Friday, December 1, 2017

During this season Muslims around the world celebrate Muhammad’s birthday. Muhammad was born in AD 570 in Mecca, in what is now Saudi Arabia, and died in AD 632. His tomb is in the city of Medina, north of Mecca.

At age 40, Muhammad reportedly started receiving messages from God. At first, Muhammad was persecuted by his own tribe. But as he gained followers and Islam became stronger, he fought wars to conquer people for his religion.

Muslims believe that Muhammad is the last and most important of all prophets sent from God, that he brought the final religion, Islam, and the final revelation from God to man, the Quran.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the Almighty One and the Ruler over the kings of the earth. You are enthroned above the angels and all the universe. I pray that you will manifest your glory to many Muslims this week. Show them your mighty power. Come to rescue them! Deliver them, O merciful Lord, from Satan’s tyranny. Help them pledge their loyalty and allegiance to you, the only true Savior. Make your face shine upon them. May they set their fervent affections on the One who died for their sins and rose to give them life. I pray in a special way for the Muslims I know—friends, neighbors, colleagues. In the name of Jesus, break the power of the enemy in their lives. Bring them from darkness into the light of the Gospel.

Fill many homes with the joy, singing and celebration of lives transformed by the power of the cross of Calvary. Keep believers faithful and true to you to the end.

Promise

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, NIV).

Friday, November 24, 2017

How did a pack of hungry, starved lions become non-cannibalistic and refuse to eat the prophet Daniel? Read Daniel 6. Daniel said that God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths. They could not hurt him!

The Islamic State (ISIS) seeks to establish the rule of Islam all over the world. Their goal is to have the whole world under one State, one religion, one law. For some time they have been using very violent methods: beheading people, burning them alive, raping women and children. Such cruelty is not new.^[2]

We pray that those who commit such atrocities will be transformed by the power of the Spirit of God into docile, gentle, and kind human beings. More than that, we pray that they will become servants of Christ, the merciful and compassionate Lord and Savior.

Prayer

Majestic God and most merciful Father, we bless you. We look around and see that “Every corner of the earth has become a den [or a nest] of violence” (Psalm 74:20). Enemies of the cross are raising “their flags as a token of their victory” (Psalm 74:4). Yet, we know that you are the One in control, and you are just.

We pray that you will “defend the weak and fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. …deliver them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82:3-4).

Be a stronghold and a fortress for those who are helpless, feeble and abused. Protect them and wrap them in your arms of love.

We pray for those who are bereaved, who have lost loved ones and possessions. Hear and answer their prayers, comfort them, meet their needs.

We pray that families will be reunited and that they will acknowledge your mercy and love.

Father, bring ISIS members to the cross of Jesus. Manifest your love and sacrifice to them. Transform them into messengers of love, righteousness and compassion. Amen.

Promise

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:4-5).

Footnotes

^[1] This expression is not original to me! Others have used it before.
^[2] Muhammad himself used very cruel methods to take revenge on his enemies. During some wars, Muslims flayed their enemies alive (e.g., in the Battle of Lepanto, 1565).

Friday, November 17, 2017

Most Muslims are peace-loving people. Yet, the Muslim religion has terrible elements of violence built into it. In the Quran, all the references that talk about friendliness, tolerance and acceptance of others came before those that command and commend violence. In Muslim theology, if there is a discrepancy between two different verses in the Quran, the earlier is cancelled by the one that came later. For example, “There is no compulsion in religion” (2:256) came earlier than and was cancelled by “Fight and slay the infidels” (9:5).

On September 11, 2001, Muslim fundamentalists hijacked four airplanes. More than 3,000 people were killed in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. The World Trade Center was demolished, and part of the Pentagon, the United States defense building, was damaged. Though people in the United States, Europe and many other parts of the world were outraged, some Muslims danced with joy and triumph.

Any religious system that sanctions violence and promotes murder and religious cleansing is fundamentally incapable of civility and unable to help people spiritually.

Prayer

Almighty God, Creator of humans in your own image, I approach this subject with a heavy heart. Some people see such insane acts of murder as part of their religious duty. They are disillusioned and abused by Satan, the enemy of God and of humans.

Arise, O God, and deliver them from the grip of the evil one. Free them from the shackles of Islam. Don’t let them go to eternity with blood on their hands. Change their hearts by your love and power. Make them new persons through the cross. Fill them with your love.

We pray for the families of those killed or injured and maimed in acts of violence in many places around the world. O God, fill the emptiness in the hearts of the bereaved by your presence. Help them receive Christ in their lives. Give them grace to forgive those who have so violently inflicted such cruel losses.

In the name of Christ who forgave us and teaches us to forgive others. Amen.

Promise

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth… Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God (Matthew 5:5, 9, NIV).

Friday, November 10, 2017

This Sunday is designated as a day of prayer for the persecuted Church worldwide. Christians are undergoing severe persecution in many parts of the world. It is estimated that during the 20th century, more Christians were martyred than in the prior 19 centuries combined! In Muslim countries the followers of Christ are often mistreated, imprisoned and murdered.

The Islamic system does not allow freedom of religion. Religious, political and social authorities serve as guardians to protect that system. They have a long arm through the government and police, the mosque and sheikhs, work and family, friends and neighbors, and so forth. The Islamic system persecutes and disposes of people who leave Islam. Today untold numbers of our brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering persecution.

Prayer

Sovereign God, as Herod, Pilate and other leaders made plans against Jesus (Acts 4: 27), rulers and common people in today’s world are persecuting your children!

Brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering persecution do not love their lives so much as to shrink from death (Revelation 12:11). I may not know them personally, but I intercede for them. You taught us to “bear one another’s burdens,” so I want to stand alongside them. They are members of the Body of Christ; when one member suffers, the rest of the body suffers.

O God Almighty, be with those who are enduring a nightmare of mistreatment, beatings and abuse. I bring their plight to your attention, merciful Father. Visit them. Soothe their pain. Comfort their souls. Encourage their hearts. May your face shine upon them.

In prayer I ask you to wake up the Church around the world to pray for persecuted believers and come to their assistance. Christians who occupy influential positions could act to alleviate the pain of our suffering brothers and sisters. Father, help them to not be silent. Move them to respond to the tragedy of the persecuted Church.

Promise

Your healing will quickly appear… the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. …you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. …your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD… will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail (Isaiah 58:8-11, NIV).

Friday, November 3, 2017

We are surrounded by systems and strongholds that oppose Christ the Lord and King. There are social, political, economic, and legal structures and schemes that try to disparage God.

We are not for or against a particular political system. We are Bible-believers, Christ-worshippers; and we come from all walks of life and backgrounds. We seek the glory of God and his alone. We align ourselves with his Word.

We should not harbor enmity or hatred toward anyone. Even if they oppose us, deride our faith, doubt our God, and insult our Savior and King, they are not our enemies. The real enemy is Satan who manipulates them. Our war is against Satan and his strongholds.

Such people are poor humans who need love and compassion from us, and mercy and forgiveness from God. We do not depend on human methods or material weapons, because this is spiritual warfare against satanic powers. Rather, our method is prayer, and that is all.

Prayer

O Lord our God, may you be praised for ever and ever! Why do the nations rage? Why do the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against you and against your Anointed One (Psalm 2:1-2).

Help us arm ourselves with the weapons you gave us in your Word: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the readiness of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:14-17).

He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord derides them.…at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Psalm 2:4; Philippians 2:10-11).

I pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Promise

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4, NIV).