Religion, culture, and identity are deeply intertwined in northern Africa. From birth, your identity and sense of belonging is connected to your parents’ religion. Despite cultural pressures and persecution, some people hear the truth and their eyes are opened. They understand that following Jesus is worth sacrificing everything else. Pray for new believers, like Mary, who have taken the step to believe but are facing challenges. Her family has experienced sickness and other hardships since she made a confession of faith, and she fears that it might be spiritual punishment from evil spirits for turning to Jesus. She has distanced herself from the believer who was discipling her. Pray that her faith and the faith of other new believers will not be on rocky soil, but will take deep root in good soil so that “when distress or persecution comes because of the word,” they will not “immediately fall away” (Mark 4:17 CSB).