Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Isaiah chapter 58, verses 6 through 11.

It's a longer passage, but just let it soak in.

God speaking to his people who were fasting and just walking through religious observances, but ignoring the poor around them.

And he says, is not this the fast that I choose? To loose the bonds of wickedness? To undo the straps

of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free free and to break every yoke, is it not

to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house when you see

the naked to cover him and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily.

Your righteousness shall go before you. The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call,

and the Lord will answer. You shall cry and he will say, here I am, if you take away the yoke

from your midst, the pointing of the finger

and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the

afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.

And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong and you shall be like a

watered garden like a spring of water whose waters do not fail, I almost don't need to say anything by way of

explanation. I need to start praying. God is so clear in his word here and in so many places

that he has not asked for our religion's observances, our songs, our prayers, our supposed worship, if we are

ignoring the poor and the hungry and the oppressed, those who are in need around us.

And so God, we pray that you would keep us from the sin that was characterizing your people here in Isaiah

chapter 58. We pray that it would not be true of us, that we gather together in buildings

that often cost millions of dollars to sing songs and go through religious observances while ignoring

urgent spiritual and physical needs around us while ignoring oppression or injustice or poverty.

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