Why should I Fast?

"You will find that Fasting guided all the Saints to a godly way of life."

~St Basil the Great

Fasting is a natural part of human life.  In the garden, God commanded Adam and Eve to fast by the command that they could have anything in the garden they desired, except the Fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  To reverse what has happened to us in the fall into sin, we fast so as to build up  our will to fight against the sinful desires of our flesh.

We fast to prepare ourselves to enter into God's presence.  Moses fasted from all things for 40 days while he was on Mount Sinai receiving the tablets of the 10 commandments from God.  Elijah fasted for 40 days before climbing Mount Horeb to seek God.  We fast for 1 hour each time we approach the Eucharist as a preparation to enter into God's presence.

We fast as an exterior sign of our interior conversion and repentance from sin.  Jesus fasted in the desert to do battle with temptation, though during ministry He feasted with sinners. Jesus reveals to His disciples that certain demons can only be overcome and cast out through fasting and prayer. (Therefore certain sins as well.)

The fruit of Fasting is freedom from the lust of the flesh.  Whether our struggle is with typical, sexual lust, or is with lusts that involve other pleasures of the flesh, fasting is the means by which we over come our attachment to them.  It is sometimes recommended that we should fast (especially for Lent) from sinful behaviors instead of food or other good pleasures.  However, this is a misses the mark of understanding of human nature.  If I cannot deny myself the pleasure of candy, dessert, alcohol, etc, how could I possibly have enough will power to overcome gossip, obscenity, sexual sin, or other addictive sins.

For the Sake of freedom from sin, fast from good things you desire.