Re: Christians here: tell me about fasting as a contemporary Christian practice?
I agree that fasting with prayer can intensify prayer, however its human nature to turn it into something selfish, rather than as a worship with God. I think many think of prayer as presenting a wish list to God, rather time to listen from God.
your fears about God reveal a unbalanced perspective between the Holy God that is Judge and the Loving God that died for you so you could have a relationship with Him.
http://www.awmi.net
this site has a lot of messages that you can listen to or read for free. On the left, under Extra. I recommend starting with Spirit, Soul, Body under audio teachings.
Fasting for me is a way to get my physical body aligned with the Spirit within me. too often I put more trust in what my senses tell me, yet that means I am not trusting in God for what is unseen and out of reach. Nothing is impossible for God, yet if I only rely on the physical touch, hear, see than everything seems impossible. By fasting, I step away from the physical and into the realm of the hope. However, God is not Santa Claus, and answer to prayer may come in an unexpected manner and not always to my comfort, but always to my benefit. God wants a relationship, and relationships take time and effort to grow and mature.