“They will come from east and west, from north and south, and recline at the table in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 13:29) 

 #livedead  #pray  #Nowruz

What does the apple symbolize to you? For most of us, we envision the Serpent handing Eve the forbidden fruit or the disguised witch offering a poisoned apple to Snow White. While the former may not have been an apple in reality and the latter is clearly folklore, we in the West tend to associate the apple with temptation.  Persians, however, have a different view.

Persians place an apple, or seeb (سیب), on their table as a token of beauty, health, and fertility. As we place a seeb on our Haft Seen table, let’s avoid thoughts of temptation and sin, and instead view the red delicious as a reminder to pray for a beautiful, healthy, and multiplying Iranian church.

Dear Jesus, today we pray for the Iranian church. Thank you for preserving and multiplying your Church through times of persecution and oppression. Strengthen the Persian believers; grow and purify your Church.  May the churches in Iran be united together in vision and continually aim to reach those who are not yet followers of Jesus. Give each Iranian believer increased evangelistic fervor and boldness. God, be glorified in the Persian Church. Use your people to make Christ’s beauty, strength, and compassion known in Iran.