In Every Muslim Country

Friday, December 30, 2022

Paul was imprisoned in Rome for the sake of Christ. Rather than complaining about it, he said that his imprisonment helped to spread the Gospel, and that everyone, including the palace guard, knew that he was in jail because he served Christ (Philippians 1:12-14). As he was giving his final greetings and signing off at the end of his letter to the church in Philippi, he said, “All the believers here, especially those in the king’s palace, send you their greetings” (Philippians 4:22, SAB).

May God place believers in Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior in every king’s and president’s palace in the Muslim world.

Prayer

God, our Father in heaven, you alone are the King over all kings and rulers. I pray that by the power of your Holy Spirit you will invade hearts of people in these high places. You, who channel the king’s heart like a stream of water (Proverbs 21:1), change their hearts to give total allegiance to Christ alone.

May the portals of these palaces be opened so that Christ, the King, can enter (Psalm 24:7-10). May the workers and dwellers in those stately residences be transformed by your divine power so that they bring people from death to life and from darkness to light. O Lord, make them useful in leading other Muslims to your Kingdom, who will then become useful in bringing others to Christ.

May the banner of Christ be lifted high over all these officials. May the righteousness of God rule in the “King’s Palace.”

Promise

I have heard your prayer…. God is able to accomplish far more than we might ask or imagine, according to his power at work in us (2 Kings 19:20, NLT; Ephesians 3:20, SAB).

Friday, December 23, 2022

One of the major cornerstones of biblical Christianity is the doctrine of the incarnation; that is, God became man. This is the miracle of miracles, the most majestic of all events! Yet Muslims absolutely reject it. They totally oppose the doctrine of the deity of Jesus Christ.

When Christians declare that Christ is God, Muslims misunderstand it to mean that Christians worship more than one God. To them, Jesus was only human and was a prophet like all other prophets.

Further, when followers of Christ say that Jesus is the Son of God, Muslims misunderstand that to mean that God, like humans, had relations with a woman and that Jesus is their son!

Prayer

Amazing love! How can it be, that the majestic God, Maker of heavens and earth and King of all the universe, should come in the form of a man, a servant, to be “Immanuel—God with us” to redeem us!

Father in heaven, grant Muslims a special measure of your grace to accept the wonderful truth that Jesus Christ is God become man. Help them realize that this does not degrade or humiliate you; rather, this is the pinnacle of majesty. It is ultimate love and compassion. It is utmost sacrifice.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and Lord of all, you are rich, but you became poor for our sake. May this truth shine forth into the souls of many Muslims this week. May they embrace you in their hearts with joy and gladness. May the Child who was born in a manger, the Lion of Judah, be crowned King and Master over the House of Islam! In his precious name I pray. Amen.

Promise

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth…. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 1:14; 3:16, NIV).

Friday, December 16, 2022

Millions of Muslims live away from their countries and cultures. Think for a moment of a family that has left Sudan, for example, and settled in the United States. How will they prepare meals, feed their children, help their husband or wife, and so on? And when the Christmas season comes, all the other children in school talk with excitement about Christmas gifts, Santa and celebrations. What are they going to do?

For the average Muslim family with children, all of this is unknown territory. You and I cannot understand how they feel, but we can imagine their curiosity and interest. They too want to share in the joy and anticipation of the holiday season. They may wonder: Would it be alright for them to have a Christmas tree? Can they exchange gifts? Can they participate in celebrations and parties?

Prayer

Compassionate Father, I draw near to you on behalf of these precious Muslim children. You love them and care for them. They are so simple, innocent, playful and carefree. They love exciting things. Help your Church to reach out to Muslim children during this season. Show them your favor and smile upon them with the revelation of Christ the Lord.

I pray that these children will go beyond being fascinated by the Christmas story to experience the power of Jesus born in their hearts. May they bring their parents, uncles, aunts, and relatives to Jesus.

Give me the privilege of helping Muslim children understand the true meaning of Christmas. May I be able to hold their hand and encourage them. By your Spirit, open their hearts to desire, know and accept Jesus Christ the Savior.

May this be a truly joyful season of commemorating the birth of Christ and the new birth of many Muslims. Amen.

Promise

The poor and needy look for water and find none; their tongue is parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them (Isaiah 41:17, SAB).

Friday, December 9, 2022

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).

Friday, December 2, 2022

Ignatius was born in Syria when it was a Roman province. As a young man, he put his faith in Christ and eventually became Bishop of Antioch. He and his friend Polycarp were disciples of the Apostle John, which means he was a Church leader in the generation right after the Apostles. Because of his faith in Christ, he was sentenced by the Roman authorities to die. On his way to Rome to be executed, he wrote a letter to the Roman church asking them not to try to rescue him from death. He said he was ready to give his life for the sake of the One who had died for him. He also told the believers there that the fierce wild beasts waiting for him were a blessing!

To close his letter, he said he knew what was good for him, because “finally I have started becoming a disciple to my Master…. It is better for me to die than to own kingdoms of this earth.”^[1]

In Rome, they threw him to those wild beasts, and he was martyred.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, you experienced persecution (John 5:16; 15:20). When you suffered, you left us an example, that we should follow in your steps (1 Peter 2:21).

Let Muslims who have come to Christ know that the troubles we encounter here are small and momentary. Yet, they achieve for us a glory beyond any comparison (2 Corinthians 4:17).

I pray for my Muslim friends who have decided to follow you. As you filled Ignatius of Antioch with faith and courage, give converts the determination to live and die for you. Help them realize that there is nothing too dear to sacrifice for you, you who gave your life to save us.

In your precious name. Amen.

Promise

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10, NIV).

Footnotes

^[1] https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0107.htm