To Intercede for Muslims

Friday, November 27, 2020

God has kept us by his power for yet another new year so that we can fulfill our divine purpose of interceding for Muslims. Yes, he has placed his mantle of protection over us for a purpose. It is our prayer that we will fulfill that noble plan and honor his design for our life.

Prayer

God our Father, Fountain of all life, light, faith, and grace, in your presence there is peace, hope and joy. I approach your throne with gratitude and thanksgiving.

Help me know, desire and do your will. Help me surrender all to you that you may accomplish every good purpose in me. May I continue to be a part of your divine plan as I pray for Muslims that they will come to freedom and life in Christ. May I never become weary in serving you in this mission of prayer.

Make your face shine upon me (Numbers 6:24-26; Psalm 67:1). Fill me with the Holy Spirit and power. Let your Word be the food I eat and the air I breathe. Sanctify me through and through. Keep my whole being—spirit, soul and body—blameless at the coming of my Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

May I fear no one except God and seek nothing other than your glory. You are my Rock, my Shield, my Stronghold, my Banner, my Healer, my Shepherd. Arm me with strength and train me for battle (Psalm 18:32, 34). Only you, my God, the God of peace, can “soon crush Satan under [my] feet” (Romans 16:20).

Glory and honor and praise to you, King of kings and Lord of lords. Amen.

Promise

I know the plans I have for you… plans to prosper you… plans to give you hope and a future…. you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you (Jeremiah 29:11-12, NIV).

Friday, November 20, 2020

Belief in fate is one of the six articles of faith of Islam. The other five are: belief in one God, in the revealed books, in the prophets, in the Last Day, and in angels.

According to Islam, everything happens because “it is written”; that is, God predestined it to happen. Because of that, man has no control over his actions, future or destiny. The all-powerful, omnipotent God has determined all man’s actions in advance. So, he is the One who compels people to act the way they do (Quran 59:23). His will and power cannot be resisted.

Some Muslim theologians go further to say, “Verily Allah has fixed the very portion of adultery which a man will indulge in, and which he of necessity must commit.”^[1]

If that were true, what good would it do to pray? If God had already predetermined a certain course for people, our prayers would be pointless!

Prayer

Kind and compassionate Heavenly Father, I praise you because you are full of goodness and love. I bring Muslims to you in prayer. They hold to a belief in fate, which is depressing. They think they have no liberty because their acts are controlled by divine decree.

Reveal to Muslims your sacrificial love at the cross. Thank you for the benefits of the cross. Jesus Christ our Lord was slain, and with his blood he purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation (Revelation 5:9). Help Muslims to open their spiritual eyes to see you in your love and sacrifice for them. Open their hearts to receive the benefits of new life in Christ: salvation, joy, peace, victory, liberty, love, purity, goodness, and so on.

Father, I ask all this, not in my own power, but in the powerful name of Jesus your Son, my Lord. Amen.

Promise

Since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it…. I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us (Hebrews 4:1, NIV; Philippians 3:14, NLT).

Footnotes

^[1]Sahih Muslim, Book 33, The Book of Destiny, “Kitab-ul-Qadr,” Number 6421.

Friday, November 13, 2020

The book of Psalms tells us that the City of God is a holy place, where the Most High dwells. It is the place of the Great King, the city of the Lord Almighty (Psalm 46:4; 48:1-3, 8). In his book entitled The City of God, Augustine of Hippo defines that term as the society where the Holy Scriptures rule over the laws of men, and God is the Supreme Sovereign. In light of this, we understand that the City of God is the community of the redeemed, the nation of Christ, the Church, all those who believe in God through Jesus Christ the Lord.

Our hope in Christ is that many people from Islamic backgrounds will soon choose to live for Jesus and become part of the City of God.

Prayer

Almighty God, our Father, you are in control of all peoples, of all events and of everything. All powers are under your authority. You are the God of the impossible.

I pray that you will chase away darkness and bring the light of Christ to the world of Islam. Turn their mourning into joy and their despair into hope (Isaiah 61:3). Turn death into life. Many millions are lost. Only you can bring them home into the sheepfold.

I pray that you will look at Muslims all over the world and see their bitter state away from the cross. In many places, there is no one to help these unevangelized multitudes; or at best, only a few Gospel workers are available to share Christ and his love with them. O compassionate Lord, we know it is not your purpose for them to perish in sin. Save them, I pray.

Help us, your Church, to give birth to many spiritual children among Muslims. Establish a powerful church all over the Muslim world.

And now, all glory to you, our God. You are able to keep us from stumbling and bring us into your glorious presence innocent of sin and with great joy. You alone are God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, glory, majesty, power, and authority belong to you, in the beginning, now, and forevermore. Amen (Jude 1:24-25).

Promise

Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world (Matthew 25:34, NLT).

Friday, November 6, 2020

Lilias Trotter was born in London in 1853 to a wealthy family. When she was young, God called her to go as a missionary to non-Christian lands. Because of poor health, however, she did not qualify to be a missionary with any sending agency. So, she decided to go as an independent evangelist, using her own funds. At age 34, she and two other women traveled to Algiers, the capital of Algeria. She recalls: “Three of us stood there, looking at our battlefield, none of us fit to pass a doctor [a doctor’s exam] for any [mission], not knowing a soul in the place, or a sentence of Arabic or a clue for beginning work on untouched ground; we only knew we had to come. Truly if God needed weakness, He had it!”^[1]

For more than 40 years she labored, sacrificed, learned Arabic, evangelized Muslims, started churches and became the head of a mission there. She was buried in Algiers.

Prayer

Lord Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords, you are mighty in power, and your love is infinite. Thank you for the legacy of Lilias Trotter and many others like her whom you have called to go to Muslims with the message of redemption, love and joy. No sacrifice we make will match your sacrifice for us on the cross.

Lord, the harvest is white in Muslim lands, the crop is plentiful, the fruit is ripe, but the workers are few. We ask you, Lord of the harvest, to send out workers to gather in the fruit (Matthew 9:37-38).

Even if some people are considered unqualified, you can empower them with your Holy Spirit as you did with Lilias. Your grace is sufficient; it is all we need. Your power works best when we are weak. We pray that you will raise up men and women who will go to untouched ground, unevangelized fields, to bring in the sheaves.

We give you thanks, and we praise your glorious name, knowing that you hear our prayer. Amen.

Promise

The name of Jacob’s God will protect you. He will send you help from his sanctuary and support from his holy mountain. He will look with favor on all your offerings and will accept all your sacrifices (Psalm 20:1-3, SAB).

Footnotes

^[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilias_Trotter