Grace,
In light of the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, we are deeply grieved. In response, the elders of our church are asking us to enter into a season of fasting and prayer during the month of June.
We will be asking God to bring reform in our legal, political and social systems so all people, regardless of race or social status, receive equal justice and protection. We will pray specifically for the African American community that has borne the brunt of injustice and violence in our nation’s history. We are praying for grace and mercy over our African American and minority populations, calling on God to help and give comfort to the anxiety and trauma many are feeling. We ask that God grow an understanding of the hurt that exists, and that He rip apart the racial and unjust systems that have continually divided our nation. We pray for unity under Christ.
We also will be praying for those in law enforcement and the legal system, some of whom are members of our body, that they receive God’s grace and mercy to be able to do their jobs well and pursue justice.
Two scriptures that come to mind that speak to our approach during this time come from the Old Testament prophets:
Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
We would ask that you first consider fasting from food, and if you fast from food, consider not eating breakfast and lunch on Wednesdays, breaking your fast at dinner. Make sure to drink water throughout the day. For some it is not possible to fast from food due to health concerns, and so you could fast from social media or TV during that same time period.
Why are we fasting? Fasting is a time where we deny ourselves things that bring us comfort or strength, entering into a time of discomfort and relying on the Lord and seeking Him during that time instead of seeking to comfort ourselves. We take the time we would have spent eating or entertaining ourselves and turn our hearts to God in prayer, and when our stomach growls or the desire to go on a screen for entertainment comes, we use that as a prompt to hunger for justice and righteousness. We also ask that God make us more sensitive to His voice as we fast and pray, listening for how He would lead us as His people to respond.
This is a spiritual battle being revealed in physical actions. We must first fight with spiritual weapons of prayer and then ask God to show each of us how to live out the truth of justice, reconciliation and righteousness in the physical world as well. May God hear our cry and bring his justice and peace!