Fasting and Prayer..?

Ok, so I honestly don't have a full or clear picture of fasting why or how, but I have read a couple verses on it and it still confuses me, but anyways...

Ezra 8:21-23
"There, by the Ahava canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possesions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we told the king, "the gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him." So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer."

In Nehemiah, he fasts and prays day and night and God answers his pray.

Also this week I heard 2 Chronicles 7:14 again:
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Another thing is that a lot of the time in Scripture it may describe things that they did, but not fully. Like it said they fasted. Sometimes it says for various lengths of time, sometimes it's food and water, sometimes it doesn't describe it at all.

At the same time Jesus says that we will fast. Matthew 9:14-15 "Then John's disciples came and asked him, "how is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesu answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.""

The other thing is that God hears all of our prayers anyways, right?

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him" 1 John 5:14-15

In either case, fasting strengthens prayer or something. I think. Whenever they fasted and prayed, they were heard and answered. >.<

So many things to pray for, not enough time...

[I like how my friend put it. "Whether or not one chooses to engage in a fast is optional, and whether or not one benefits from a fast is conditional -- it is all about the heart. It may not be imposed as a divine duty upon others, nor should it be used as a public display of one's piety. Jesus says to do it in secret ... after all, the only response to your act that matters is God's, and He is looking at the heart." It really depends on how you see it. I have definitely seen it put to use in good ways and I have also seen it upheld legalistically to no avail. I have also seen fasting where you don't really care and nothing happens and I've also seen it strengthen your own prayer.

So, ya, it's up to you. Some people can't fast, physically, so it can't be required. Also, ya. You don't need to do anything to be loved by God. No acts can save you. Only God's acts and gift of life through Jesus' death and ressurection.]