Pray for North Africa

Pray through these verses of Isaiah 61 for the week of June 2nd – 8th

Thanksgiving, Worship, Intercession (TWI) Ideas:

• Thank God for the good things you see in this passage & that you’ve experienced in life.
• Worship the Trinity for aspects of the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit’s character that are revealed as you read.
• Intercede for places and people in North Africa that need revelation of these characteristics. Ask for restoration, holistic wellbeing, people that would listen to God, and for the Good News that restores fortune to the oppressed, downtrodden, and powerless.

Isaiah 61:4-9, CSB

They will rebuild the ancient ruins;
they will restore the former devastations;
they will renew the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
⁵ Strangers will stand and feed your flocks,
and foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers.

⁶ But you will be called the Lord’s priests;
they will speak of you as ministers of our God;
you will eat the wealth of the nations,
and you will boast in their riches.
⁷ In place of your shame, you will have a double portion;
in place of disgrace, they will rejoice over their share.
So they will possess double in their land,
and eternal joy will be theirs.

⁸ For I the Lord love justice;
I hate robbery and injustice;
I will faithfully reward my people
and make a permanent covenant with them.
⁹ Their descendants will be known among the nations,
and their posterity among the peoples.
All who see them will recognize
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.

Pray through the passage again, and ask God with each verse how a person you know in North Africa can live this out today. If any words, images, or ideas come to mind, send them on.

Isaiah 61:4-9, ESV

⁴ They shall build up the ancient ruins;
    they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
    the devastations of many generations.

⁵ Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;
    foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;
⁶ but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
    they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;
you shall eat the wealth of the nations,
    and in their glory you shall boast.
⁷ Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;
    instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;
    they shall have everlasting joy.

⁸ For I the Lord love justice;
    I hate robbery and wrong;^[a]
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
    and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
⁹ Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
    and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
    that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.

Pray through the passage again, and ask God with each verse how He wants to activate these jubilee promises in your life.

Isaiah 61:4-9 Easy English Bible

God’s people will build again their towns
    that became heaps of stones a long time ago.
Once again, they will live in the cities
    that have been empty for so long.

⁵ The Lord says to his people,

‘Foreign people will take care of your sheep for you.
They will work on your farms,
    and they will take care of your vines.^[a]
6 People will call you
    “The Lord’s priests who are servants of our God”.
You will enjoy valuable things from other nations.
You will boast about all the riches
    that you receive from them.
⁷ You will not be ashamed any more.
    Instead, you will receive twice as much blessing.
People will not say that you are useless.
    Instead, you will live happily on your own land.
Yes, my people will have twice the crops from their land,
    And so they will always be very happy.
⁸ I, the Lord, love justice.
I hate it when people rob others,
    or they do other wrong things.
Because I am faithful,
    I will give help to my people.
I will make a covenant with them
    that will continue for ever.
⁹ Their descendants will be famous
    among the other nations.
Everyone who sees them will know
    that the Lord has blessed them.’