Day 3 – Freeing Students Bound by Chains of Injustice
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice?
– Isaiah 58:6
Fasting is a spiritual discipline that sometimes gets overlooked in Christianity because many feel it is too difficult to accomplish, but a fasted lifestyle can and will accomplish much. Not only can we hear God’s voice much clearer, but in this passage in Isaiah, God Himself is telling us what our goal in fasting should be: “to loose the chains of injustice.” Just as many are not freed from demons except by prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29), so many chains of injustice will not be broken without the same.
The chains of injustice in America’s school systems must be broken. In 2015, only 1 in 4 Hispanic students were college-ready upon high-school graduation. The numbers were worse for African American students: around 1 in 10. One reason for this is that many times a student’s access to high-quality education is based on family income, ethnicity, or zip code. Black and Latino parents have high expectations of their children and know that if they are challenged in school they have a greater chance at succeeding in life. Churches must get off the sidelines and involved in the school systems. We must engage with school boards, educational systems, and the influential individuals within each city if we are to make a difference. Along with raising educational standards throughout the system, day to day we must increase parental involvement with school teachers and administrators. We, as the Body of Christ, must make a concerted effort to do something.
But there is one other thing we mustdo if we hope to make a lasting difference, if we wish our children to be free of these demons and chains of injustice: we must fast and pray! It is as simple as that. We must fast ANDpray. We need both. This will be the difference for us in America. Consider these types of fasts to break the chains of injustice in America’s school systems: the Disciple’s Fast (Matt. 17:20-21) to free us from addiction/bondage and sin; the Ezra Fast (Ezra 8:21-23) to help us solve problems; the Elijah Fast (I Kings 19:2-18) to break crippling fears and other mental problems; the St. Paul Fast (Acts 9.9-19) to gain insight and decision making (no food or drink for 3 days); and the Esther Fast (Esther 4:16) to protect us from the evil one (no food or drink for 3 days, night or day). Also, follow the fasting guidelines given to us in Isaiah 58 and do all the Lord requires. Thisis how we can break these chains of injustice for our children in America. Amen!
– Dr. Dee Stokes
