Prayer Fuel

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

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. (Matthew 5:38-42) ESV

Praying with insight

It is surprising when Christians from a Muslim background share their testimony, how often Matthew 5:38-42 is quoted. Jesus’ teaching to “turn the other cheek” is astonishing to many Muslims, as it presents a perspective on forgiveness and humility that is unfamiliar in their cultural context. Pray for Muslims who have encountered this passage from the Sermon on the Mount to deeply reflect on these words and find the courage to seek a deeper understanding of the One who spoke them. Pray for more people in this place to have the opportunity to hear this teaching and to know it comes from the Injil (New Testament).

For believers

“He’s not too big; you could have taken him,” an older woman said. A brother had been beaten and stabbed the evening before by someone who had just joined a radical fundamentalist group. She was a neighbor who had come to personally apologize for the injustice. “It’s true,” the brother replied, “but then I would be acting in the same way that he did. It would just be another fight.” It seems unreasonable in the flesh to refuse to return evil with evil, but only love and forgiveness stop the spread of violence and hatred. Pray for the believers among this people to have the courage to radically love those who hurt them.

For the lost

Sometimes, mercy seems like injustice. If the one who is begging or borrowing seems lazy and “needs to be taught a lesson,” should people give them what they are asking for? If the powerful take a tunic by force from the weak, why should the weak run after them to give them their cloak, too? In the kingdom of God, the poor in spirit know that the King himself cares for them. Those who mourn and hunger for righteousness, those with pure hearts, the peacemakers, and the persecuted know that they have received undeserved mercy. They also know when it seems like evil is winning, it is only a mirage. The King is just and merciful. He himself clothes and feeds his children. He himself suffered persecution and by His wounds, we are healed. May the people of this land come to trust the King and relinquish the fear based on the lie that they depend only on themselves for care.

For the church

Paul’s words to the church in Rome can only be realized by the power of God’s Spirit in His Church (Romans 12:17-19). We pray for the church in this region to:

• repay no one evil for evil
• give thought to doing what is honorable in the sight of all
• as far as it depends on them, live peaceably with all
• never avenge themselves, but leave it to the wrath of God

For areas of influence

Places of Community

Pray for forgiveness and reconciliation to transform relationships between neighbors in this land as the Gospel of Jesus impacts more people.
Pray for Christians who are persecuted by their neighbors to have strength and grace from Jesus to turn the other cheek, to give their cloak, and to walk two miles instead of one.
Pray for trust in Jesus’ words to go deeper than fear of being taken advantage of by all Christ followers in neighborhoods and community centers among these people.

Declaration of the scripture

Jesus, you perfectly fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah,
“I gave my back to those who strike,
and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face
from disgrace and spitting.
But the Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame.” (Isaiah 50:6-7) ESV

May those who have made You their Lord and Savior in this land find comfort in knowing that You have gone before them in turning the other cheek. Remind them that You stand with them, whether they face literal or metaphorical scorn, offering strength and peace in every trial.

May the power of your Spirit draw men and women all over to invite You to be their hope and their honor. May it result in disciples making disciples who make disciples in our generation. Amen.