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As a devout Muslim, while attending a service in a business conference, Faisal Malick had a powerful visitation from the Lord (See Day 6). He shared, “God Almighty manifested in Majesty right in front of me, and every fiber of my being became aware of Him and His mighty Presence. Suddenly someone (The Lord) stood before me, and His presence went right through me.” Many thoughts were going through Faisal’s mind, and he had one burning question that he managed to ask: “God, what are You doing there? I thought these are the bad guys.” 

He shared that he couldn’t understand why God would come while the people were blaspheming God by worshiping Jesus. He answered me audibly, and I heard his voice say to me three times, “No, these are My children. No, these are My children. No, these are My children.”

Faisal had thought these people were deceived, but God was saying these people were His children. He knew he was encountering God. As a Muslim, he didn’t question that there was one God, but he surely didn’t believe that God was a father! Yet in that instant, he knew God was the Father.

All that was happening to him was divine revelation. He instantly knew with every fiber of his being that Jesus is the Son of God. At that moment, Jesus was revealing the Father to him, so he instantly understood that God Almighty was not only Father, but he was encountering God as his Father. Faisal shared, “I didn’t know this could happen and didn’t try to make it happen. But when I heard His voice, it vibrated through my entire being. When God speaks, He releases a sound, and everything responds to it. The very core of my created being was awakened to Him.”  

Revelation from the Lord continued, “The very thing I had been trained to see as deception and that was so ingrained in me to disbelieve was the very revelation that I now knew (and would now say): Jesus is the Son of God. His voice shattered every belief system I ever had.”

• Faisal Malick – 10 Amazing Muslims Touched by GOD

Prayer

We praise God for His powerful voice that thunders (Psalm 29) and still breaks the hardness in hearts. Continue to pray for God’s voice to penetrate the deception and unbelief of Muslim people worldwide to hear Him and respond, receiving Jesus Christ as Lord. 

Desiring to be successful in the business world, Faisal Malick was excited to use it as an opportunity to promote Islam. Marketing conventions enabled him to learn more about business from those already prospering. Meeting many Christians at these events, he soon debated with them, believing he could change their “incorrect thinking.”

One Sunday morning, he learned he could attend a non-denominational service and since the man speaking was a businessman and not a pastor or priest, he thought it would be a harmless gathering. The speaker began by saying that “Jesus is the Son of God.” There was no more blasphemous thing that could have been said, and Faisal wanted to confront and debate the speaker. The man continued to quote from the Bible, saying that, “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Jesus. If you receive Jesus, you will be guaranteed life with God in heaven.” What? The speaker was so sure that Jesus is the way to get to heaven. This could not be! He knew Muslims have no assurance of salvation.

At another convention, Faisal again attended the Sunday meeting. This time the man said, “If you believe in Jesus, He will give you the right and power to be sons of God just by calling on His name.” At the end, the 20,000 people attending were asked to stand, and Faisal, not wanting to be embarrassed, stood out of courtesy. 

“The moment I stood,” Faisal shared, “God Almighty manifested in Majesty right in front of me, and every fiber of my being became aware of Him and His mighty Presence. Suddenly someone (The Lord) stood before me and His presence went right through me.” Many thoughts were going through his mind and he had one burning question that he managed to ask: “God, what are You doing there? I thought these are the bad guys.” 

Did Faisal have an instant understanding? Or was it a process? On Day 7, we will see how God transformed his life, raising him up to become the man of God he is today!

• Faisal Malick – 10 Amazing Muslims touched by GOD

Prayer

During the month of Ramadan, many Muslims will have the opportunity to have an encounter with Jesus that can be life-changing. Take this time to pray that the Lord will invade their lives, open their hearts to His Truth, and reveal His glory, resulting in the salvation of multitudes.

Leaving Pakistan, Faisal Malick* moved and settled in Canada. He desired to get an education, become a successful businessman and make his family proud. While in school, he got involved in business and came in contact with Christians. He believed they were deceived because they lacked the truth of Islam.

As a Muslim, Faisal respected Jesus but believed that Jesus was no more than a prophet who was second to Muhammad, the final prophet of Islam. He thought Christians exalted a man (Jesus) and made him equal with God; he considered the worship of Jesus to be blasphemy. Islam taught that the Bible was changed by Christians and is corrupted. To them, the greatest sin a Muslim could ever commit is to confess that Jesus is the Son of God.

As he became more active in the business world, Faisal was encountering many Christians. His passion was to “help these deceived Christians, and if possible the Jews, to ultimately accept the Qur’an as the final book of Allah and become Muslims.” Many discussions about faith began; they often turned out to be arguments. He was determined to do everything he could to convert them to Islam.

A Christian associate invited him to church, but Faisal declared, “I am a Muslim. I do not need to come to your church.” He said that the associate never seemed to argue with me.

His associate was wise; instead of arguing, the testimony of the Gospels provides the most reliable witness to Christ to reach a Muslim. We should not soft-pedal the message, and the more a Christian knows about his faith, the easier it is to talk with Muslims. Our goal is to open up their minds for light to come in, so they can begin reading the Gospels to learn of the real Jesus.

• Faisal Malick – 10 Amazing Muslims Touched by God

PRAYER

Globally there are 1.9 billion Muslims, now 1/4 of the world population. Because of violence, Muslims are becoming disenchanted with their faith. Our prayers for their salvation bring a crack in that darkness, allowing the light of God’s truth to enter – enabling them to see and respond to the gospel of Christ for the first time. 

The holy scriptures tell us in Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’” We can ponder this and yet never fully grasp all that this means.

For the Christian, the Bible promises to lift us up from our fears and guilt. God gives us eternal life. Through our salvation, we have the path to healing, forgiveness, and mercy. Hope becomes the anchor of our soul and our lives can be totally transformed. It is the incredible gift of God!

In her book, “Wholly Different”, former Muslim Nonie Darwish revealed that nothing ever comes close to this in Islam, which provides no road to salvation from human sin and suffering. She said, “With my conversion from Islam to Christianity, my whole outlook on life, humanity, and myself was changed. I saw divine qualities, value, beauty, and dignity in every human being. I experienced healing and reconciliation with my Creator almost overnight. It was only through Biblical values that I was able to forgive those who hurt me personally in the past. I was able to heal and turn the worst thing that happened to me into the best thing that happened to me. This could never have happened to me without Jesus Christ.” She went on to say that her joy in Christ was nothing less than miraculous.

What would Nonie have experienced if she had never left her homeland for a Western nation? Would she still be living a bleak and meaningless life?

The Lord’s desire is that the lives of those in Islam become transformed into His image. As we walk with God, he tenderizes our hearts to look at others in an entirely different way. We begin to see their struggles, their pain, their hopelessness; a life without the joy that brings us strength.

PRAYER

Father, we desire Your sensitivity and a tenderized heart to see those without Christ through your eyes. Holy Spirit, when we see a Muslim, quicken us with a strategic prayer that will be life-changing, placing them on the Lord’s path to becoming fully transformed into His image.

Have you ever passed others in a shopping mall and wondered, “How do they view life? Do they believe in absolute truth? Is their world view so different that it would conflict with mine?”

In our culture we have often heard the term “Judeo-Christian” beliefs or values. In recent years there is a move to include the three Abrahamic faiths, (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) together, without considering that Islam’s moral values are diametrically opposed to Biblical values.

During this 30-Day Ramadan series, we will briefly examine how the differences have impacted Muslims to reconsider their beliefs and be open to God’s heart of love for them.

Nonie Darwish is director of “Former Muslims United.” Now a human rights activist, she was born and raised as a devout Muslim in Egypt. Her father was a martyr for Islam. When Nonie immigrated to the United States, she realized how completely the Koran had formed virtually every aspect of her life. In fact, she professed that Islam’s holy book had actually deformed her childhood.

In her book, “Wholly Different”, Nonie shared that the simple things all of us in America (and Western nations) take for granted — small kindnesses from strangers, mutual trust, polite apologies, women having equal rights and respect, children being protected and encouraged, not abused and shamed — were completely new to her. She flourished in Western society, where she discovered peace, freedom, integrity, and human dignity that she had never experienced in her native land.

In the days ahead we will learn from Nonie’s life as well as other former Muslims how we can impact the way a Muslim lives, even turning some away from radicalism to the gospel of Christ.

PRAYER:
Ask God to reveal His heart for the Muslim people to the body of Christ, enabling us to see them through the eyes of His love.

God’s love for the Muslim people is immeasurable, and we are honored to live in a time when many Muslims around the world are coming to know Jesus as the Son of God and their Savior. As Ramadan ends, thank you for standing with us in prayer during the past thirty days.

We would like to invite you to participate in a survey about our Ramadan prayer series. Please click here to take a short survey. Thank you for your participation and input.

There are powerful testimonies of Muslims who rejected Islam and now have a relationship with Jesus Christ. MBB’s (Muslim-background believers) testify how receiving Jesus as Lord has changed them.

One example is the testimony of Fatemah. Her earliest memories were of being raped by her brothers. At age 11, she was sold in marriage to a young drug addict who abused her and then divorced her when she was 17. Upon returning home, she was raped again until she decided to leave. On the streets, she heard the gospel preached, and she trusted Jesus. In time, she married a Christian man. As they were receiving training in evangelism and church planting, Fatemah felt called to go back home and witness to her family. She rejoiced as she saw her entire family repent and give their lives to the Lord!

In another testimony, Miriam and her 10-year-old daughter were recently in the mountains trying to escape from her sharia law nation when COVID-19 started. She shared, “We knew that we had to walk for days and pass through dangerous paths in the mountains for our freedom. In the beginning, we didn’t know the virus had started because in the mountains we had no access to phones and the internet and I did not want to know the future. We were on our way of escape in the mountains, realizing the Islamic police were searching everywhere to find us and we heard about the virus crisis ahead of us. Jesus had already taught me to focus on the present. I knew thinking about the future at that point would only distract me and bring fear. I would not allow myself to forget that Jesus would be with us all the way to freedom.”

Miriam continued, “My daughter cried all the way, but she did not understand that our walk was to freedom. We had to walk for hours and could only sleep for three hours on the dusty ground. We knew we had to make it to the border. If our escape had been unsuccessful, the punishment would have been even harsher. We were told the border wasn’t safe because of the coronavirus, and the police were controlling the borders more strictly than before. We had no choice but to continue. We were praying loudly in the mountains and calling upon the name of Jesus as we were walking in the dark; our faith was the only thing moving us ahead. By God’s grace, we finally were able to cross the border into the nearby nation. Freedom at last! We are now in a place where we know we won’t be imprisoned and tortured for our faith. We are so grateful to Jesus.”

As we hear the testimonies, our hearts are stirred and challenged when we learn of the sacrifices and persecutions faced by Muslims when becoming believers in Jesus. 

PRAYER POINTS

• During this Ramadan time of prayer, Muslim hearts are more open than at other times, and they are being challenged in their faith. Allow the love of God to minister to you and reveal ways to pray for them during the year.
• Pray that the MBBs (Muslim Background believers) will continue to grow in their faith, be courageous, and develop meaningful relationships with others to encourage them in their walk with Christ.

Muslims love to talk about religious issues. Just as many “Christians” are only in name and not truly walking with the Lord, the same is true about many Muslims. Often they know little about the beliefs; instead, it is a practice of rituals. Usually, when there is a discussion with them, we find that a lot of their objections to Christianity are from hearsay and not based upon the Word of God.

You may talk with a Muslim who has studied the Bible – just to criticize it. But many have never read any part of the Bible. When speaking with them, state what you believe clearly, without apology, showing you believe the Bible is the Word of God! Use the scriptures to explain your point. It may seem unusual, but Muslims will respect you more when you stand firm for your Christian beliefs. If there is a question they have and you don’t know the correct answer, tell them you will find out. Then be sure to do it.

Be a good listener. You will learn how they view things in general. Remember in the scriptures how Jesus would listen and respond. Avoid theological terminology. Terms such as ‘regeneration,’ ‘the new birth,’ ‘justification,’ ‘being filled with the Holy Spirit’ etc. will not be understood by them. Forgiveness, assurance, and eternal life are familiar words.

Emphasize the importance of Jesus. A Muslim is more interested in what Jesus said, what He did, and what He commanded. They also love to hear the stories of the prophets, such as Noah, Daniel, Abraham, David, etc. If possible, show how various prophets foretold the coming of Jesus. 

In conversation, because ‘Son of God’ is offensive, use Messiah. (Muslims believe in a coming Messiah). They will most likely be interested in hearing about His second coming.

Muslims pray 5 times a day. Share with them that Christians can and do pray at any time. We are not restricted in any way in prayer. They believe they go to ‘paradise’ because of good works. Let them know we are saved by grace through faith. We are to do good works, but our salvation is based solely on Jesus’ sacrifice by taking the sins of the world when He was on the cross. 

As you develop a relationship, you can then ask important questions. For example: 

• Do you expect to go to heaven (paradise)?
• Do you have the assurance that God will accept you? When asking this question, it is recommended you share scriptures from I John 5, considered the ‘know’ chapter. It assures us of our salvation through Jesus. 
• You can ask, “What does the Qur’an teach about forgiveness?” If they are open, share I John 1:9; our assurance of forgiveness. Genuine discussions, not arguments, show you care and reveal you are interested in the important and essential things of life.

 Three of the top reasons Muslims receive Christ in Western nations:

• Receiving a Bible, especially the New Testament. Romans 10:17 declares, “… faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”
• Meeting a godly and caring Christian friend.
•  Experiencing a loving evangelical church. One Muslim, a single woman from Iraq, found the church a place full of special people. She shared, “When I came to the church, I found the people—they are just full of joy. From the way they were dealing with each other, they were so nice, I also became full of joy. I listened to the songs and it was so beautiful. I was really astonished. Through the pastor, I came to know the words of the gospel. His words came straight to my heart. The words I heard made me fall in love with Christ more and more. I wanted to become [a] Christian like them.”

PRAYER POINTS

• Ask God to bring a Muslim into your life to share with and lead to the Lord.
• Allow the Holy Spirit to show you how to pray for Muslims today.

Muslims do not know the unconditional love of God. Feeling loved, forgiven, and accepted by God is perhaps their greatest need. They are blessed by simple acts of kindness done with a heart of love. Honoring and serving them speaks volumes. 

The mission field is in our midst. When we have an opportunity with a Muslim, it is good to become acquainted with their basic beliefs, and then ask honest and sincere questions. For example, ask them to share what their faith means to them. Often the Muslim community feels attacked by Christians, and they are initially cautious. They will open up if they sense you are sincerely interested in them, rather than trying to get a conversion commitment at the first possible opportunity. You may discuss the Christian similarities to Islam, such as moral living, godly families, fasting, etc. 

Do not assume their ideas of the character of God, Jesus, and the Spirit are the same as yours. Muslims are taught that Christians believe in three gods; God the Father, God the Son and God the Mother (Mary). They believe Jesus is a great prophet but that it is blasphemy to believe Jesus is the Son of God. Do not argue that point; give the Holy Spirit time to reveal the truth. Muslims believe in a Messiah, so let them know we believe Jesus is the Messiah. They also believe that Christians and Jews have changed the Bible. Because of pornography from the West and the Western media, they equate Christianity with free sex, drugs, alcohol, divorce . . . all the evils of the West. They do not understand that to be born in our society does not automatically make us Christian. You may express that you do not approve of the evils that we see in society and explain how one becomes a true Christian. 

We are reminded that Jesus said, “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest” (John 4:35).

Nine out of ten Muslims around the world have never met a Christian. From childhood, they are taught that we are the “infidel.” Unfortunately, many have a “Hollywood image” of Christianity. In western nations (including Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand), only one out of 100 Muslims have ever been invited into a Christian home. 

It is not the Muslim people, but the ideology they follow that is the challenge. Muslims are prisoners of their ideology, bound by Satan and thus spiritually blinded (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Jesus said, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:44-45a). Our loving prayers and reaching out in friendship will change their image of us and open the door of their hearts.

Muslims are usually warm people relationally, and hospitality is so important to them. The best way to win a Muslim’s trust is to consistently show the sincere love of Christ to them. One way to demonstrate that we care is by inviting them to our home and having sincere fellowship. God’s love never fails! 

PRAYER POINTS

• Many Muslim students attend Western universities. Pray they will not be adversely affected by the lifestyle of others, but rather influenced by the relationships with Christians that they meet.
• Ask God to give opportunities for Christians to meet Muslims and begin building relationships. Pray for a sensitivity to the leading of the Lord in sharing the gospel of Christ with them.