"I have found that practicing the fasting and praying example given us by Christ has gone a long way towards breaking my cycles of repetitive sins."
Repetitive sin is a sort of pride on the one hand and selfishness on the other. In both instances it comes from focusing on our own desires and pleasures rather than on Christ. It feeds on itself and grows larger and larger, more and more destructive. Prayer and fasting teach us to die a bit to the self so that our own selfish "fulfillment" fades somewhat, changing focus of the eye of the soul to Christ.
I'm sure that's quite correct. My point however is that an intellectual assessment of the nature and problem of sin is one thing and the approach of fasting and prayer to break those sinful patterns is another. It should be obvious but I think I saw that as an exercise in piety rather than God's very own practical how to. It was a late discovery for me.