Absolutely. To the best of your ability and with reason. Without moderation it is impossible to exhaust oneself and take up podvig that exceeds our strength. God does not need this and it is harmful to us. Sick people who want to recover often take on what is not their measure. It turns out to be a spiritual breakdown... And this happens to ascetics, as one desert dweller said: "We cannot fast too much. The Lord does not demand hunger from man, but podvig. Podvig is what a person can do the greatest in his power, and the rest by grace. Our strength is now weak, and the Lord does not demand great feats from us. I tried to fast heavily. And I see that I can't. I am exhausted – I have no strength to pray properly. Once I was so weak from fasting, I could not read the rules. Lord, I think, have mercy on your creation. And I hear in my heart: don't get up, lie down until you get well. So it pleases God..." /V. Sventsitsky. "Citizens of the sky". 1994/

Sick people often grab everything sharply, and then throw it. We must follow the Tsar's, middle path.

But, unfortunately, now there are often statements that fasting is not for us and the rules of the Holy Fathers are a thing of the past. They give many examples, arguments, refer to well-known authorities... It's from the enemy. If you cannot fast, repent, and do not complain about the rule.

24. What do demons like about people today?

Lack of spirituality. When a person lives for the body and for the sake of the body, and not for the soul, then the concepts of life shift towards the world and good is confused with evil. Such a Christian easily violates spiritual laws and does not realize it, since what is good for the body is bad for the soul. All sin is the work of the flesh, not of the spirit. And therefore the Apostle, reproaching us with sins, remarks: "Are you not carnal?" (1 Cor. 3:4/ But modern man sins without knowing sin, and the demons laugh at him. "Sin is the main demonic power... through sin everything is perverted" /St. John Chrysostom/

I once asked a question to an experienced confessor who used to take care of the sick, and he enumerated to me a lot of things that demons love: women in trousers, made up, smeared; men who smoke and love wine and beer, living unmarried with their wives; those church services when everything is done quickly and irreverently, or for the sake of money, or glory (miter, cross, order); when the sacred is not valued and cherished; when church and family secrets are brought to the judgment of strangers; funeral services are held and pannikhidas are served for suicides, drunk with wine, for those who believe differently or for non-believers in general, or even for the unbaptized /and it also happens that in the USA Fr. Victor Potapov performed a pannikhida for A. Sakharov, and he was not baptized/; they love those who pierce their ears and wear earrings; when sorcerers are feared more than God; curious and idle talkers; general confession and a careless attitude to confession in general; when monuments are placed on graves instead of a cross; good deeds done for show, for the sake of praise or benefit.

And many, many other things that secularized Christians do not consider to be a sin or follow the lead of public opinion: "What will people say?"

25. What is the most powerful remedy for spiritual illness to heal?

Correction of life and humility.

26. Is the great sin of infanticide forgiven?

It is forgiven and blotted out in our charters, but we must tearfully repent and blot out with good deeds.

27. Which priests does the demon especially dislike?

Those who save and lead to God.

28. Do Feasts and fasts play a role on the spiritually ill?