Father Abraham

Friday, March 5, 2021

Abraham has a special place in the Muslim religion. Muslims consider him a prophet and think that he and his son Ishmael are the ones who built the Kaaba in Mecca. This is the holiest place in all of the Muslim world.

Muslims depend on their good deeds to please God. So, in Islam, prayer, fasting, giving alms, and the like help one to have a good standing with God. Yet, that is not how Abraham pleased the Lord. The Bible says, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith” (Romans 4:3, NLT).

Prayer

Eternal God, our Father in heaven, how majestic and compassionate you are! Your Word tells us that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). You know that we fallen humans are incapable of doing works good enough to please you. That is why we pray for Muslims, that you will open their hearts and minds to grasp this truth. Help them come to you empty-handed, and know that only by faith can they throw themselves at the foot of the cross to receive mercy and find grace to help them (Hebrews 4:16).

May they open their inner being and put their faith in the all-powerful and far-reaching sacrifice of Christ our Redeemer. Let Abraham’s life motivate them to have faith like his:

• The kind of faith that made Abraham believe God is able to raise the dead back to life. That is why he was ready to sacrifice his son in obedience to God (Hebrews 11:17-19).
• Confident faith that caused Abraham to send his servant to another country to get a wife for his son, Isaac. Abraham believed that God would send his angel to find that wife (Genesis 24:7).

In Christ’s precious name I pray. Amen.

Promise

The one who does not depend on his works, but believes in God who acquits the guilty, this faith is what God considers as righteousness (Romans 4:5, SAB).