You may be broken because of them, but they are blinded by their bondage. There’s a reason, after all, why Jesus taught us to pray, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” The one who gave his life for them (and us) promises that “love” and “prayer” can help set them free, delivering them (and us) from their terror.

Israel and the Middle East need our prayers. For the sake of the nations, let’s be people who embrace personal forgiveness so we can be conduits for the kingdom, stakeholders in God’s sovereign rule. We don’t need more empty words. We need heaven’s miraculous power. And Jesus tells us that we participate in God’s power, a power that joins heaven and earth, when we yield to the holy and transforming work of forgiveness.

When was the last time you just sat with God in silence? No words. No distractions. No noise. If we’re honest, we’ll admit that there are silent moments throughout our day, but we yield to the pressure and fill them with noise. Silence is a regular companion whose presence is often ignored. This week, ask the Spirit to show you such moments. It may feel awkward and unfamiliar at first but don’t shrink back. I promise that God will eventually meet you there.

Perhaps you’re struggling to see the light. Maybe all you see is failure, disappointment, and purposelessness. It’s in these moments that we’re called to do the brave work of repentance…

The disciples’ response to Jesus’s words was “increase our faith” (v. 5). This way of living seemed too great for them, and they realized that they needed faith beyond what they had known. Let’s be the ones who pray “increase our faith” this week, especially when searching to understand the difficulties within and without.

Who is getting your attention in the mornings? Are you scrolling social media and processing messages before even getting out of bed? This week, why not spend the first ten minutes of each day directing your affection to God? Your morning sacrifice will position you to see things you otherwise couldn’t see and follow the leading of the Spirit down the “straight path before” you.

Do you feel disoriented by trial or temptation? If we’re honest, we’ve all been there and are probably—in one way or another—there right now. My prayer for us this week is that we’d allow God to redeem the pain of the trial and reveal the true nature of whatever we’re facing . . . that we would be reoriented through prayer.

Have you been through a massive hurt or a collection of wounds that have left you wondering if you can heal again? The neuroscience is clear: you can’t change your life until you change your mind.

Are you in a season where you don’t have the words to pray? Maybe your words feel messy, irreverent, or inarticulate. You don’t need to go buy a shofar, but I do challenge you to release a cry, however broken it may sound. Whether it be a car, a room, a field, a closet, a forest . . . find a place to offer your holy exhale. For only those who breathe out can breathe in.

When Jesus told us to pray to the Father, he realized how difficult that would be for many of his brothers and sisters. What is difficult, though, is often what’s most meaningful, and Jesus was never one to back down from what is best.