Serious prayer requires deep concentrated effort on part of an obedient servant and that's why when a person concentrates their thoughts on Lord rather than on food God's will and desires become known to them in a supernatural, profound way.

A person desiring to use gifts of God with more Holy Spirit power and authority should fast, pray and get as deeply into Word of God as possible. Eat His Word instead of food. Spiritual Fasting can bring great joy and blessings to your life.

Acts 13:2-3 "While they were worshiping Lord and fasting, Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for work to which I have called them. So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off."

Fasting also enables a person to resist devil. Sometimes temptations become overwhelming and only way to fight them is to go into a Spiritual Fast with heavy prayer.

Especially if you tried regular praying and still find yourself giving in to temptation.

What is right reason to fast? Fasting should always be for spiritual purposes. The early church fasted, worshipped and prayed. That is key to fasting. It should be a voluntary, private, worshipful and prayerful time between you and our Heavenly Father.

What's a bad fast? When you fast for wrong reason or wrong attitude in your heart. Whatever you plan to do, main thing is to keep your mind upon spiritual growth.

I've personally experienced greatest spiritual growth in my life when I fasted.

My favorite fast is a 7am-3pm fast in which I pray and read my bible for one hour during my regular lunch time.

This fast has helped me to stay focused on God's word and keep His commandments and not give in to temptations of devil.

When I do this fast I usually go 40 days in honor of Jesus' fast in wilderness.

Matthew 4:1-2 Then was Jesus led up of Spirit into wilderness to be tempted of devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

It is interesting to note that 'The Heavenly Man' (Christian Book of Year for 2003) contains account of how Brother Yun in China endured a total fast (i.e. no food, no water) for 75 days. This sounds impossible but surely, with God, all things are possible.

God paid a high price for you. He sent His own Son to die in your place.

Therefore intent of (Gal 5:24) is not to discourage, but to encourage us to resist these fleshly desires and passions.

What is dead is strings that attach us to sin that no longer bind us because they were cut loose and destroyed by Blood of Jesus and Word of God.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in body, I live by faith in Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

So what we need to do is commit to responding to flesh in different ways than how we used to by choosing to be a living sacrifice to God and by being obedient to him.

Romans 13:14 But put ye on Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for flesh, to fulfil lusts thereof.

For example: If your flesh wants to look at a person to lust after, look other way. Or if your flesh wants to take someone else's valubles when they leave you alone in room, you should change your thoughts to something possitive.

Another one could be if you know you're going to be alone tonight and will be able to surf for porn on internet, you could invite a friend over so you don't have opportunity to get into trouble.

Keeping your mind off of your own desires by helping others is another good way to keep from fulfilling lusts of flesh.

Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to flesh, but by love serve one another.

Crucifying your flesh does not mean that your life will lack pleasure. God is author of true pleasure that is not tainted with sin in any way.

Matthew 13:44 "Again, kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field."

In fact, God provides perfect pleasures that bring lasting satisfaction and joy, unlike temporary pleasures that selfish sin could ever offer.