Friday, May 26, 2023

Before Jesus ascended to the Father, he promised to send the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter and Guide and empower us to witness for him. That promise was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. This weekend we will celebrate Pentecost Sunday to commemorate the gift of God’s Spirit to the Church. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can draw people to Christ and enable believers to achieve great things in everyday life, in evangelism, and in missions.

Over the centuries, the Holy Spirit has revealed Christ to many Muslims in different parts of the world through miracles, visions, and dreams. The great influx of Muslims coming to Christ in Indonesia in the 1960s and 1970s, and presently in some parts of Africa, can be attributed mainly to the powerful work of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

O God the Holy Spirit, come upon Muslim converts to Christ, and fill them with your power and presence. Fulfill to them Jesus’ promise of Pentecost. Holy Spirit, sanctify them, guide them to the truth, and help them lead a victorious Christian life. The environment around them is very hostile to the Gospel, and they need the fullness of the Spirit to persevere in their commitment to you.

Help them pray for others and intercede for the lost world. Inspire them with zeal and power to witness for Christ, spread the Gospel throughout the whole earth, and demonstrate God’s majesty through signs and wonders.

I pray that the time will come when “the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord’s glory as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).

In the mighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Promise

I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions (Joel 2:28, NLT).

Friday, May 19, 2023

According to Islam, women are crooked, prone to temptation and are themselves a means of temptation to men! Therefore, they should be watched carefully, cover their bodies when in public and not speak to strangers.

Consequently, Muslims believe that a woman should never leave her home or community by herself. She should have an escort or a chaperone to keep an eye on her. That chaperone in Islam is called mahram. In a sense, a mahram protects a woman from herself!

Normally a mahram is a parent, sibling, son or any other male who is not eligible to marry the woman he protects.

This concept, like some other beliefs in Islam, speaks of a broken religious system that does not recognize that the real problem is the root of sin in a person’s heart. The guardians of the system think they can control sin through outward restrictions. In the case of mahram, the male who accompanies a woman is the means of protecting her from herself!

Prayer

Lord God our Maker, you created us man and woman in your own image. You endowed us with great gifts. Yet, we all have fallen in sin. None of us, away from Christ, can claim righteousness. None of us is superior to others! We do not believe that women are more sinful than men.

I pray that many Muslims, both men and women, will come to you this week through Jesus our Savior and Redeemer. Help them realize that they are all sinners who fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23), and it is only by your grace that people can have access to you.

I offer this prayer to you in the precious name of Jesus Christ, your Son, my Lord. Amen.

Promise

Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber…. May she be blessed above all women who live in tents (Judges 5:24, NLT).

“Greetings [Mary], you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you…” Mary said, “From now on all generations will call me blessed…” (Luke 1:28, 46, 48, NIV).

Friday, May 12, 2023

Samuel M. Zwemer (1867–1952) was an American missionary to Muslims. He ministered in Egypt, Iraq, Bahrain, Yemen, Lebanon, and various parts of Arabia. He was called an “Apostle to Islam” and the “blazing herald of the Gospel” among Muslims.^[1] As a missionary to Muslims, he accomplished incredible feats in his work, research, and writings. After years of experience, he declared: “The strength of Islam is to sit still, to forbid thought, to gag reformers, to abominate progress.” His motto was, “He who loves not, lives not; he who lives by the Life [of Christ] cannot die.”^[2]

Prayer

Our Father in heaven, we thank you for people like Samuel Zwemer. You called him and equipped him. Thank you for his courage, sacrifice and perseverance. I pray that you will call many young people and prepare them for the great task of spreading your Word among Muslims. Give them the courage to encounter opposition and hostility with perseverance and humility. As you fired Zwemer with zeal, equip these new messengers with an unshakable commitment and unswerving love for the lost.

Help them realize that the road of obedience is not always smooth. There is often a high price to pay. Samuel Zwemer and his wife buried their 4-year-old daughter and 7-year-old daughter within a week of each other in Bahrain. On the graves they wrote, “Worthy is the Lamb to receive riches.” Help new missionaries be ready to pay the price of obedience.

Lord God Almighty, it is daybreak for the Gospel in the Muslim world. Manifest your glory among Muslims. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

Promise

Those who trust in the Lord are like the mountain of Jerusalem, steady and can never be shaken. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so God surrounds his people both now and forevermore (Psalm 125:1-2, SAB).

Footnotes

^[1] J. Christy Wilson, Apostle to Islam, p. 4.
^[2] Samuel Zwemer, Raymund Lull, p. 45.

The King’s Great-Grandmother

Friday, May 5, 2023

Ruth became a widow at a young age. She was from the nation of Moab. When Naomi, her Israelite mother-in-law, decided to leave Moab and return to Israel, Ruth insisted on joining her. She courageously made that choice although she knew there was animosity between the two nations.

When the two women arrived in Bethlehem, all the town was aflutter with curiosity. Not too long afterward, Ruth found herself at dinner with Boaz, an influential landowner. Events rolled fast and Boaz married Ruth. She gave birth to a son who later became King David’s grandfather. Ruth, the girl from Moab, became the great-grandmother of King David and, of course, an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Read the entire Book of Ruth in the Bible.)

Prayer

Majestic God in heaven, you are the King of the ages. You guide history. You direct the affairs of eternity. You control events. You are also the God who redeems. Thank you, our Lord and Redeemer, for the story of Ruth, a foreigner and a childless widow. You turned her misery and loneliness into great and profound blessings. You honored her. No one can turn the dark night into bright morning like you.

I pray that many Muslim women will be like Ruth, full of courage to follow the only true God into an unknown future at the expense of being ostracized and ridiculed.

May the ladies who come to Jesus from Islam be filled with the assurance of your love and care. Help them realize that no sacrifice they make will go unnoticed by the Father in heaven. May their determination to follow our Lord break down the resistance in their culture. May these followers of Christ, considered “underdogs,” become leaders who bring others to you. Amen.

Promise

The women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the LORD…. your daughter-in-law… has been better to you than seven sons!” (Ruth 4:14-15, NLT).

Friday, April 28, 2023

Vibia Perpetua was a 22-year-old beautiful young wife with a baby. She lived in Carthage, in what is now Tunisia, North Africa. Her father and her family were esteemed in the community. She was also well-educated.

During a time when Roman authorities severely persecuted Christians, Perpetua committed her life to Christ and became a very strong believer. Because of that, she was arrested and thrown into prison where, along with others, she was sentenced to death. Her father and other people pleaded with her to recant, but she absolutely refused.

On March 7, 203 C.E. Perpetua was thrown to wild beasts in the city’s amphitheater. While the excited spectators watched and shouted, wild animals attacked and gored her and tore her dress. Finally, a gladiator thrust his sword into her; and she entered heaven, praising and worshipping God. Her last words were an encouragement to the other believers to stand firm in their faith, to never to give in, and to never let suffering separate them from Christ.

Prayer

Lord God, thank you for the legacy and memory of Perpetua, this young, courageous saint. I ask you to engrave in our hearts eternal lessons from her life.

O merciful Father, remember our brothers and sisters held by Muslim authorities today because they have put their faith in Christ and refuse to recant or deny him. Give these modern-day saints endurance and boldness as you gave Perpetua. Help them manifest the love and power of Christ during their captivity and declare the Gospel to their captors.

Comfort them, I pray. Soothe their pain. Be with them when they are tortured. May they sense your arms around them when they feel alone and abandoned. Sharpen their minds and memory with verses from your Word that will calm them and alleviate the pain of their souls.

By your Holy Spirit grant them grace to forgive their tormentors. Surprise them with the joy of seeing converts to Christ from among fellow prisoners and prison officials.

Promise

The one who remains steadfast till the end will be saved (Matthew 10:22, SAB).

Friday, April 21, 2023

Muslims end the month-long Ramadan fast with a celebration known as Id al-Fitr, a national holiday in Muslim countries. There are parties and festivities. No more rigorous abstention from food and drink. The mood changes from somber to joyful. Family members get together. People give alms to the poor.

Yet, it is not uncommon at this time of jubilation and glee for people to feel empty and unfulfilled.

Prayer

Blessed be your majesty in heaven, O God (Ezekiel 3:12). You are the True God, the only God to be worshipped and adored. You are the source of true joy and comfort; you are our hope.

I pray for these dear friends; may they allow you to transform their lives. Although they are breaking the fast at this time and celebrating and feasting, what they really need is Jesus, the Bread of Life. Open their hearts to receive the message of Christ. Give them a hunger and a thirst for the Word of God. Put in them the desire to know Jesus and follow him.

You promised to spread a banquet, a feast of rich food for all peoples (Isaiah 25:6). Lord, Muslims are very needy; they are hungry for you, even if they do not realize it. I pray that the love of Christ will touch their hearts. May they realize the importance of Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary. May many of them, even today, commit their lives to you, our Lord and Savior, and find true peace, joy and rest in you. Amen.

Promise

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37-38, NIV).

Friday, April 14, 2023

The 27th day of the month of Ramadan in the Muslim calendar is called the “Night of Power.” It commemorates the night Muhammad reportedly received the first revelation of the Quran from the angel Jibril. On this particular night, as Muslims celebrate this event, they feel very expectant. Many take time to recite the Quran and do special prayers. They believe that this night is better than 1000 months of worship. Some report seeing visions and dreams during this time.

In a few days, Muslims will break their month-long fast of Ramadan.

Prayer

O Source of all blessing, mercy and grace, our Father in heaven, we adore and praise you. In Moses’ time, you spoke from heaven and gave your people fair rules and commands and good instructions and teachings (Nehemiah 9:13). And you continued to send them prophets to help and guide them.

Your Word tells us that finally in these last days you have spoken to us through Jesus Christ, your Son (Hebrews 1:2). He is the One who died on Calvary to forgive our sin, make us your children, and open up the way for us to come into your holy presence. Without the cross, we would have no other means to approach you. Thank you.

My Father, I ask you to reveal Christ to my Muslim friends. Visit them in the power of your Holy Spirit. Convict them for their sin of rejecting your Son and putting their faith in someone else. May they realize that Jesus’ claims are true, that he is Lord, Savior and Son of God. May they accept him in their lives and submit to him.

O Lord Jesus, manifest your glory to Muslims at this time when they are expecting dreams and visions. Come to them in a supernatural way and speak to their hearts. Meet their needs and calm their fears. Reveal to them your mighty power, your compassionate love, and your forgiving grace. Change their lives. Give them hope, and fill them with your Spirit. Amen.

Promise

When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth (John 16:13, NIV).

Friday, April 7, 2023

Today we remember Jesus’ crucifixion, the only means by which we have eternal life. Islam rejects Jesus’ death on the cross. The Quran states that he was never crucified, that he never died, and that instead, God took him to heaven alive. Muslims reason that God would not let Jesus, the good prophet, die such an ignominious death on a cross for sins that others committed.

Muslims do not see the seriousness of humans’ sinful nature, so they reject the need for redemption. For them the cross is foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18-25).

Prayer

God Almighty, our loving Heavenly Father, we acknowledge you as our eternal Redeemer. We come humbly, awed by your love and Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary. What shame and pain he endured to save us from sin and doom! The Lamb of God died to give us life. Thank you.

My Muslim friends do not understand that Christ’s death on the cross was your supreme gift to sinful humans. Help them realize that they are sinners who need redemption. Show them the power of the cross that saves us from sin, transforms our lives from darkness to light, and rescues us from the kingdom of Satan to make us part of the Kingdom of God.

Convict them of their serious sin of rejecting the cross. May they believe your Word and accept the Gospel. I plead for Muslims that they will know that Jesus died to redeem them from their sins and rose to justify them. Remove the veil from their minds; open their eyes. Capture their hearts with your love.

Help Muslims understand that the day Jesus died on the cross was not a gloomy, depressive day. It is a day of victory over sin, Satan and death. It is a day of celebration and joy.

All praise and glory to you, crucified and risen Christ, the First and the Last, the Living One who died and who is alive for ever and ever. Amen.

Promise

For the message of the cross is sheer nonsense to those who are lost, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18, SAB).

Will Welcome Christ

Friday, March 31, 2023

This coming Sunday, Western Christendom celebrates Palm Sunday. We remember that Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly, yet humbly; he came riding on a donkey. The crowds wanted to express their joy. They went out to receive him, carrying palm branches and spreading their clothes on the road. They lifted their voices in adoration and praise. That was the way conquerors and kings were welcomed home from their victories.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Majestic and Almighty Savior, you humbled yourself to be gracious to us. You stooped down to be our Redeemer. We worship you. You alone are God. You alone are our Master. You are the visible image of the invisible God. Everything was created by you and for your glory: cities and nations, kings and kingdoms, rulers and authorities. You could have entered Jerusalem in a gold chariot studded with pearls and precious stones, but instead you rode in on a donkey. What humility!

I pray that you will enter triumphantly into cities and towns that are presently labeled as Muslim fortresses.

May you enter people’s hearts and change them. May many Muslims this week own you, Jesus Christ, as their Deliverer, Redeemer and King eternal. I pray that they will experience your love, compassion and tenderness. May they, in throngs, shout from the depths of their souls, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! … Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come…. Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Matthew 21:9; Revelation 4:8; 5:12, NIV).

Promise

May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth (Psalm 67:4, NIV).

Friday, March 24, 2023

During this season, Muslims start the month-long fast called Ramadan. The Muslim calendar is based on the lunar year, which has only 354 days. So each year the month-long fast comes about 11 days earlier than in the previous year.

Muslims fast from dawn to sunset every day throughout this month. They abstain from food, drink, smoking, smelling nice aromas, and marital relations. Each day after sunset, they break the fast, usually with a feast. They are allowed to eat until dawn of the following day.

According to Islam, the Ramadan fast enables people to gain a right standing with God and an entry into paradise.

Some Muslims actually believe that during this month the devil is chained and cannot cause them harm, that the doors of heaven are open and the doors of hell are closed.

Prayer

O Lord Jesus, I pray with love and compassion in my heart for Muslims during this season of fasting.

You know, Lord, that most Muslims are sincere people. They are serious about their religion and beliefs. Help them realize that to approach you they have to go through Jesus and his sacrifice at Calvary. They cannot save themselves from sin by “pulling themselves up by their bootstraps”! They cannot lift themselves up to you by performing rituals and religious duties.

O God, help them discover that we are saved, not through works of righteousness, but only by faith through your undeserved favor.

I pray that you will reveal yourself to Muslims during this month as the Savior who has already accomplished all things. May they know that on the cross “it is finished.” Amen.

Promise

It is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life” (Galatians 3:11, NLT).