Fasting for Spiritual Strengthening

When John baptized Christ, the Spirit led Him into the desert - not for a vacation, but a preparation through fasting. Each day was another day closer to the suffering of the Cross. Any man would want to run from such a fate, but Christ used fasting to strengthen His resolve. One of Satan's main tactics is to encourage any addiction or lifestyle that makes the body the master, where man is moved by every little whim of the flesh. Fasting is a powerful discipline for bringing the body under submission. You take control. It suffers and you say NO. A soldier without needs cannot be tempted and will not turn from duty. Each great servant of God had his/her time of fasting. It is an essential spiritual discipline and without it we are weak. It fortifies spiritual foundations, builds intimacy with God and strengthens resolve.