40|50 Project: 40 Days To Heal A Nation’s Racial DivideSample

 Day 3: Help Our Unbelief

“Let’s be honest, racism isn’t going anywhere,” one pastor asserts. “If racism is a sin, sin will be here.” 

“I kindly disagree,” I offer. “We wouldn’t answer God’s call to fast and pray for 40 days seeking Him to do something about racism if we thought He couldn’t do it.”

I get it. After all the trauma experienced in our nations throughout history, I understand why it’s hard to believe that things can be different. But if we don’t believe things can be different, they never will be. 

As Christians, we believe that Jesus gave His life to deliver us from sin. Does His death and resurrection not conquer the sin of racism too? Though racism, like all sin, falls within man’s choice and will, can the Spirit of Truth not reveal truth and convict us to repentance? 

On this journey with Jesus, we all wrestle with unbelief, as He graciously points out to His disciples in Mark 9:17-24 (Matthew 17:14-21). We can learn from the humility of the father in this Scripture who brings his son to Jesus to be delivered from a demonic force trying to end his life. Instead of disagreeing with Jesus who has called His disciples an 'unbelieving generation,' he admits he needs help:

“I do believe; help my unbelief.”

What if today, we brought all of our doubts and disappointments to Jesus concerning racism and violence in our nations and we confess, “We do believe; Help our unbelief.”   

PRAYER:

Jesus, You said that all things are possible to those who believe. We believe. Please help our unbelief, especially as it pertains to this time of fasting, prayer and action making a difference and our nations becoming more like Your kingdom. Please protect us and keep our families safe, in Jesus’s Name, Amen.