Friday, April 27, 2018

As a whole, Muslims believe that God exists; but for them he is far off, remote. In recent years there has been a wave of widespread violence, killings and massacres—perpetrated, condoned and defended by Muslims. Seeing such atrocities, many Muslims are shocked and disappointed with their own religion. They reason, “If Islam is like this, we will have nothing to do with it.” So, many have turned away from Islam to atheism. If they announce that decision openly in their own Muslim countries, they risk losing their lives.

Muslim atheists have now become a phenomenon in Islam! May the Church reach out to minister Christ, the Prince of Peace, to these disheartened souls.

Prayer

Maker of the universe, Creator of all things, thank you for entrusting me with the responsibility to pray for Muslims who have turned to atheism.

Savior of sinners, bring them to the cross of Christ to see and feel the agony the Son of God endured for their sake. Lead them to surrender their lives to you and accept your forgiveness.

Turn their hearts and minds to “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable … excellent or praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8). Be their portion (Lamentations 3:24), their strength and shield (Psalm 28:7), that they may serve you with joy and integrity.

Help your Church know how to minister with love and compassion to those who no longer believe. “Praise and honor and glory and power belong to the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever” (Revelation 5:13, SAB). Amen.

Promise

I will free the prisoner from the hand of the mighty one. I will salvage the loot from the hand of the tyrant. I will fight your enemies, and I will rescue your children from them (Isaiah 49:25, SAB).

Friday, April 20, 2018

He lived A.D. 1232-1316. He was part of the nobility of Spain. As a young man, he lived a life of immorality and dissipation. He boasted that no woman could resist his advances. Finally, his saintly wife took the children and left him. As he pursued her, he saw a vision of Jesus. He abandoned his sins and started following the crucified Savior.

Later, he decided to appeal to Muslims to come to Christ through love, dialogue and reason. For nine years he studied Islam, its religion, culture and traditions, and immersed himself in studying the Arabic language. Finally, he went to Tunisia to the famed Zaytuna Mosque, where he entered into serious discussions with the leaders. He offered them the message of Christ’s love and sacrifice. Although he was arrested and deported, he returned to North Africa two more times. On his last visit there, he was tortured and gave his life for the sake of his Savior.

He was the first intentional missionary to Muslims, and he carried out his task with commitment and sacrifice.

Prayer

Merciful and redeeming Lord, you are worthy of every sacrifice we make for your sake. Thank you for calling Raymond Lull to go to North Africa. You still call people today.

I pray that many of your children will take the message of the cross to Muslims as Lull did. Give them a passion for the lost. May they never stop hearing the cries of the Christless, hurting world. May their hearts beat with your love for those who do not know you. Fill their minds with the eternal consequence of Calvary. Help them as they study new languages, cultures and ways of life.

May they see miracles happen as lives are changed.

Glory and honor and praise to you, our God. Amen.

Promise

Please sir, do you remember me? I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD. I asked him to give me this boy, and he has granted my request (1 Samuel 1:26-27, SAB).

Friday, April 13, 2018

Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, claimed that one night he traveled on the back of a winged donkey from the mosque in Mecca to the mosque in Jerusalem. From there he reportedly ascended to heaven, where he saw several prophets and had an audience with God. Afterwards all the prophets came to him, and he led them in prayer. Finally, he returned to Mecca—all in the same night (Quran 17:1).

It is interesting to note that there were no mosques in either Mecca or Jerusalem at that time!

Prayer

Majestic God in heaven, blessed be your holy name. I bow down in your presence and worship you. Thank you for entrusting me with the task of praying for others and bringing them to your attention. I appeal to you to set Muslims free, and I intercede on their behalf.

Lord God, for so long these precious people have sat in darkness and gloom. Show your mercy and grace to them, O God. Give them wisdom, intelligence and sharp insight to realize that it is pointless to build their belief system on fables and traditions of humans. Rescue them from the grip of a merciless enemy that is plotting their ruin and doom.

Help them run to Jesus and live in the light of his Word. Grant them freedom through the cross of Calvary. As a fellow prayer warrior has prayed, give them “a desire for what is true, a hunger for what is righteous, and a determination to refuse all substitutes, no matter how attractively presented.”^[1]

In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

Promise

The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!… The pastures will soon be green. The trees will again be filled with luscious fruit; fig trees and grapevines will flourish once more (Psalm 118:16, NLT; Joel 2:22).

Footnotes

^[1] Eugene Peterson, Praying with the Prophets, January 31.

Friday, April 6, 2018

She was a widow. We do not know her name. Her husband, who was a prophet, had died and left her with a debt she had to pay. The creditor demanded that she give him her two sons as slaves since she couldn’t pay the debt. She panicked at the thought of losing her two sons and cried out to the prophet Elisha for help. She acted out of a strong faith and heeded Elisha’s advice.

He told her to go to her neighbors and borrow a lot of pots and pans. After she had done that, she closed the door of her house behind herself and her children. She began to pour out the little oil she had into the pots, but the flow of oil never stopped until she ran out of containers! She was able to sell the oil and pay off the debt. I call her the Oil Seller. When she went to her neighbors to borrow pots, she was in fact announcing her faith publicly! But as she filled the pots with oil, she was receiving the blessing privately. (Read the story in 2 Kings 4:1-7.)

We need women like her in the Muslim world—women of faith, who hear from God and do his will.

Prayer

Almighty God in heaven, thank you for this courageous woman. She cried out, she stated her case, she obeyed, she acted, she received and she was delivered from the grip of the debtor. How merciful and compassionate you are, Lord! I ask you to give to your Church women who have come out of Islam and put their faith in Jesus—women of faith and action, just like that oil seller.

Help them overcome fear, intimidation and uncertainty through faith. May they overcome the world because they believe that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 5:5). Enable them to become examples and models for their children, families and others “in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

I pray for other prayer warriors. It is possible that you are about to do a miracle in their lives. Help all of us to bring you our empty pots. May your unending flow of oil fill us. For the sake of Jesus, my Lord, amen.

Promise

Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:6, NIV).