Friday, August 31, 2018

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, August 24, 2018

Islam has gained ground in sub-Saharan Africa through Muslim traders and missionaries who have, over the centuries, propagated their religion throughout most of the continent. Today several black African countries have a strong Islamic presence, and Islam continues to grow. Petrodollars pour into Africa from Arab nations to build mosques and gain converts.^[1]

Yet, there is an encouraging harvest of souls coming to Christ from Islam in Africa. Many are taking Bible correspondence courses, tuning in Christian radio, and attending revival meetings to receive healing and invoke God’s intervention in their affairs. Certainly, Muslims in Africa are coming to Christ in encouraging numbers.

Prayer

I bless you, O Lord, for your triumphant Church in sub-Saharan Africa. I praise you for the flames of revival spreading in many areas of the continent. I thank you for including Muslims in this revival. May the Holy Spirit sweep over hundreds of thousands of them and draw them to Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

I pray that many Muslim converts will go out as missionaries to evangelize other Muslims in various parts of the world. Call them, O Lord, empower them, and send them out.

Thank you for the hundreds of pastors, evangelists, and Bible teachers who have come to the Kingdom of God from Islam.

I pray for countries that have not yet experienced this revival. May your Word be proclaimed in those dark places. In the Savior’s name I pray, amen.

Promise

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Footnotes

^[1]It is estimated that there are 250 million Muslims in Sub-Saharan Africa as compared to 520 million Christians ( accessed 2017/05/10).

Friday, August 17, 2018

During this season, Muslims the world over celebrate Id al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice (other names are used in different areas). This celebration commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son (Ishmael, according to Islam) in obedience to God’s command. God provided a ram for Abraham to offer instead.

For the celebration, each family or group of families kills an animal, usually a sheep. Wherever Muslims are, whether in Mecca taking part in the hajj (pilgrimage) or anywhere else in the world, their religion requires that they slaughter an animal.

Prayer

Merciful and redeeming God, I ask you to open Muslims’ eyes during this season to see the Lamb you provided for the atonement of the sin of the world. May they open their hearts to Christ, who was led like a lamb to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7), who died on the cross, and who rose again to set us free from sin and condemnation.

Help Muslims realize that Jesus agonized, suffered, and died for them so that they could have joy, peace, and life in him.

May they accept your provision to redeem them “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19). Let them hear his cry on the cross declaring, “It is finished.” Then they will see how pointless it is to try to gain God’s favor through the millions of sacrifices they slaughter during this season.

Compassionate Father, reveal to Muslims the Lamb of God who now sits upon the throne in heaven. Draw them by your love to join saints and angels in singing the heavenly chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Revelation 5:12).

Promise

Where is the lamb for the burnt offering? . . . God himself will provide the lamb (Genesis 22:7-8, NIV). There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29, REB).

Friday, August 10, 2018

A true but very subtle and discreet “Jericho march” takes place in Mecca around the Kaaba, the most important Muslim shrine. A few believers in Christ, who have come out of Islam, travel to Mecca during the hajj season. They march around the Kaaba and claim it for the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ.

I have a friend, a believer in Jesus, who used to travel weekly from Jeddah to Mecca. During at least one hajj season he toured the Kaaba, praying and pleading with God to declare his glory to Muslims gathered there, to give freedom to the Gospel in Mecca, and to grant that the name of Jesus would be preached freely inside the Kaaba.

Prayer

Almighty God, the only true God, worthy to be worshipped and adored, I tread here very cautiously. These brothers and sisters risk their lives to pray for the glory of Christ to be manifested. Multiply their numbers. Protect them and hedge around them with your angelic guard.

Answer their prayers and the prayers of many others who have been pleading at your throne of grace for decades. Open Mecca to the Gospel; dedicate the Kaaba for the preaching of the Truth. This request may sound like an impossible dream, and for us it seems impossible. But we know that for you, all things are possible.

Father, by your divine power, tear down the walls that Satan has erected to keep people from hearing the Gospel. We look to the cross where Jesus died to redeem all, including Muslims. We draw our victory from Calvary. And we rest at your feet in faith with expectation.

For the glory of Jesus, your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Promise

I am about to hand Jericho, its king, and its warriors over to you (Joshua 6:2, GW).

Friday, August 3, 2018

We are involved in warfare, not against people of any religion, race or persuasion, but against evil forces and powers that control the dark realms of this world (Ephesians 6:12).

In this warfare, we do not use armaments and bombs to kill and destroy humans and buildings. Rather, our weapons are faith in God, complete dependence upon his eternal Word, empowerment by the Spirit of Truth, and prayer and intercession. These are the weapons that can demolish Satan’s power and defeat all demonic plans against the Kingdom of God.

When we pray, the Spirit of the Lord draws people to Jesus. As they receive his Word and decide to live for him, he empowers them to lead decent, holy lives. Every soul thus rescued is a blow to Satan and a victory for Christ our King.

Prayer

Lord of all and Master over all the universe, Messiah, King and Savior, we worship you. You alone are God. We pray that Muslims will come to you through the cross of Jesus. We also pray for ourselves. We are engaged in a fierce warfare and struggle against Satan, our adversary. Help us put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-18).

Fill us with resolve and courage, and strengthen those among us who are tempted to quit in the heat of battle. Help us all to stand firm in the face of unrighteousness and defeat Satan, the world and self. Crown us with purity, holiness and victory that come only from you.

Teach us to love as you love and forgive as you forgive.

In the name that is above every name, the name of Jesus, amen.

Promise

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5, NLT).