Christians have more in common with a Muslim than you may think.
“You would probably share more values with a Muslim neighbor than with a secular one,” says Cody, a TEAM missionary in Asia whose ministry brings him in daily contact with Muslims. “Muslims are very focused on family and children and a moral society.”
Although values may be similar, theological beliefs are not. Cody points out three big areas of disagreement Muslims bring up in regards to Christianity: Jesus is not God, Jesus did not die on the cross and the Bible in its current form is unreliable.
Brian is a TEAM worker and medical educator in the Middle East who has noticed he has a lot in common with his Muslim neighbors. For him, spiritual conversations are easy to have since Muslims “love talking about religion, so it is an easy topic to get into.”
Please pray with us that the Holy Spirit will use cross-cultural workers and national believers to boldly present the Gospel with a culturally-appropriate message.
1. Pray that Christians’ lives would be loving witnesses to their Muslim neighbors
Have you ever met someone who is so on fire for the Lord that their excitement has no choice but to rub off on you? A genuine relationship with God is appealing and contagious to those who witness it. The testimony of a believer can be life changing for Muslims who have never had the chance to meet or befriend a Christian.
“A number of Muslim friends have told me they thought Christians were evil and immoral, until they met me and found something different,” says Cody. “Personal contact with Muslim friends is very important for the cause of the Gospel.”
Pray that God would send more believers to live and work alongside Muslims, and that their daily lives would reflect God’s attractive grace. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Built between 1609 and 1616, this mosque structure is one of the many great examples of Islamic architecture throughout the Middle East.
2. Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth about Jesus and the Bible.
Did you know Muslims believe that Jesus was a great prophet and even hold him in high esteem? But to say Jesus is God “is like saying there are two gods, and this is the greatest sin in their opinion,” says Brian. “They struggle with the idea that Jesus would die, mainly because that seems very weak and shameful. They also struggle with many of the stories in the Bible that talk about the prophets sinning. This makes them feel like the Bible must be corrupted and unreliable because these stories must not be true.”
Allan serves Muslims in South Asia through medical, educational, translation and refugee ministries. He says, “the key for many is reading or listening to the Word.” Allan has noticed that if Muslims read the Bible for themselves, they find it to be “a refreshing change from the expected.”
Join us in praying for the Holy Spirit to bring exposure to the Word and understanding to those who read it.
3. Ask God to give bold testimony to Muslims who have found Christ.
Choosing to follow Jesus in an Islamic society can mean losing everything. Your family may completely shun you and your life may be at stake. But as mentioned earlier, the example of a Christian’s life is a bold testimony.
Pray that Muslim converts to Christianity may be able to share the freedom they found in Christ with those around them, and find community with fellow believers. Allan asks us to pray Muslim-background believers will have “steady, long patience in waiting for their family members to see their change of heart and respond in faith too.”
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