MUSLIMS: PRAYING BEYOND THE WALL

*20-26 September 2009*

". . . we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified." Galatians 2:16b

SUNDAY, 20Sep:
Muslims believe that their entry into paradise is based on the number of good deeds they perform in this life. Those who have properly fasted during Ramadan believe they have earned a lot of credit.

Pray for these men and women to hear the gospel. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak through His Word to convict them--opening their spiritual eyes to see the reality of their sin, that their righteousness can come only through Jesus Christ's forgiveness of their sin, and that unless they claim Him as Lord they will be judged and found guilty. Pray for them to understand these truths and courageously turn from their self-righteousness to faith in Jesus, the Messiah.

MONDAY, 21Sep:
Today Muslims will celebrate the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting.

Unusually large numbers will gather at the mosque for morning prayers, spilling over into the streets and public squares of many towns and cities. After prayers, Muslim families will don their best clothes and visit the homes of their elders--children visiting parents and grandparents, nephews and nieces visiting uncles and aunts. The purpose of the visit is to ask forgiveness for wrongs committed in the past year and
to renew family and community ties. After visiting family, neighbors and friends will visit each other, again asking for forgiveness.

Today, pray for Muslim families to realize that true forgiveness can only be found in Christ and that only through His love and power in their lives can they truly forgive others.

TUESDAY, 22Sep:
The Bhatiara of Uttar Pradesh, India, are a Muslim people numbering approximately 260,000. The Bhatiara were traditionally innkeepers who provided shelter and safety for travelers, since the roads were not safe at night. Although some still work in this capacity, Bhatiara elders estimate that today 20-30 percent of able-bodied Bhatiaras are without permanent jobs, and are looking for meaning in life.

Ask God to send witnesses to share God's redemptive story with the Bhatiara. Pray for their eyes to be opened to see God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ, the Savior who alone can give them true meaning and purpose in life.

http://www.go2southasia.org/

WEDNESDAY, 23Sep:
Two years ago, a Persian woman in Iran wanted to study the Bible to know more about Jesus. She felt that there was more to Him than what she had learned from Islam. On the internet she found a Farsi Bible in PDF format and began to print and read Scripture one page at a time. Eventually she printed it all using three packs of paper and ending up with a Bible that was nearly a foot tall! In God's providence, an Iranian church-planting couple met her about that time and witnessed to her. She believed, joined a house church and was thrilled to receive a normal-sized Bible. Now she can carry her whole Bible to church! Give thanks for this woman and others like her who have searched for the Truth and found it in Christ as they have read His Word.

Pray for God's Word to be available to every Iranian seeker. Pray for God's Word to accomplish His purposes in Iran!

http://centralasia.imb.org/

THURSDAY, 24Sep:
Give thanks for churches in France who are becoming burdened for the salvation of North African immigrants living in their midst! Team Paris is providing training for
French churches in Greater Paris, through which they are teaching French believers how to share their faith with their Muslim neighbors.

Pray that many French Christians will participate in these training sessions and use what they have learned to lovingly, respectfully and boldly share the Gospel with Muslims living in their communities. Pray for French Christians to become a mighty host of winsome witnesses sharing the gospel with a sense of urgency throughout Paris.

FRIDAY, 25Sep:
Last month Senufo Supyire team members were warned by their neighbors not to go outside inthe middle of the night because a spirit was said to be roaming about. Then team members noticed that white marks were being painted on the outside walls of people's houses and compounds. When they asked about it, they were told that word was spreading that if these marks are not on your walls and a certain animal comes into your house, someone will die. Later the team saw that many people had begun to wear cowry shell bracelets. When they asked why, they were told that it was rumored that if you aren't wearing these bracelets when a big storm comes on a certain day, then you would be injured.

The Senufo Supyire people live in fear of a world theydo not understand and cannot control. Much of their time and energy is spent trying to control the uncontrollable. Please pray for the Senufo Supyire people to know the perfect love of Christ that casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). Pray that they will understand that Christ's sacrifice was sufficient for the forgiveness of sins and that His blood can be their protection. Pray for Senufo Supyire Christians to demonstrate lives of confidence and hope, and that their freedom from fear will lead many to ask them about the source of their hope. Pray that they will effectively
share their faith with their Muslim neighbors.

SATURDAY, 26Sep:
Pray for a former Islamic teacher in the Deccan of India. Until God intervened in his life in December 2008, this young man led his community in prayers and taught them how to practice their faith. Struggling to find the answers to questions raised by his study of the Quran, he began to read the Bible, and after a time he became a follower of Jesus Christ. When his wife found out about his faith, she told her parents. Her father stated that he should simply kill his son-in-law in order to preserve the family name in the community, since he had brought them much disrespect. The father-in-law pressured him to divorce his daughter and pay monthly support to her. The new believer was unwilling and promised to care for his wife and their child by himself, if she would simply stay with him. The family finally agreed. However, his wife refuses to be emotionally or physically intimate with him until he returns to Islam. This young believer is suffering. The estrangement from his wife and family is very painful, but he is unwilling to deny Christ.

Ask the Father to encourage, strengthen and comfort this young husband and father, giving him wisdom and grace. Pray for the wife and her family to be saved. Ask that God's love prevail--restoring this broken family and making them a brightly shining light in the midst of their community.

http://www.go2southasia.org/
---
International Mission Board
3806 Monument Avenue
Richmond, VA 23230