Friday, August 28, 2015

Hannah had been married for some time, but she was unable to have children. She was barren. Her husband’s other wife ridiculed and belittled her. Though her husband loved her, Hannah felt unfulfilled, troubled and miserable (1 Samuel 1:1-8).

She believed in the Lord, in his mercy and in the power of prayer. So she took her problem to the throne of God and poured out her heart to him (1:9-11).

When God answered her and gave her a son, she was grateful and exalted the Lord with a beautiful prayer of praise. Her worship reveals great depth in her relationship with God and in her understanding of his ways and his dealings with humans (2:1-10).

She kept her word and fulfilled her promise to the Lord. She gave her only son to serve at God’s house. Since that place was far away, she saw her son only once a year (1:24-28). That was a great sacrifice on her part. But God repaid her five times (2:21). Yes, she gave birth to five more children!

PRAYER

Lord, may the women who come to Christ from Islam be like Hannah: prepared to invoke your name when persecuted by people and upset by circumstances. Help them to be ready to show great faith in Jesus and in the power of prayer in his mighty name.

Raise up for yourself, Almighty God, women in Muslim nations who acknowledge you as the source of every blessing and who dedicate their children to the service of Christ the King. May they withhold nothing from you, not even their most precious possessions. Give many of them children like Samuel: boys and girls who are sensitive to your voice when you speak, who listen and hear, who obey and walk in your ways, and who turn the hearts of people toward you, O God.

In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

PROMISE

When you started to pray, God answered you, and I came to tell you because he loves you (Daniel 9:23, Sharif Bible).

This week we pray about the Muslim concept of

TAQIYAH

The concept of Taqiyah allows Muslims to deceive non-Muslims. This word means to mislead, dissimulate or outwit. When a Muslim feels threatened because of his religious affiliation, he can hide the truth and deny anything that might incriminate him—even his faith!

Taqiyah is based on such quranic verses as the following: “Let not the believers take the disbelievers as supporters…except if you indeed fear a danger from them” (Quran 3:28, Noble Translation, p. 71).

Muslim commentators explain this verse as follows:

1. “If you, Muslims, are under non-Muslim authority, and you fear for your safety, act as if you are loyal to those non-Muslims…while hiding inner hatred for them. God has forbidden believers to be friendly or on intimate terms with infidels—except when infidels are above you in authority.”
2. “When a Muslim fears evil from non-Muslims, he may protect himself through outward show.”
3. “Let us grin in some people’s faces while our hearts curse them.”

So Muslims can act like non-Muslims to protect themselves! For example, they can say they are Christians, while they are not!

PRAYER

Lord Christ, Light of the world, the way and the truth and the life, we worship and adore you. Our hearts groan for Muslims. They do not know you as the glorious Lord and loving Savior.

We are surprised that this teaching is part of their religion. We are tempted to condemn and despise them for holding onto a religious doctrine that sanctions deception. We repent and ask you to forgive us, Lord. Help us to have compassion toward Muslims and intercede for them.

Your Word says that you desire honesty, truth and integrity from the heart (Psalm 51:6). We pray for those who deceive others. Draw them to you. Show them your face. Cheer their hearts with your divine presence, and lead them by the hand to the cross. Shower your mercy upon them. Help them experience your grace.

When the time comes for believers from Islam to witness for you, fill them with courage they have never known before.  In Christ’s name I pray.

PROMISE

If you live by what I say, you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth
will set you free (John 8:31-32, GW).

This week we pray for many in the Muslim world to be like

THE WIDOW IN ZAREPHATH

God sent the prophet Elijah to a widow in Zarephath in the country of Sidon. That entire nation worshipped Baal. But a beautiful surprise was awaiting Elijah!  When he met the widow, she immediately let him know that she believed in Jehovah, the God of Israel, the only true God! Today that would be like a preacher of the Gospel who goes to Mecca in Saudi Arabia and meets a local person there who worships Christ! Elijah must have been happily shocked!

In our day, this story is multiplied many times over.  God’s Spirit is drawing to Christ people who live in societies that are hostile to the Gospel.

PRAYER

Blessed are you, Lord God, for ever and ever. You alone are God. You are the King of kings and Lord of lords. We praise your most holy name for what you are doing by the power of your Spirit.

We know that, because of your power and authority, there was an Abraham in the city of Ur (Genesis 11:31), a Joseph in Potiphar’s house (Genesis 39:1-6), a Moses in Midian (Exodus 3:1), an Obadiah in King Ahab’s palace (1 Kings 18:3-13), a Nehemiah as the king’s cupbearer (Nehemiah 1:11), an Esther as queen of Persia (Esther 2:15-18), a Nicodemus in the Sanhedrin (John 3:1; 7:50), a Cornelius in the Roman army (Acts 10:1-2); and there were saints in Caesar’s palace (Philippians 4:22)! All these people worshipped you, the true God, in the midst of societies that did not acknowledge you and were often hostile towards you!

We pray for a special visitation by your Spirit to Muslims from all walks of life. Lead them to the cross of Calvary. May they be like the widow in Zarephath, ready to declare that they worship God and adore Christ his Son, even in the midst of antagonistic societies. As a saint of generations past prayed, “May Messiah’s Kingdom come to the overthrow of her that sits on the Seven Hills and to the eternal waning of Mohammed’s moon, to the overthrow of every idol, that Christ alone may reign.”

Yours, Lord, are the greatness and the power and majesty for ever and ever. Amen.

PROMISE

He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things (Psalm 107:9, NIV).

I’ve kept 7,000 people for myself who have not knelt to worship Baal (Romans 11:4, GW).

This week we pray about Islam’s rejection of the concept of

GOD OUR FATHER

No prophet or priest, king or great leader has ever told us to dare to address God as our Father, except Jesus!  He is the only One who has taught us to call God, our Maker and Creator, Father.

In the Old Testament, that relationship is mentioned only a few times (for example, Exodus 4:22-23; 2 Samuel 7:14). But in the gospels, it is mentioned 165 times. 

Jesus wanted to instill in us how important God’s fatherhood is.  It is not a mere creed. It is a relationship that is central to our new life in Christ and essential in our worship to him.

Muslims totally reject that notion and consider it blasphemous.

PRAYER

God our Father, praise and honor and glory and power to you (Revelation 5:13). We were lost in sin, without hope and without God, but Christ made us members of God’s family (Ephesians 2:12, 19). Hallelujah! We are God’s children (1 John 3:1-2).

What a blessing to come to you, King of kings and Lord of lords, the King eternal, immortal, invisible, and call you “Father”! Thank you for accepting us, transforming us and adopting us.

I pray that you will help Muslims put their faith in Jesus and experience your love and compassion. You are waiting for them to come in repentance and faith and accept your only Son. You are ready to change them and make them your children.

Help us all, Lord God, to honor you, to live, act and talk as is fit for your children. In the precious name of our Lord and Savior. Amen.

PROMISE

You are my father, my God, my rock where I find safety (Psalm 89:26, REB).