Of the Muslim World

Friday, July 3, 2020

There are scores of cities in the world with populations of multiple millions. Many of those cities are in Islamic territories. People stream into cities from villages and rural areas to find jobs, better living conditions and a modern lifestyle. Large urban areas around the world increase by one person every second.

Some of those cities include Alexandria, Algiers, Amman, Ankara, Baghdad, Baku, Cairo, Casablanca, Chittagong, Dacca, Dakar, Islamabad, Istanbul, Izmir, Jakarta, Jeddah, Kabul, Karachi, Khartoum, Lahore, Meshhad, Riyadh, Tashkent, Tehran, Tripoli, and Tunis.

Often, big cities evoke images of filth and poverty, crowded streets and heavy traffic, mobs and crime, drugs and alcohol, gangs and fear, hurts and despair.

Prayer

Compassionate Father and Sustainer, I intercede on behalf of Muslim cities, just as Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah. I ask you to save the “Sodoms and Gomorrahs” of the Muslim world today from their present misery and eternal doom.

In prayer, I come against the evil forces that spread hatred, corruption, wickedness, crime, and all kinds of sin in these urban areas. In the name of Jesus, I stand against Satan who controls these places. I take authority over him and claim his defeat in the cities of Islam. May your Word be declared with courage and clarity. May people find comfort and hope in you. May they repent by the thousands and millions and accept Christ as Savior and Lord.

God, help us to hear the cries of city dwellers and take the Good News of Jesus to them. Send trained and effective workers to proclaim hope and joy in Christ. Give us courage and compassion to go to those in the slums and squatter camps and bring them peace and joy in Christ.

Promise

If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land… and will give it to us (Numbers 14:8).

Friday, June 26, 2020

For many years, the children of Israel suffered abuse, cruelty, and exploitation at the hands of their taskmasters in Egypt. God saw their suffering and came down to deliver them (Exodus 3:7-8). What followed was the great exodus of a whole nation from slavery into freedom.

Today, I believe that more than 1.6 billion Muslims are in worse slavery to Satan. Yet, through the power of the cross of Christ, God is able to deliver them, set them free, and give them eternal life. Our part is to intercede for them and use every possible means to bring them to the Kingdom.

Prayer

Father in heaven, I ask you to count me worthy of your calling to pray for Muslims. By your power, fulfill your good purpose in me (2 Thessalonians 1:11; Philippians 2:13).

You, O Lord, see the misery and distress of Muslims because they are separated from Christ. They are in slavery, and they need to be set free. Yes, they are enslaved to a ruthless taskmaster, Satan. Let the groans of prisoners reach your throne. With your powerful arm, rescue those who are condemned to death (Psalm 79:11).

Hear my prayer, O God, and perform mighty feats against the enemy. Set Muslims free from his control and oppression. Split their “Red Sea” and help them cross over on dry land into Christ’s Promised Land, into the Kingdom of your beloved Son. May a modern-day exodus of an entire population take place by the power of the cross.

O Christ, our Redeemer and Savior, help Muslims to see the light and accept you—the way, the truth, and the life—and live for you.

Glory be to God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Promise

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…. I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit…. Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope (John 8:32, NIV; Zechariah 9:11; Psalm 119:49, NRSV).

In Muslim Countries

Friday, June 19, 2020

In some areas of the Muslim world (such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, parts of Indonesia, and the Gaza Strip) the Religion Police or the Morals Police work to keep people in line with the religious practices of Islam. Usually they are bands of extremist zealots who, for the sake of enforcing “right” and forbidding “wrong,” commit horrendous atrocities. They harshly punish anyone who dares to challenge or assail Islam by words or by actions. They reserve the severest punishment for those who choose to follow Christ.

In at least one Muslim country the Religion Police have powers that sometimes surpass both civilian and military authorities.

Prayer

Almighty God, you are great in glory and infinite in majesty. I do not find it easy to pray for these people. They abuse your children. They torture those who do not believe as they do. So I seek your grace to help me forgive as I have been forgiven.

Lord Jesus, we are reminded of Saul of Tarsus who, in his misguided zeal, persecuted your children. The Religion Police agents act a lot like Saul. Manifest your glory to them as you did to Saul. Do with them as you did with Peter: Turn and look straight at them so that they can realize their sin and weep bitterly in shame, conviction, and repentance. May they place their faith in you. You alone can soften their hard hearts towards you and your followers. Break their resistance, O Jesus, with the love that brought you to earth and sent you to the cross.

Only you, Divine Master, can change their hearts and bring them to the Kingdom of Christ. With eyes of faith I see many former members of the Religion Police worshipping at the throne of the Lamb, singing his praises and giving him glory and honor (Revelation 5:6-10). In his name I pray. Amen.

Promise

It’s hard for a mortal like you to resist God…. Reform your ways and your actions and obey the LORD your God. Then the LORD will relent and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you (Acts 26:14, GW; Jeremiah 26:13, NIV).

Friday, June 12, 2020

Europe and America are playing with fire as they dabble dangerously with Islam. In the United States, public schools do not teach Christianity, but Islam is taught as a “culture.” In Europe, Islam is growing at an alarming pace.

This is not new! At the turn of the 19th century, Napoleon Bonaparte was very fascinated with Islam while he was in Egypt as a conqueror. One of his French generals converted to Islam, was circumcised and married a Muslim wife. At the turn of the 20th century, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany suggested that if he had not already had a religion, he would have certainly converted to Islam.

These are only a few examples. We could cite present-day instances of individuals in high places as well as common people who are charmed and somehow enthralled with Islam. The Bible says that in the last days many people will turn from their faith. They will be fooled by evil spirits and by teachings that come from demons (1 Timothy 1:4; 2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Prayer

Lord God, you have been patient with the peoples of Europe and America. They are rich in material goods, but poor in spiritual matters. They are advanced in technology, but backward in things pertaining to God. Save them from the slippery path they have chosen by turning their back on Christ. Have mercy on them. Help them to repent.

By faith I claim many Muslims in the West for Christ. May they become tools in God’s hand to bring many nominal Christians in post-Christian Europe and America to the cross of Calvary. I pray for a great revival in your Church in the West.

O God, Supreme and Mighty Potentate, Master of heaven and earth, you can do such feats! I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Promise

Go back to what you heard and believed at first…. All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life (Revelation 3:3, 5, NLT).

Friday, June 5, 2020

One day, Caleb reminded Joshua that 45 years had passed since Moses had sent both of them, along with ten others, out from the Desert of Paran, to spy out the land of Canaan which the Lord had promised to give them. The other ten had been terrified by the terrain and the size of the inhabitants! So, they brought back an unfavorable report. However, Caleb and Joshua gave a positive report and assured everyone that if God was pleased with them, he would give them that land (Numbers 13-14).

We believe the Lord is telling us today: “Wherever you set foot, that land will be yours” (Deuteronomy 11:24). And part of that land is the “fortified cities” of Islam.

Let us, in faith, claim those areas for Christ and his Kingdom.

Prayer

Holy Father, God Almighty, King of Glory! I bow down before your majesty and come humbly to your throne of grace.

Many cities in the Muslim world appear to be spiritually “fortified” against the spread of the Gospel.

But we will not allow the enemy to intimidate or discourage us. True, we are facing giants we cannot defeat in our own strength, heights we cannot scale, and a mountain that is impossible to cross.

Great and Mighty King of heaven and earth, all things are possible for you. Help us do what you have commanded us to do. Give us this mountain, Lord (Joshua 14:12).

Compassionate Lord, hear my cry and prayer in the name of Jesus, your Son, my Lord. Amen.

Promise

This is the… message of the Lord to [you]… don’t depend on your own power or strength, but on my Spirit…. That mountain in front of you will be leveled to the ground (Zechariah 4:6-7, CEV).

Friday, May 29, 2020

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 22, 2020

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 have broken the fast and are now 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, May 15, 2020

A young girl from Israel was seized and taken as a prisoner of war by an invading army. She became a servant who worked for the wife of the commander of that army. While surrounded by her captors, she saw a tremendous opportunity to be a missionary. One day she told her mistress about a prophet in Israel who could heal her master, Naaman, of leprosy. When her master heard the message, he went to Israel and was healed by the power of the Almighty God. He then returned to his home, a believer in the God of Israel (read 2 Kings 5:1-19).

In some churches, members of the congregation think their role in the Kingdom is to pray, pay and obey. If a believer’s responsibility stops there, that is unbiblical. People who sit in the pews on Sunday should be evangelists, missionaries, and pastors on Monday. You too can be a soulwinner. We encourage you to pray for Muslims, but we also encourage you to witness to Muslims and lead them to Christ.

Prayer

Savior of the world, give me a passion for the wayward, a desire to rescue those who are on their way to eternal death (Proverbs 24:11-12). Give me a love like Jesus had, he who sought out sinners in order to set them free. Help me to experience the sorrow and anguish Paul felt for the lost (Romans 9:3-4).

“Give me the energy and the courage to share the spirit of the apostles, that like them I may truly be an ambassador of your grace.”^[1]

Help me win souls for you and disciple them into maturity. I do not feel adequate to do that in my own abilities, but I trust you to do it through me by the power of your Holy Spirit.

I pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Promise

Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say (Exodus 4:11-12, NIV).

Footnotes

^[1] Hilary of Poitiers, 315-368 A.D.

Friday, May 8, 2020

The Minister of Finance in the government of Queen Candace of Ethiopia believed in God, the Almighty who had revealed his Word to the prophets.

The minister went to Jerusalem to fulfill religious duties prescribed by his conscience and his limited understanding of God’s Word. As he was returning home, the Lord sent Philip to instruct him and bring his faith to maturity through trusting and believing in Jesus Christ (read Acts 8:26-40).

Many people in the Muslim world are very thirsty spiritually. They go on pilgrimages and fulfill religious duties, trying to please God. Let us pray that the Lord will send them light and revelation, that he will bring them to the Kingdom of Christ, transform them to be his children, and fill them with peace and joy.

Prayer

Lord God, you came down on Mount Sinai to speak to Moses and give him your laws (Exodus 19). You spoke to Elijah on Mount Horeb and gave him courage and guidance (1 Kings 19:8-18). I pray that you will speak from Mount Calvary to Muslims today and grant them the knowledge of the saving grace of Jesus Christ!

Help me be a “Philip” for a Muslim seeker this week. Use me as I am, limited in my understanding of Islam and Muslims, and flawed and weak. By the power of your Holy Spirit, help me say words that come directly from you, and speak through me to answer their questions. Manifest your power in my weakness. Keep me from being argumentative. Fill my heart with love and compassion, my mouth with words of grace, and my soul with courage.

As the Ethiopian minister accepted your Word, may many Muslims open their hearts to your love and forgiveness and accept Jesus as their only Lord and Savior. May they, like the government official, believe the Good News of Jesus Christ.

May they, too, “go on their way rejoicing.” In the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Promise

When you seek me, you will find me; if you search wholeheartedly, I shall let you find me (Jeremiah 29:13-14, REB).

Friday, May 1, 2020

Many years ago, Kamil Aietany, a Lebanese Muslim, put his faith in Jesus. He ministered Christ to other Muslims with a clear mind and a powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Kamil’s father was very upset because of his son’s conversion. The family and other Muslim acquaintances made plans to end his life to get rid of the one who had betrayed Islam After a meal one day, Kamil became extremely ill and died within hours. The brothers who had led him to Christ suggested an autopsy, but their request was refused. They also wanted to bury him in a Christian cemetery, but his body was quickly removed, and Kamil was buried the same day he died in a Muslim cemetery.

It does not really matter where a Christian believer is buried. When Christ comes from heaven with a loud command, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet call of God, the dead in Christ will rise (1 Thessalonians 4:16). I believe that many Muslims who gave their lives to Christ and became his followers like Kamil will rise from Muslim cemeteries because they placed their faith in Jesus.

Prayer

Our Father, Maker, and Redeemer, we worship and adore you. I ask you to fill me with a passion for the lost as you did for Kamil. Help me bring Muslims to your Kingdom.

In the mighty name of Jesus, I ask you to break the fanatic spirit of Islam. Help many Muslims this week seek your face and receive freedom and forgiveness through Christ our Lord. May they place their faith and trust in you and give themselves totally to the Savior, no matter what it costs. Prepare them to answer their persecutors and abusers. Strengthen them as they experience the cruelty and brutality of the society and authorities. Be with those who will give their lives for your sake and for your glory.

When we meet Jesus in the clouds, what a surprise awaits us! We will see believers in Jesus come from Muslim graves in triumph, glory and splendor.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Promise

We believe that Jesus died and rose again; so too will God bring those who died as Christians to be with Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:14, REB).