Friday, September 29, 2017

In the past few decades, millions of Muslims have migrated to the West. Some seek jobs, others pursue freedom and a better living, and still others hope to conquer the West by converting Westerners to Islam or by sheer reproduction and numerical growth! I personally take this migration to mean the Lord wants to help the Church win large numbers of Muslims to Christ by bringing them to her doorstep.

On the other hand, as I travel among churches in various Western countries, I am dismayed at people’s lack of accurate information regarding Islam and Muslims. An average Christian believer does not know how to relate to Muslims or how to share the Gospel with them. If Christ commanded us to bring in the lost, it is our duty to invite them to believe in Jesus and receive forgiveness and eternal life through him.

Prayer

Lord God Almighty, send a Holy Spirit-empowered awakening to your Church in the West. Help her to take up her responsibility to bring Muslims to Christ. Arouse her, O God, to realize the utter spiritual destitution of Muslims. They need you. You are their only hope.

Call leaders who can educate your people in how to share the Gospel with Muslims. Burden their hearts to reach these needy millions for whom Christ died. Move with power upon pastors and believers to let their light shine upon Muslims.

Mobilize Christians to go to Muslim enclaves and communities to help save the lost and rescue the dying. Fill your children with courage to open their mouths and witness for you. Speak through them and draw people to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior.

In the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Promise

Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor… I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow (Isaiah 52:1; Jeremiah 31:13).

Friday, September 22, 2017

To hold a high government position and be a follower of the true God is often difficult. Nehemiah and Daniel held on to their faith and their positions honorably and successfully. Obadiah risked his status and even his life to practice his faith. He was in charge of the royal palace under King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of Israel. The king and queen lived evil lives, worshipped foreign gods and persecuted those who worshipped the Lord. Queen Jezebel was determined to kill the prophets of the Lord. Obadiah was a devout secret believer in the Lord and faithfully worshipped him. He took 100 of the Lord’s prophets, hid them in two caves and gave them food and water (1 Kings 18:3-13).

While Paul was a prisoner in Rome for the sake of the Gospel, he said that the whole palace guard knew that he was in prison for preaching Christ. He also said that there were believers in the king’s palace and sent greetings from them to believers on the outside! (Philippians 1:13; 4:22).

Today there are followers of Jesus Christ who hold high government positions, and some of them are converts from Islam.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I praise your holy name and rejoice for every person in a high position who worships Christ. Help each one to lean on you more and more.

May they consider nothing too dear to sacrifice for the glory of your name, not even their lives. May they be effective in their service to their superiors and to their countries.

Fill their minds with clean thoughts and their hearts with words of praise and thanksgiving to God. Open their mouths to proclaim Christ with love.

Help them draw strength and honor from you. I pray that everyone they meet will recognize that they belong to Jesus (Acts 4:13).

May they never equate success with righteousness, or position with God’s favor!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Promise

Don’t be afraid to speak out! Don’t be silent!18.10 GW Acts 18. I’m with you. No one will attack you or harm you. I have many people in this city (Acts 18:9-10, GW).

Friday, September 15, 2017

People around us are thirsty. The only water that will truly satisfy them is spiritual.

One day a woman from Samaria came to the well to draw water for her household. Jesus was there. He spoke with her and offered her eternal, living water (read John 4). She accepted and was transformed. She then brought her village to Jesus!

There are many women like her in Muslim societies. Huda, Fadila, Wahiba, Samira, and many others whom I know personally have put their faith in Christ and continue to be faithful to the Lord against all odds. They, like the Samaritan woman, are very active in bringing their own people to the Kingdom.

We need more women like these.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, our Redeemer and Savior, we bless you and magnify your name. You honored this Samaritan woman and blessed her. We pray that you will speak to many Muslim women this week.

Bring them to the cross through faith in you. Change them and make them new creatures by the power of your Spirit. May they find hope, peace and joy in you. Fill their hearts with your love.

As you transformed the Samaritan woman from an argumentative, religious fanatic into a messenger of the Good News, may many Muslim women put their faith in you and become your emissaries to their own people!

Reveal yourself to many Muslim women this week as you did to the Samaritan woman. May they know you, Jesus Christ, Messiah, King, and Redeemer.

In your mighty name we pray. Amen.

Promise

To the thirsty I will give water from the spring of life as a gift… Let them give thanks to the LORD for his love and for the marvelous things he has done for mankind; he has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things (Revelation 21:6; Psalm 107:8-9, REB).

Friday, September 8, 2017

Because of wars, violence, famines, and religious and ethnic persecution, more than 60 million^[1] people of diverse nationalities and religions have been displaced. They have been forced out of their homes, towns and countries to become refugees in various places around the world. They are confused, distressed, hungry, sick and homeless. They live in circumstances that are often less than humane. They generally feel betrayed, robbed, violated and excluded.

Oftentimes they face deportation from their country of refuge. While not all current refugees are Muslims, a great percentage of them are. Asia and Africa produce the most refugees in the world.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you know what it means to be a refugee: your family fled to save your life when King Herod wanted to kill you. I bring to you these, our fellow human beings, who have been uprooted and have lost their homes, property and possessions. Lord Jesus, visit them in your compassion. Be their refuge and comfort. Reveal yourself to them as their Savior.

Help us, your followers, to actively seek to improve their physical conditions without neglecting our responsibility to minister to their spiritual needs for their eternal well-being.

Compassionate Lord, remind me of what you said: that you were hungry and thirsty and I gave you food and drink; you were a stranger and I welcomed you; you were naked and I gave you clothes; you were sick and I took care of you; you were in jail and I visited you (Matthew 25:35-36).

Help me personally to be your hand extended to minister to refugees, even if they are in far-off lands.

Promise

The Lord watches over the alien, and sustains the fatherless and the widow (Psalm 146:9).

Footnotes

^[1] United Nations High Commission for Refugees, reported by The Atlantic, June 18, 2015.