I am a woman in my forties. I am a follower of Jesus. This year I was able to baptize my two daughters. Pray that our family will find freedom. I used to do drugs but Jesus set me free. My daughters still struggle. My son-in-law is also very close to believing but he is addicted to drugs. Our family meets together many times each week to study the Word of God and learn to obey its teachings. We pray and fast together and want freedom from this curse (drugs) in our lives. I also have a chat group with my family from Algeria, and we study the Bible together on an app. I am a cook at a school, and I love to share with the other servers and teachers. Pray that my family will all see the truth of the Gospel and decide to follow Him. Pray that God will give me boldness and wisdom as I share with my co-workers.
âNot me,â Wrida said. Even as she spoke about the round-the-clock care of her mother-in-law, she shared of her compassion through clenched teeth. âNot me,â she repeated, âI donât âthrow awayâ my elders and relatives like all the OTHER family members do. Thatâs not how I was raised.â A hot tear threatened to break the dam of her well-fortified exterior. She cut the carrots with an intensity fueled by frustration. Wrida had lost all sense of self in these years⊠the care of her mother-in-law, who also happened to be her aunt, was relentless and between her and the financial stress⊠the cumulative strain was killing her stubborn, survivorâs soul. How could she even begin to think of the battery of tests still needed for her sickly husband to prove by doctorâs note that he shouldnât fast this Ramadan? The slicing intensified as she thought of her late-30âs son, still unmarried and sleeping on her couch⊠the house he was building on top of hers, on top of his older brotherâs abode had been in a skeletal state for years now with no fixed income to finish it- a prerequisite to even BEGIN dreaming of marriage. Thoughts of her beautiful daughterâs lineup of awful, immature suitors began making rounds in her mindâs eye as she hand-worked the olive oil into the couscous. She couldnât believe a strong, proud woman like herself had made it a secret practice to climb up to the rooftop at night and cry out to Allah. Was she losing her mind?? Wrida shuddered to think of the answer as a tear escaped into the steaming mass⊠she laughed as she imagined her Christian friendâs gracious response to tears in the dinner. Cooking for and engaging with this family had been like therapy. Their faith was confusing to her as an uneducated, illiterate woman⊠but their love for and encouragement of Wrida and her family had provided her with the fuel she needed to make it through these long days in this seemingly never-ending season.
Pray as the Spirit leads for Wrida.
Many Muslims when faced with difficult questions about their religion fall back on the claim that God is unknowable. In Christianity, though we cannot fathom the fullness of who God is, we do believe that God revealed Himself to us in Christ and wants to be known by us. Today we pray for Muslims in Tunisia to encounter God by knowing Christ.
Each of us who comes to Christ must repent of and renounce every pact, promise, or identity we held before faith in Christ. Join us in praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ from a Muslim background as they repent of their former identity as Muslims. This prayer is inspired by chapter 7 and 8 of Liberty to the Captives by Mark Durie.
Let us revel in Christ’s victory, unity in Christ’s love, and the cross. “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:14-15).
Pray for new Christ followers in Tunisia to renounce inferiority and glory in Christ’s triumph over death through the cross.
âThere is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesusâ (Galatians 3:28).
Ask that in Christ there would be no division between the sects of Tunisia.
Pray for a release of the spirit of unity over against the spirit of violence and division.
Pray for a release of the spirit of love over and against the spirits of death and destruction.
Pray for Christians in Tunisia to grow daily in the Word.
Father, hear our cries. We intercede on behalf of this nation, that you would move and change its trajectory. We see, Lord, how violence and division have wreaked havoc. We acknowledge that the sins of generations have destroyed the land and undermined the peace. But we also declare your steadfast love, your faithfulness and kindness. And we call out to you now and ask for your intervening love.
Step in, O God, and do miracles. Change what cannot be changed. Break what cannot be broken. Shut what cannot be shut.
And in Your mercy open what is locked. Unbind what is bound, and loose what is contained. Release peace. Spread love. And may a mighty river of reconciliation flood this land, bringing men and women and youth together in unityâbaptized into the unity of Messiahâunder whom all can be healed, all can be saved, all can be delivered, and by whom every wound can be mended.
Amen
Use these resources to help pray specifically each day.
Thank the Lord for the love He has given you for the people of Tunisia as you prayed for them to encounter Christ this Ramadan. Pray for Him to complete the good work he has begun in Tunisia. Take time to listen to next steps God would have you take on behalf of the people of Tunisia.
ReadIn many parts of the Muslim world, Islam is passed down more through tradition, family, and society than in formal education. Prayer, fasting, and going on the Hajj are mostly done in a communal context. Today we pray in faith for our brothers and sisters in Tunisia to find community and family in your Church. We pray they would have vision for sharing what they are learning about Christ in their community, families, and networks.
ReadLast night many Muslims celebrated the "Night of Power" hoping that God would show up miraculously to change their circumstances (health, financial, relational, etc.). We continue to pray that they would encounter Jesus who already miraculously "showed up" as the Word who became flesh to change their current realities and eternity through His life, death, and resurrection.
ReadOn or around the 27th night of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate the "Night of Power" as a special time that their prayers and good deeds count for more. They believe their chance of getting their prayers answered and miracles done are increased on this night. Pray for multitudes of Muslims from Tunisia to encounter Jesus tonight in a dream or vision.
ReadThe month of Ramadan is known as âthe month of repentance,â and so as we pray for a gospel movement to transform this nation, let us cry out for Godâs Kingdom to come, for a spirit of repentance to fall on the peoples living in Tunisia, whether they are Sunnis, Shiite, Sufi, or Christians from a Muslim background; rich and poor, young and old, male and female.
ReadMuslims are encouraged to think about the poor during the month of Ramadan, to sympathize with them, and to make donations. Jesus loved the poor and said, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God" (Luke 6:20). Pray for Muslims in Tunisia to encounter this radical teaching and to wrestle with His command to not just donate to the poor, but to know that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor.
ReadIslam calls Jesus the "Word of God" but strongly denies that He is God. Pray for Muslims in Tunisia to meditate on the thought that Jesus is the "Word of God". John 1 illustrates the beautiful reality that, "the Word was with God, and the Word was God." May Muslims in Tunisia be prompted to research this online and find John 1. Pray for their hearts be softened as they read.
ReadMuslims (and all people, really) care deeply about their outward appearance or reputation in the community. But Jesus cares about the person's heart. Religion can change outward behavior but can't change inward attitudesâonly the Spirit of God can do that. Pray for the people of Tunisia to be convicted about their need for a clean heart and to seek out Jesus' teachings on the topic.
ReadToday many Christians celebrate Easter: the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. Muslims deny this fact. "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17). Pray for Muslims in Tunisia to be convicted of the reality that they are still in their sins and that only God Himself can provide a solution for that â the cross of Christ.
ReadIslam teaches that God is unknowable and as a result many feel like God is distant. We know the truth is that God Almighty wants an intimate relationship with His followers because He is a good Father who knows the hairs on our head (Luke 12:7). Lord, let all new followers of Christ in Tunisia be filled with joy at knowing the intimacy of God, who calls us "beloved".
ReadMuslims deny that Jesus died on the cross and instead ascended to heaven without dying. This belief denies the act of atonement foundational to our faith as Christians. As many Christians around the world enter into a time celebrating Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, pray for Muslims in Tunisia to have the eyes of their heart opened to consider the possibility of Jesus' death and resurrection.
ReadIslam teaches an emotional worldview that Muslims are superior to non-Muslims. Lord, help believers in Tunisia shed the sins that so easily entangle them and instead put on their "new self" finding their value comes from You.
ReadMuslims pray prescribed prayers five times a day. Lord, as people from Tunisia turn to Christ, teach them how to keep spiritual rhythms, turning it into an intimate time with you and not simply a ritual.
ReadMuslims acknowledge Jesus as a prophet from God. Let their curiosity be sparked in this season for them to learn all that Jesus says about Himself. Specifically, that He is âthe way, the truth, and the lifeâ (John 14:6) so that they may acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior.
ReadIslam teaches that deception under certain circumstances is acceptable and the effects of this teaching breeds mistrustâof God and of others. But the Bible tells us "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator" (Colossians 3:9-10). Pray for people in Tunisia to be people who pursue truth and feel conviction about deceiving others.
ReadZakat, one of the five pillars of Islam, requires Muslims to donate a set percentage of their wealth each year to Muslim charities. The New Testament teaches Christians to give generously from the heart as opposed to a set percentage. Pray for the people of Tunisia to be challenged by the contrast between a religious rule and a heart posture and to want to understand more about the "new heart" that the Bible teaches about (Ezekiel 36:26).
ReadMuslims and Christians use the same Arabic word for "fasting". And similar to what we learned yesterday about prayer, the meanings are fundamentally different. Muslim fasting is rigidly defined as no food, water, sex, or smoking from dawn to dusk. Christian fasting takes on many more forms. Muslim fasting is enforced (or broadly promoted) in Muslim countries during Ramadan. Jesus taught, "But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret...." (Matthew 6:16-18). Today we pray for Muslims in Tunisia to come across Jesus' teaching about fasting in the Sermon on the Mount and be challenged to continue to investigate His teachings.
ReadMuslims and Christians often use the same Arabic word for "prayer". The meanings of that word, however, could not be more different. Islamic salat "prayer" describes the memorized recitations that Muslims must speak and the motions they must go through five times a day. Christian "prayer" describes two-directional conversation with God where Christians humbly approach the throne of grace with confidence to present requests and praise, they listen to God, and are thus transformed. Today we ask for Muslims in Tunisia to have the opportunity to be prayed for by a Christian and for them to have a divine encounter with God through it.
ReadMuslims believe that the Quran is the perfect and final revelation of God. Christians believe that Jesus is. "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature..." (Hebrews 1:1-4). Pray for Muslims in Tunisia to read the Gospels and see the contrast between the exact representation of God's nature we see in Christ and what the Quran teaches.
ReadThe Islamic doctrine of abrogation means that some verses in the Quran can be "canceled out" by later verses. This is contrary to the unchanging nature of God in the Bible. "Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secureâŠ" (Hebrews 6:17â19) Today we pray for people in Tunisia to see the unchanging nature of God, that it is impossible for him to lie, and to make him the anchor for their souls.
ReadIslam pursues political, societal, and top-down power structures. Christianity teaches bottom-up servant leadership (Luke 22:25-27). Pray for Tunisia to be transformed as Christians model Christian leadership principles and reject worldly power structures.
ReadThere is a hadith (teaching) in Islam that says, "Be good to your mother, Paradise is under her feet." This positive teaching is often negatively used to prevent Muslims from questioning or rejecting the religion of their parents. Today, we pray for Muslims in Tunisia to have courage from God to honor their parents, but not blindly follow their religion and to instead pursue Truth.
ReadThe primary way Islam is growing globally is through birth rate. The primary way Christianity is growing globally is through movements of the Gospel. Pray for these movements to flow through Tunisia and all Muslim lands.
ReadThere are many teachings in Islam that advocate the use of the sword (killing) to advance their religion. The teachings of Jesus calls us to surrender to the sword (martyrdom) to advance His Kingdom. Pray for Muslims in Tunisia to wrestle with this contrast and for their hearts to be softened to Christ.
ReadMany Muslims when faced with difficult questions about their religion fall back on the claim that God is unknowable. In Christianity, though we cannot fathom the fullness of who God is, we do believe that God revealed Himself to us in Christ and wants to be known by us. Today we pray for Muslims in Tunisia to encounter God by knowing Christ.
ReadThere are many teachings in Islam that allow for murder, enslavement, rape, and abuse of women. Today we pray for both men and women in Tunisia to see the value of women, who are created by God as His image bearers as well.
ReadIslam teaches that women cannot fast or pray when they are menstruating. We thank God that this is not a reality for us in Christ. Pray for women in Tunisia today who cannot fast because they are menstruating and will have to make up this day of fasting later in the year by themselves. Pray for their hearts to be softened to a God who welcomes them into His presence any day of the year because of Christ's blood on the cross.
ReadIslam teaches that Muslims are born into Islam, inheriting the religion of their parents. Christianity teaches the opposite, each person must make a personal decision to follow Christ and His teachings. Today we pray into this issue and ask for God to give grace to Muslims in Tunisia to question this teaching that they inherited their religion from their parents.
ReadIn Islam, it is a sin to doubt. It leaves many Muslims with fear of eternal damnation if they question anything they have been taught about religion. Pray today for Muslims in Tunisia to seek the true God who is big enough for our questions and doubts.
ReadIn Islam God has 99 namesâsuch as All-Merciful, The Beneficent, The Source of Peaceâbut none of those names is Love. Father God, who reveals yourself as the God of Love throughout the Bible, please reveal yourself to Muslims in Tunisia with your true nature.
Read