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

Friday, October 30, 2020

Paul was an extraordinary missionary, but he also had a secular profession. He was a tentmaker (Acts 18:3). He was ready to work with his own hands to support himself as well as others who worked in the ministry with him whenever it was needed (Acts 20:34; 1 Corinthians 4:12). He worked hard to make a living so he wouldn’t be a financial burden on others (1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8-9). He wanted to be a model and example for others.

Today, there are many believers in Christ who, like Paul, support themselves as they spread the Gospel. While working in their own profession and trade, they take the message of hope and joy to the lost world.

Prayer

God, our Father in heaven, glory and honor and majesty belong to you. Thank you for calling us to serve you and be your ambassadors to the nations.

I pray that you will manifest your awesome power through those who work in their own professions to support themselves while trying to bring the lost to your Kingdom.

Remind them always of who they are, children of the King; of what they are, saved by grace; and where they are, on an errand for the Master to save the lost and bring glory to the Lord.

Grant them endurance and strength. Bless them with quality time in your presence, with their families and with those whom they seek to bring to you. Reward their labor with abundant fruit—people who will hear the call of God and follow Jesus the Lord.

We ask all this for the sake of our Master and Lord, Christ our Redeemer, Savior and God. 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).

To Operate in the Assemblies of Muslim Believers

Friday, October 23, 2020

At the cross, Jesus triumphed over Satan. Christ died to save us, then rose again and ascended to heaven. From there he sent the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to his Church (Acts 2). Through the Spirit, Jesus provides us with many gifts (Ephesians 4:8). These are part of the glorious blessings he equips us with to minister, to build up the Church, the body of Christ, so she can be strong and mature and reach the complete measure of spiritual life he intended for us (Ephesians 4:12-13).

We have faith in God that his Church among Muslims will be the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and a city on a hill (Matthew 5:13-14). Whether it is a church meeting in secret or in public, whether the assembly has two or three believers or hundreds and thousands, we are asking God to equip it with the gifts of the Spirit. That is our prayer this week (read 1 Corinthians 12-14).

Prayer

Almighty God, draw Muslims to yourself; manifest in them your deep, sacrificial love and mighty power. Help me pray for them according to your will.

Your name is holy. You do great things; your mercy is from generation to generation toward those who fear you. You manifest the strength of your arm…. You fill the hungry with good things (Luke 1:49-53). I pray that you will put in the hearts of millions of Muslims a hunger and a thirst to seek you, to open their souls to Christ the Lord, and to receive the treasures you have for them. Fill them with your Holy Spirit. Grant them powerful manifestations and workings of the Spirit.

May your great glory be manifested in churches filled with Muslims who have been set free from Islam through the power of Jesus.

Glory, splendor, majesty and power belong to you, dear Father. I ask all this, not in my own authority; I have none. Rather, I come before you in the authority of Jesus, your Son, who gives me access to your throne through the cross. Amen.

Promise

To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7, NIV).

Friday, October 16, 2020

Obadiah’s name means “worshipper of the Lord God.” He was in charge of the king’s palace, possibly equivalent to a chief of staff today. Those were ominous times. The nation had gone away from God. The king and queen promoted the worship of false gods. The king “did more to provoke the anger of the Lord… than all the kings of Israel before him” (1 Kings 16:33).

In spite of all that, Obadiah did not allow his high position in the king’s palace to corrupt him. Harsh circumstances did not weaken his resolve or hinder his service to God. When the queen persecuted and killed God’s prophets, Obadiah took 100 of them, hid them, and supplied them with food and water (1 Kings 18:3-4). During all that time, he remained very humble (1 Kings 18:7).

Prayer

Father in heaven, blessed be your glorious name. You alone are our God and Master. Worship is due to you alone.

We bring to you the vast world of Islam. What a responsibility you have given us! What honor! We bow down before your majesty to intercede for Muslims. Only you, by the power of your Holy Spirit, can bring them by the millions to your Kingdom. We pray there will be many believers from Muslim backgrounds as devoted to you as Obadiah was.

Lord, let them experience the power of lives transformed by the cross of Christ. During times of persecution and testing, may they have boldness to serve the community of the faithful. Give them courage and resolve to remain true and loyal to Jesus and practice their faith at great risk to their status and even to their life.

In the precious name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Promise

He is not afraid of bad news. His heart remains secure, full of confidence in the Lord (Psalm 112:7, GW).

Friday, October 9, 2020

Muslims insist that to say Jesus is God’s Son is a blasphemy, because God does not marry or produce children.

Yet, that is not what we believe, nor is it what the Bible teaches.

Jesus Christ is God’s Son. That means he is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of God’s being (Hebrews 1:3). He is the image of the invisible God…. all God’s fullness dwells in him (Colossians 1:15, 19). He is equal to God (John 5:17-18). The Father committed everything to him (Matthew 11:27).

If God chooses to come down to earth as a man to redeem us from sin, who am I, a mere limited creature, to question the Creator or object to what he does?

Prayer

Son of God, Almighty Savior, you are before all things and in you all things hold together (Colossians 1:17). You sustain the universe by your powerful word. Angels worship you, because you are God (Hebrews 1:3, 6). Thank you for accepting me and bringing me to your Kingdom.

Have mercy on Muslims, Lord. Help them accept your wisdom and yield to your ways. May they acknowledge you, as King, Messiah, chosen and anointed Savior and Lord.

Grant that in the lives of many Muslims this week you will be declared with power to be the Son of God by your resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4).

Bring Muslims to the cross and transform their lives by your Holy Spirit to be children of the King of kings.

In your mighty name I pray. Amen.

Promise

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him (John 3:36, NIV).

Friday, October 2, 2020

Francis was born in Italy in 1180 to a rich family. His father was a cloth merchant. In his youth Francis lived in luxury and dissipation. But captivity in war and illness caused the young man to realize that life was empty and fleeting. So, he decided to heed what Jesus said to the rich man, “Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Luke 18:22, NLT).

Francis consequently donned a poor man’s clothing. He founded three orders of friars, and later traveled to the Holy Land, where he witnessed and preached with great courage to the Muslim ruler Sultan al-Kamil.

Prayer

Holy, holy, holy are you Lord God Almighty, the One who always was, and who is, and who is still to come! (Revelation 4:8). Thank you for the life and legacy of this great man. I ask you to give me the grace and sensitivity to hear your voice speaking to me. I pray for courage to obey and follow your direction.

When Francis heeded your Word, he abandoned earthly comfort and gave himself totally to your service. Help me, Lord, to honor you above all worldly attachments.

When Francis witnessed the bloodshed of the Crusades, he realized that Muslims can be won to Christ only by the power of the Word of God. Help me too, O Lord, to understand the power and importance of your Word and use it to win Muslims to Christ.

As I close this supplication, I draw on one of Francis’s prayers:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy. Amen.

Promise

When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The LORD your God, who brought you safely out of Egypt, is with you! (Deuteronomy 20:1, NLT).

Friday, September 25, 2020

The Quran says that Jesus was born of a virgin (Surah 19:16-21). The Muslim holy book and Islamic traditions ascribe various miracles to Jesus, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, and so forth. However, the Quran states that he was no more than a human being, a prophet like all other prophets (Surah 5:72, 75, 116). Islam thinks that Christians try to elevate Jesus to be God. Yet, the reality is that Jesus is not a man whom we are trying to elevate to be God; rather, he is God who humbled himself and became man.

Islam refuses to ascribe deity to Christ and rejects the doctrine that Jesus is the Son of God.

Prayer

Eternal Christ, Master and Lord of all the universe and of all history, I pray for my Muslim friends today. I ask you to illumine their hearts and minds so they can grasp these divine, spiritual truths that are hard for them to understand. Without your Spirit, they cannot understand them or accept them (1 Corinthians 2:14). So, I am asking you now to draw them to yourself by your Spirit.

O Jesus, our Savior and Lord, come in your love and compassion and reveal yourself to many Muslims this week. May they be saved by your divine power and become participants in the Kingdom of God. May they experience your love and care. May they acknowledge you as the Beginning and the End, the Son of God, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Good Shepherd, the Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Amen.

Promise

For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 5:4-5, NIV).