In today's Gospel a hungry Jesus is tempted by the devil. It's interesting how in English the word "evil" is in the word "devil." So we humbly pray in the Lord's Prayer "save us from evil". Or as one translation has it "save us from the evil one."

One way to counter the devil's influence is to practise fasting - giving up certain foods and drinks for an extended period of time.

An excellent book "Fasting" by Jentezen Franklin (see his website) has many stories of people who were helped by fasting: sick people healed, addictions broken, family problems solved.

Franklin describes how fasting is good for our bodies and minds: it spring-cleans the mind and helps get rid of toxins from the body.

We have more motivation for fasting when we do it for a special purpose: to pray for a sick person, or to help others by what we save from giving up something.

Like a 14 year old boy named Tommy. Each day at school, Tommy usually bought a soft drink to have with his lunch. But during Lent he drank only water, and the money he saved went into the "Lent box" to help poor people.

Muslims fast each year during Ramadam, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. They take it more seriously than we Christians take Lent.