physical benefits of fasting. Knowing that one can lose a few pounds here and there if fasting occurs on a regular basis takes away from what fasting is all about. Fasting needs to be approached just as seriously as any other form of communication with God.
