April 15 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

While you may not have heard of the massive region of Draa-Tafilalet, chances are you’ve seen glimpses of it. A frequented hotspot with filmmakers, one can still wander through the abandoned sets of Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Alexander, The Mummy and Lawrence of Arabia. Income for film projects is gladly welcomed in this region of the country whose typical economy, that is dependent on agriculture and pastoralism, has taken many devastating hits due to the increasing desertification of this region. While many foreigners visit the area as tourists or as part of the movie industry, long-term residency for expatriate workers can be a bit more demanding because of the harsh climate and relative isolation and limited services. As virtually nothing can be done anonymously in these mostly rural areas, local people seeking Truth often find it difficult to keep exploring faith given the multilayered pressures coming from their families, local leaders, and communities. 

As we pray for this region of Morocco, we can know this is an area that is precious to the heart of God, who esteems those who are on the outside, just as He saw and responded to Hagar in the wilderness. Ask Him for creative and nurturing partnership spaces, to see heads lifted and brokenness made whole. Ask for patience and faithfulness for His children in this region. As the geographic landscape is quite dry but places with water become flourishing oases, we know that with the outpouring of His Spirit, a wilderness becomes a fruitful garden. Ask the Lord to plant spiritual oases amongst these desert lands, where the Water of Life quenches the thirst of every lost and wandering soul and the spiritual fruit is heavy and ripe with faith.

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.  

Isaiah 32:15-18 “’’til the spirit is poured out on us from high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.”

Pray this transformation that can happen in Morocco at the outpouring of the Spirit.

PRAY THE SONG

God, it is Your nature to bring hope, light, joy, peace, and wholeness. Bring it to Morocco, Lord…

“Your Nature” by Kari Jobe