April 10 2023

PRAY THE PICTURE

Every day, we invite you into the ancient spiritual prayer practices of Lectio and Visio Divina. Each day you will be given a picture to meditate on in prayer, Visio Divina or “eating/digesting the image,” asking the Holy Spirit to prompt things from the image for you to pray into and to fill the image with spiritual meaning. Most of these visuals will connected to the concept of “Saturation” and will be connected to the insights included in each day’s prayer fuel.

We encourage you to start your prayer time each day by sitting in silence with the picture and listening for the Holy Spirit’s direction. It might also be meaningful to return to the image after you have read the additional pieces of the prayer fuel, using it to wrap up your time of intercession and giving the Holy Spirit the opportunity to speak through it on even deeper levels. May you be blessed as you engage your Creator in visually inspired prayer.

PRAY WITH CULTURAL INSIGHT

Morocco is a hostile place for believers in Jesus. Persecution is inevitable. Consequences of professing faith in Jesus can include being shunned by family or community, being physically hurt or threatened, facing injustice in the workplace or being fired from their jobs, dealing with divorce and being separated from their children, which all often culminates in tough mental battles with loneliness, depression or fear. For local believers, especially those still living with unbelieving family, Ramadan is an especially trying time, where their lack of belonging is in their face day in and day out all month long. Imagine being in the presence of your family during the Christmas season but being unable to join into festivities, but also unable to openly abstain. And more than unable—afraid. Because of the nation’s laws, if locals are found to be eating during the daylight hours in the month of Ramadan, they can be sentenced to months in prison. This leads many believers to keep up appearances that they are fasting even as they eat in private.

But here’s the thing: The early church grew miraculously in the most hostile of circumstances—both in depth and breadth, faith and numbers. Let’s pray for the Moroccan church to do the same! Ramadan is difficult time for believers in Morocco, but some have chosen to be bold and proclaim their faith to their families and communities during this month, despite the consequences of not following the fast. Because of the spiritual oppression and hypocrisy encountered during Ramadan, some find their families more willing to listen than at other times in the year. While the circumstances around them provide opportunity for sharing their faith, they also provide opportunities for persecution and discouragement.

Pray for believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit during Ramadan. Pray for them to have wisdom and guidance from the Lord in whether they fast during this time and for this decision to be rooted in love, not fear. Pray for many open doors for them to share the Good News and how they have been delivered from acts that lead to death (Hebrews 6:1) so they can serve the living God through faith in Jesus Christ. Pray that the peace of Christ would dwell powerfully in their hearts today administering the strength, encouragement and steadfastness needed for this season.   

PRAY THE WORD 

Each day, as we engage the practice of Lectio Divina, “eating/digesting the Word,” the Scripture we will pray comes from a community of prayer from within Morocco that has been praying Saturation over Morocco.

Adjective: “Saturated”—holding as much water or moisture as can be absorbed; thoroughly soaked
Noun: “Saturation”—the degree or extent to which something is completely absorbed

This group is daring to pray audacious prayers of saturation—asking for God’s Kingdom to come to Morocco to such an extent that it is completely absorbed in His truth, presence, and transformation. Keep this in mind as you pray these Scriptures and join with those who are already praying audacious prayers on behalf of Morocco.  

Acts 2:1-11 “On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!”

Pray for a powerful outpouring and filling of God’s Spirit; and miraculous opportunity and curiosity for people to hear and understand the Good News of Jesus.

PRAY THE SONG

God, dig the roots of believers in this nation deep with You.  Make them unmovable and unshakable in You alone, Father…

“Tree” by Jason Rizzo