April 19 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

A gateway region, Souss-Massa is often called the “Door to the Desert” because to get to the southern, desert regions of Morocco, you must first pass through the region of Souss-Massa. This region of Morocco is unique because it seems to struggle with a bit of a split personality disorder. In one persona you will encounter some beautiful coastal cities like Agadir, that attract many beach-going travelers and retirees looking to relax; several important economic contributions, like the infamous cash crop, the argan nut, used to make the expensive cosmetic additive argan oil, and the yummy nut butter known as amlou; and fascinating cultural cities, renown for the handicrafts, including hand-painted pottery and impressive silverwork. In the other persona you will find serious levels of oppression and abuse against women and children; poverty-stricken rural communities; and nearly suffocating levels of shame and fear in the spiritual atmosphere.

Like a beautifully decorated piece of pottery that is full of rot and filth, pray for a cleansing of Moroccan societies that think that appearances are all that count, that sin is only problematic if you get caught, and that, once accrued, shame has no cure. Pray for the bondage-breaking Holy Spirit to come and reconcile the competing realities in the lives of Moroccans.

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

Holy Spirit, come and fill every part of us…

“Holy Spirit, Come” by Paul Arends