Prayer Fuel

Pray as the Lord leads you as you read today’s verse

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.” (Matthew 5:21-26) ESV

Tunisian story

In January, my husband died unexpectedly, leaving me uncertain about the future. I am a middle-aged woman from the Amazigh people group and not a strong Muslim. I have always prayed to the saint of our village to intercede for me. I practice folk Islam, but it doesn’t give me hope. Recently, a Christian woman began sharing with me about the Messiah, explaining how He came to forgive our sins and give us eternal life. Please pray that I will fully understand the Gospel message and embrace the hope and salvation found in Christ.

Praying with insight

Hunger, thirst, and more often nicotine withdrawals during the Ramadan fast can make people argumentative and hostile in the afternoon hours leading up to the breaking of the daily fast. It is not uncommon to witness fistfights in the bread line. Most people (including Muslims) do not consider themselves as ‘bad’ people because they’ve never murdered someone or committed adultery. Jesus challenges this understanding of what makes us ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in his teaching in Matthew 5:21-26. Pray for God’s mercy to give every person in this area the conviction that even insulting another human makes them guilty before a holy God. Pray for each who experiences this conviction to have the opportunity to hear the Gospel that they can be forgiven through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.

For believers

“How dare she take her ‘liberty in Christ’ to mean she can live like an immoral woman — going out at night with men, drinking…?” Ahmed fumed. Though he and his sister were both following Jesus, her actions left him so angry at his sister that he struck her. As Muslims in this area, repent and turn to Christ, we join them in praying for new patterns of anger management and conflict resolution. Pray for brothers and sisters in Christ in this area who remember that their brother has something against them. Pray for them to go, ask for forgiveness, extend forgiveness, and be reconciled to one another today, in Jesus’ name.

For the lost

Lord, we pray for those who are quick to anger and quick to ridicule. Let them see and understand that they cannot control others, nor can they be seen as righteous simply by pointing out the faults of others. We pray for humility and peace. We pray for those who do not know how to forgive or to reconcile with God or others. Please, God, bring them into connection with believers who have the message of reconciliation. Let them meet with “Christ’s ambassadors,” who “implore on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (2 Cor 4: 20)

For the church

Pride and comparison cause deep hurt in the hearts of God’s children who are working in the fields and longing for harvest. When hurt leads to anger and bitterness and a refusal to repent or be reconciled, there is division that damages the witness of the gospel. Pray for those who are witnesses of the gospel and for those who believe through the word shared by those witnesses “that they may all be one …so that the world may believe that [the Father] sent [Jesus]” John 17:20-21 May the gospel be clearly declared in humility, repentance, and unity.

For areas of influence

Pray for places of business in Tunisia.

• Pray for believers who work in environments without any other Christians. Pray for them to model Jesus’ teaching about anger and seek to live at peace with their coworkers without compromising their obedience to Jesus.
• Pray for employers to pursue building work cultures that prioritize respect, esteem, and harmony among employees.
• Pray for coworkers to desire a better way forward in their work relationships than selfish acts of revenge and backbiting. Pray for them to experience reconciliation with God through Christ that empowers them to pursue reconciliation with others.

Declaration of the scripture

Today, may the people of this land experience the new life Jesus came to give us. May they walk in his transforming power to:

• be angry and not sin; not letting the sun go down on their anger
• let no corrupting talk come out of their mouths, but only such as is good for building up
• let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away, along with all malice
• be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave us (Ephesians 4:26-32)

Pray as God leads as you watch this video from Tunisia