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

Friday, November 25, 2022

An imam is a Muslim religious leader. He leads prayer in the mosque and performs other religious duties. An imam is also a community leader who gives counsel and direction to his people.

Jewish priests were among those who staunchly opposed Jesus and antagonized him. Would you expect that a large number of them would become believers in Jesus? Yet, according to the New Testament account, that is exactly what happened (Acts 6:7).

Let us believe together that through the mighty power of the Spirit of God, tens of thousands of Muslim imams will put their faith in Jesus Christ the Lord.

Prayer

Almighty God, my Heavenly Father, I come before you boldly because of the Lamb who died on the cross for me. I am forgiven because he shed his blood on my behalf. I bring to you the hundreds of thousands of imams around the world. They need the Lord of all in their lives. Only Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, can penetrate their hearts and bring them into the blessed Kingdom.

Reveal to them Christ in his glory and love, compassion and power. Help them realize he is the Master, the Lord, and the Redeemer of all.

I thank you for the imams who have already placed their faith in Christ the Lord. Help them grow continually in the love of God and the knowledge of Christ. Give them wisdom by your Spirit. Protect them and their families. Illumine their hearts and minds to know how to lead their congregations into the light of Christ. Teach them your Word. Help them depend on you.

Promise

Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you (Jeremiah 1:18-19, NIV).

In Qatar

Friday, November 18, 2022

Every four years the world community is swept up in the excitement of the soccer world cup games. Several nations send their top world-class players to participate and compete. All vie to get the world cup. Team after team is eliminated until the final winner gets the cup.

Normally the games run for a few weeks. This year the competition is scheduled to run from this week till the first week of December. Qatar won the bid to host this year’s games. This is the first time in history that the world cup games are held in a Muslim-majority country.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we bring to your attention the Emir (head of state) of Qatar, his family, and his government. Help them to crown Jesus as their Lord and Savior and walk in the fear of God. May their actions point to the glory of our Creator-Redeemer.

I pray for officials in various positions. May they heed the call of Christ, “Come to me… I will give you rest.” Help them undertake their duties with fairness, compassion, and honesty.

Bless all the players and team leaders who participate in the games. Help them turn their attention to God, seek to please him and give glory to Christ. Protect them from pride and arrogance.

Give Christians wisdom and boldness to speak the truth in love. Empower them with the Holy Spirit to make the most of every opportunity you give them to witness about Jesus and his love. Help Christian players realize that you are the source of their physical strength, stamina, and perseverance. May the winners always give you the glory. May the losers bring their pain and disappointment to you.

Promise

Come, see what the Lord has done, the astounding deeds he has wrought on earth (Psalm 46:8, REB).

Friday, November 11, 2022

Samuel, a tribal prince in Liberia in the late 1800s, was captured by an enemy tribe when he was about 14 and held for ransom. His tribe could not pay the required ransom, so his captors tied him to a tree, beat him, and tortured him.

One night he saw a bright flash of light and heard a voice tell him, “Run, Kaboo, run!” The ropes that tied him to the tree fell off, and, though weak from hunger and torture, he started running. His captors were terrified by the light and hid. Samuel followed the light to the jungle, where for weeks he walked at night and slept during the day. Finally, he found a coffee plantation where he got a job. A young man there befriended him and took him to a Christian mission meeting. The white missionary and her team welcomed him. He had never heard of Christ, the Bible or Christianity, but gladly learned about Jesus and became a Christian. The missionary taught him all she knew about the Holy Spirit, but he wanted more and asked her who had taught her those things. She answered, “Brother Stephen Merritt,” who lived in New York, a faraway land beyond the ocean.

Samuel then boarded a cargo ship to New York, although he had no money and no address for Brother Merritt. During the five months of hard work and constant prayer on board, he won the captain and many sailors to Christ. When he disembarked in New York, he asked the first man he met if he knew Stephen Merritt. In that city of two million people, the man knew Merritt and took Samuel to his workplace. Samuel would go on to inspire many to give their lives to Jesus.

Prayer

Lord God, I feel like Muslims are tied to a tree and are being tortured by the enemy of their soul. Only you, Lord God Almighty, can set them free. Break their fetters by the power of Christ. Shine your light onto their path to run to Jesus to rescue them and set them free.

Give Muslims the same hunger for the Holy Spirit that Samuel had. Help them to have simple, genuine faith in you to guide and lead them and hold them by the hand in their life journey.

For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Promise

The LORD who appeared in the burning bush wants to give you the best the land can produce, and it will be a princely crown on Joseph’s head (Deuteronomy 33:16, CEV).

Friday, November 4, 2022

Shame is what a person feels when they are discovered doing something bad. When someone makes a mistake and is exposed, they become ashamed. So, shame is the lack of a covering for unacceptable behavior and actions.

For Muslims, shame is more serious and more demeaning than sin. If others find out about a person’s sin, the guilty party is considered punishable for the shame he or she caused rather than for the sin itself. Example: For people to notice that you lack honesty and integrity is more serious than your actual dishonesty!

In Islam, shame is also a dynamic way to force members of society to fall in line with the group’s behavioral norms and codes. Individuals are coerced into complying with what the group dictates.

Prayer

Lord God, I am reminded of how Adam and Eve were ashamed when they realized they were naked (Genesis 3:7). But you saw that which was more serious than their nudity—their disobedience. True, you provided them something to cover themselves with, but more importantly, you provided redemption from sin (Genesis 3:15).

I pray for Muslims to realize the seriousness of sin. Help them see that our hearts are sinful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).

Reveal to them the wonderful gift of pardon and forgiveness in Christ, the only Lord and Savior. May they run to you repenting and believing. May they take pride in the cross and live a victorious life for Jesus.

I pray that you will make them completely holy and keep their entire spirit, soul and body blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Amen.

Promise

Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces (Psalm 34:5, NLT).

Friday, October 28, 2022

This issue has been mind-boggling to experts for centuries! It seems to me that we cannot consider the subject adequately or answer correctly unless we define:

• who God is,
• what it means to be a Christian or a Muslim, and
• what worship involves.

According to the Bible, God is love. He exists in three Persons, co-equal and co-eternal: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Further, God in his love became man and redeemed us at the cross.

Muslims reject those most basic biblical doctrines which are essential to true Christian faith. They believe that there is one God and that Muhammad is his apostle. They reject the doctrine of the Trinity as well as Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection.

Based on these differences in fundamental beliefs, it is not possible that Muslims and Christians worship the same God. Yet, the following concepts about God are common to the two groups: He is eternal, he is one, he is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and he is the Judge of all. However, while there are similarities between the two concepts of God, they are by no means the same. There is a big difference between similarity and sameness.

Prayer

Jesus Christ, the visible image of the invisible God, we worship you. You existed before anything that was created. You are supreme over all creation (Colossians 1:15). Thank you for the cross. You died to redeem us and save us from sin. You rose again to raise us up to belong to you and serve you.

I pray for Muslims; may they realize who you are, believe in you and accept you as their Lord and Savior. Open their spiritual eyes to see the importance of what you did for all of us. Help them know that you died for all of us to give us life—rich, satisfying life (John 10:10).

May they come to you in humility, faith and repentance to acknowledge you as Lord over all lords and King over all kings.

All glory and power to you for ever and ever! Amen (1 Peter 4:11).

Promise

I shall show myself great and holy and make myself known to many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD (Ezekiel 38:23, REB).