Prayer Fuel

Day 17: Temptation and Ministry of Jesus

One of the primary ways God is drawing Muslims to Himself is through simple Bible studies that highlight passages of scripture from Creation through the Resurrection. The Waha app (https://waha.app/) contains many story sets that have been translated into dozens of languages. Throughout the 30 days we will pray through these story sets that reveal Jesus, the Word made flesh.

As you read these familiar passages, prayerfully imagine what it would be like to read them for the first time – to see the wisdom, power, beauty, and authority of God and to be drawn to trust in Christ and yield your allegiance to Him.

Pray for Tunisia according to what God shows you for today’s scripture:

Luke 4:1-22

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time,and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
    and him only shall you serve.’”

And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    to guard you,’

and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and recovering of sight to the blind,
    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”

What this passage teaches us about God

• This passage teaches us that God became fully man and was tempted in every way we are, yet was without sin. Pray for this reality to comfort and challenge believers as they become more like Jesus to resist Satan’s temptations for power and comfort in their lives.
• We also learn that God has permitted Satan to have some level of authority on this side of eternity. Pray for people in this place to rightly attribute evil to Satan, but to not misunderstand that Satan’s power is limited and his defeat has already been secured.
• We learn that Jesus is the complete fulfillment of all the prophecies of Scripture. Pray for Muslim eyes and hearts to be opened to see the supremacy of Christ over every other prophet and holy man. May their hearts swell as they rightly see Him for who He has revealed Himself to be through Scripture.

What this passage teaches us about humanity

This passage teaches us that all of the bad news that humanity faces is firmly and finally replaced with good news through Christ.

• Pray for the poor in this land, that they would respond and find hope in the Good News Jesus offers.
• Pray for those who are in bondage to evil spirits in this place. Pray for them to experience the liberty Jesus provides and to be set free from all of the ways the enemy is trying to keep them in darkness.
• Pray for miracles of healing for those who are blind, both spiritually and physically. Pray for the name of Jesus to be revered and honored through these healings.
• Pray for the oppressed — women in abusive marriages, minorities in exploitative work environments, those in slavery, and trafficked people — to be given liberty. Pray for the oppressors to repent and to find forgiveness of sins in Christ.

Insight into how this passage connects to Muslims

Riadh was in his early twenties when he became curious about Christianity. Despite being young, he was financially independent and affluent. He was running a business and making a lot of money. The Christian who was sharing the Gospel with him was excited about Riadh’s hunger. But then Riadh started to back away. When the Christian asked him why, he said, “I made a pact with good Muslim spirits, but they are the ones who have made me rich. They don’t want me to continue. I think I need a break from pursuing this.”

Riadh had taken the enemy up on his offer to receive authority and glory from him and with it came complete bondage. Pray for people in Tunisia to be set free from every pact and agreement they have made with darkness and to come into the glorious and freeing light of Christ.

Insight into how to pray this passage for Christians reaching Muslims in Tunisia

Pray for Christians in this place who are seeking to share Good News with Muslims to operate in the power of the Spirit. Pray for their hearts to be meditating on Scripture so that they can respond to Satan’s temptations with God’s Word. Pray for the Church to continue to live out the fulfillment of the Isaiah scroll in their land — to be ministers of justice, mercy, compassion, and liberators.

Tunisian prayer request

S is a wife and mother whose husband frequently travels to share Jesus with those seeking truth. S desires to be used by God as well. She asks for prayer for physical strength to travel and meet with women. Pray for her children to love Jesus as well.

Related scriptures to pray for Tunisians

Jesus fasted for 40 days and the rest of Luke 4 flows out of that time with the Father. Pray for Christians in this place to practice true fasting and for it to be a testimony to Muslims who don’t know that Christians fast nor what true fasting really means:

Pray for the fasting that God calls for (Isaiah 58:6-8): to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke. Pray for Tunisians to share their bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into their homes. When they see the naked, give them means to cover them.

Bless true fasters in this land. That their light would break forth like the dawn, and healing spring up speedily. We ask for their righteousness to go before them, and the glory of the Lord to be their rear guard.

May Tunisian men and women experience the promise of Isaiah 58:10-11, “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.”