How to Pray for Muslims
How to Pray for Muslims
Every Muslim is unique and wonderful in God's eyes and we should be careful not to generalise or presume that all Muslims are the same. However, there are some important issues to help us understand how to pray more effectively.
Every Muslim is someone whom God loves. Some Christians do not pray for Muslims because of their own prejudices or fears. Let us begin in prayer by asking God to give us a heart filled with love and compassion towards Muslims. We also need to pray in faith and confidence that God will hear us and will move powerfully in answer to our prayers of love and compassion. (John 14: 12-14)
Muslims believe in the uniqueness of an all powerful and supreme Allah. Similar to Christians and Jews, Muslims believe that Allah is creative and eternal. Muslims also believe that Allah is unknowable and that it is impossible to ever really know him or have a relationship with him as a personal saviour. According to Islam, Allah holds himself apart from mankind. When praying for Muslims, pray that they will have a full revelation of the true God and His loving character. (Hebrews 8:8-9)
The Muslim worldview is strongly influenced by an awareness of the supernatural and the presence of good and evil spirits known as jinn. Jinn are greatly feared and are often thought to be responsible for illnesses and misfortune. Superstitions control many aspects of a Muslim's everyday life and often result in them living in constant fear. This fear reveals a heart cry and desperate need that can only be met in the person and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray against the fear that influences many Muslims. (1 John 4:18)
Galatians 4:22-25 tells us that Ishmael was born as a result of works resulting in slavery. Islam means submission and a Muslim understands that he is a servant of Allah. While this is also a Biblical aspect of our relationship with God, it is incomplete. As Christians, through Jesus, we know that we move from being servants to becoming sons and daughters. Pray that Muslims will also understand that God desires for everyone to know Him as children and not as slaves. (Galatians 4:7) (Matthew 18:3)
Islam teaches that a person must do enough good deeds to outweigh the bad deeds in order to make it to paradise. (Ephesians 2:8-9.) Even then, there is no guarantee for a Muslim of salvation. As a result of this belief, it is difficult for many Muslims to fully understand the basis of forgiveness of sins. It is also difficult for Muslims to understand repentance. When we pray for Muslim's to get saved, we are really praying that they will be convicted of sin and know true repentance. We are also praying that they would experience God's total forgiveness and thus be able to forgive others. And, we are also praying that they would know the assurance of salvation through Jesus, something Islam can never offer them. (Ephesians 2:8-9.) (1 Peter 5:6) (Matthew 6:14-15)
Never underestimate the work of the Holy Spirit as you pray for Muslims. Allow God to teach you how to pray and to share His heart with you concerning them. Vast numbers of Muslims have come to Christ as a result of supernatural encounters. Many have dreams and visions of Jesus. It is only God who can open blind eyes and soften hearts. Only God can bring true conviction of sin and create new life. (Romans 8:26) (John 16:8)
30 Days Prayer Network mobilizing all churches to pray for all Muslims.
WHEN WITNESSING TO MUSLIMS ...
WHEN WITNESSING TO MUSLIMS ...
“I stand at the door and knock.”
Contrary to what is often thought, it is possible to lead Muslims to Christ. Christian witness to Muslims needs to take into account the context of Muslim culture and religion. In that sense our witness to Muslims will be different from that to other people. The message is the same, the means of proclaiming it is different.
General principles
1. Prayer. Pray for Muslim friends and acquaintances. We cannot emphasise enough our total dependence on the intervention of the Holy Spirit.
2. Have a specific goal. God wants to use us to make Jesus Christ known to Muslims through the gospel. Our goal should be to make the message understandable and accessible to our Muslim friends.
3. Be open to personal and human contact. We must love Muslims sincerely, manifesting our love through kindness and respect in our relationship with them. Our goal should be to establish a genuine friendship and share our faith in that context. As with all true friendships we need to take time to understand, appreciate and help our Muslim friends.
4. Be patient. While we can speak freely of our faith from the beginning of our relationship with a Muslim, we should keep in mind that most Muslims will need to hear us many times before they even begin to consider believing in Christ. Do not be discouraged by objections.
5. Explain the gospel in a very simple manner. Use words and terms which will be understandable to Muslims. Explain the Christian meaning of terms such as sin, prayer, God, Son of God and faith. These often convey another meaning for Muslims.
6. Give your friend a New Testament or a Bible. Reading these books give Muslims new perspectives on Christianity. Encourage a regular reading of the Gospels in particular.
7. Emphasise God’s perfect holiness. God calls for righteousness. Man is generally unrighteous and in slavery to sinful attitudes. Neither education nor moral teaching can change this situation. Man needs to have a new birth.
8. Speak of God’s interventions in our own lives. Tell of His faithfulness, His love, His justice. Muslims do not understand God as one who gives and keeps promises. Your testimony of a real and active faith is very important.
9. Answer objections with kindness. Do not let yourself be carried away into passionate discussions.
10. Do not be naïve if our Muslim friends express a belief in Jesus Christ and the Bible. In one sense Muslims do believe in Jesus and the Bible; however, their faith is very different from what the Bible teaches us. They do not believe that it is possible to be in a real relationship with God as we believe. Jesus said that eternal life is to know God (John 17:3). It is not just knowing certain things about God, but to know Him personally.
WHEN WITNESSING TO MUSLIMS ...
What should we avoid?
1. Do not attack the person of Mohammed, but do not accept him as a prophet either.
2. Do not criticise the Qur’an.
3. Avoid politically-sensitive subjects and praising Israel.
4. Do not insist on Jesus as being the Son of God. A Muslim will not understand or accept this affirmation. Later, when he has read the Bible or the gospels, you can give him the necessary explanations.
5. Do not enter into discussions about pork and wine. We, as Christians, are sent to proclaim Jesus.
Specific guidelines
1. Initially focus on areas of agreement. In your first contacts with Muslims and even later it is useful to be in agreement as much as possible with Muslims about our common beliefs. They believe that there is one God, the God of Abraham. In Arabic the word used for God is “Allah” (Christian Arabs also use this word for God). Muslims believe that God made the world, that He knows all things, that He is all wise and very powerful. Muslims do not believe in the Trinity. They believe in angels and in prophets such as Abraham, Moses, David, Noah and Jesus. They believe in the last judgment. In a general sense we can agree on these points, without forgetting the differences. Muslims often feel rejected by Westerners. Affirming our common beliefs enables them listen to us with greater understanding and openness.
2. Have a simple and clear way of presenting Christ. For instance, take a passage of the Bible. John 5:24 and Romans 6:23 have been used with good results.
3. Use stories. It is important to tell the stories about the life of Jesus and other men and women mentioned in the Bible. Muslims often use stories in speaking about their own faith. Most Muslims have never had an opportunity to read the Scriptures (many have never fully read their own book, the Qur’an). Learn to use parables, stories and examples from daily life to share your message. In this way your Muslim friends will also retain your words better. It is important to understand their culture, their way of thinking and their historic and religious background. Learning some of their language could be very useful as well.
4. Literature. Keep an assortment of Gospels, the “Jesus” film, cassettes, CDs and DVDs available in various languages.
5. Seek them out. Do not be afraid to visit them in their homes and invite them to your own home. If you invite them for a meal buy your meat in a Muslim butcher shop or serve fish. Do not serve alcoholic beverages to Muslims.
6. Argument. You have little chance of convincing Muslims by reasoned argument. Western logic does not carry the same weight with Muslims and may not even be understood by them. Love your Muslims friends and avoid getting into discussions which push them to defend Islam.
7. The Qur’an. You may read it, but do not necessarily use this as the unique basis of witness. Muslims need to meet the Jesus who is revealed in the Bible. If you reads the Qur’an or visit a mosque it is advisable to pray for God’s protection and understanding (Eph 6:10–18).
8. Men witness to men and women to women. Extended witness across gender lines is discouraged, even by correspondence.
9. Prepare them for their first visit to church. It is advisable to prepare Muslims for their first visit to a Christian church or gathering. You need to explain to them briefly what will happen and what they should and should not do.
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God created us in His image. We can reflect the Trinity by our manner of communicating, by our friendship and our shared love.
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We are not called to fight Islam but to make every effort to make Jesus known!
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WHEN WITNESSING TO MUSLIMS ...
Muslim opposition to Christianity
When you witness to Muslims they will probably raise objections which form the basis of their conviction that the Christian faith is unacceptable for them. Christians need to know about these objections and be prepared to deal with them correctly.
Common problems:
1. The Bible. Muslims believe that the Bible has been altered and corrupted. They will deny its authority because they see it as not being authentic.
2. The Trinity. Muslims believe the Holy Trinity implies a belief in three gods. Many Muslims believe that the Christian Trinity is made up of the Father, Mary (the virgin) and the Son (Jesus).
3. The divinity of Jesus. They believe it is blasphemy to affirm the divinity of Jesus and to give Him the title “Son of God”. Many believe this implies that God had sexual relations with Mary and that a son was born physically through this relationship. (This idea is also unacceptable for Christians.)
4. The cross. Muslims believe it is impossible that God would allow His prophet Jesus to die on the cross. For Muslims, the cross is scandalous and foolish. One should not speak of the cross without speaking of the resurrection. Christ was victorious over sin, death and the devil.
5. Knowing God. Muslims believe that God is the God of Abraham, but also that God will not allow people to draw near to Himself or know Him in the Christian sense.
6. Christians are deceived. Muslims often believe that Christians are deceived and that they have an obligation to lead them to the truth of Islam. For many Muslims, the word “Christian” signifies materialism, a lack of spirituality and moral failure. Because of this they reject many things that come from Western society and which they consider perverted. For Muslims, alcohol consumption, pornography, a liberal lifestyle and a lack of religious practice are sure signs of the failure of Western countries. Muslims associate Christianity with Western culture.
On the other hand, many Muslims do not practice their own religion. They find themselves torn between Islam and Western culture. The relationships between Muslims and Westerners are often very tense. Each has attitudes of suspicion, rejection and feelings of injustice toward the other. In many situations this leads to hatred.
The differences between the two cultures are the cause of many problems and misunderstandings. May God cause Christians to become people who make peace (Matt 5:9).
By 30 Days International. All rights reserved.
Recommended Links
Recommended Links
Study Sites, Testimony Sites, Prayer Networks and Sites we were asked to include:
(All links open in a new window.)
Study sites for Christians:
Ministry among Indian Muslims Lots of other free resources from Brethren Assembly Ministry.
Arab Bible - Powerful software tool.
Answering Islam - Christian - Muslim Dialog.
Christian Answers Network - Biblical answers to contemporary questions.
CreateInternational.com - Videos on Muslim UPGs (unreached).
Dreams and Visions - Testimonies of people saved.
Encountering the World of Islam.
Every People Network and ramadan.everypeople.net.
Islamic-Western Calendar Converter.
Middle East Media Research Institute Arab TV into English, an eye-opener!
Understanding Islam - From Belief Network.
Understanding Islam - From Christian Broadcasters Network (CBN).
What is Islam? - From Strategic Network Organization.
Study sites for Muslims:
Al-Kitab Scripture Research Institute - Study courses for Muslims.
Ennour - A general arabic evangelistic site.
Good News for You.
Heart of the problem - Bible studies for Muslims.
Isa al Masih Network - Explaining Jesus.
Maarifa (Arabic Site) - Music, devotions, sermons.
Перевод Священного Писания на Русском для Центральной Азии и Кавказа.
Prayer Networks
Pray for China | Pray for Egypt | Pray for Iran | Pray for Kuwait | Pray for North Africa | Pray for Saudi Arabia | Pray for Somalia | Praying through the Arabian Penninsula | Simple Prayer -
Resources/ Information / Missions Helps
Mission to the Himalayas.
Caleb Project.org.
Christlisches Zentrum Herborn - (Islam in Deutschland.)
Federacion Misionera Evangelica Costarricense (FEDEMEC).
Global Recordings Network - … 580 languages.
Jesus Film in Arabic.
Jubilee World Missions - Save the children.
Mid East Outreach.
Persecuted Church.
SIM International - Serving in Mission
Our Muslim Neighbors
All this is from God, who reconciled us
to himself through Christ and gave us
the ministry of reconciliation
2 Corinthians 5:18 (NRSV)
The Gospel of Jesus Christ calls Christians to mutual understanding and friendship with Muslim people in around the world. By learning about Islam and seeking opportunities to know Muslim people better, we bear witness to God's saving love incarnate in Jesus
Muslims Around the World
1. At least 43 of the world's nations have a Muslim majority.
2. One-fifth of the world's population is Muslim.
3. Indonesia has the largest number of Muslims of any country in the world.
4. There are more than 5 million Muslims in the United States.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ calls Christians to mutual understanding and friendship with Muslim people around the world. By learning about Islam and seeking opportunities to know Muslim people better, we bear witness to God's saving love incarnate in Jesus.
About Islam
A Brief History of Islam
The word Islam means to submit to the will of God, Allah in Arabic. Muslims believe that Islam is the completion of all religions, and provides guidance in all aspects of life. Islam grew out of the Prophet Muhammad's religious experience and receiving of revelation from God which is enshrined in the Qur'an. The Hadith is Muhammad's sayings, actions and directives inspired by God.
Muhammad was born in 570 C.E. in Mecca and received his first revelation in 610. He died in 632; within a hundred years Islam had swept across North Africa and entered Spain. During the 8th, 9th and 10th centuries Islam flourished in science, medicine, mathematics, literature and philosophy. Islamic expansion led to reactions in the form of the Crusades and later the Inquisition. Tensions continued into the modern age as 18th, 19th and 20th century colonialism led to domination of the Muslim world. Today, reconciliation and healing are imperative.
Islam and Christianity
The Qur'an mentions Jesus many times. Islam teaches belief in the virgin birth, the prophethood, and the return of Jesus who will prepare people for the last judgment. The major differences between Christianity and Islam are:
* Muslims regard Jesus as a great prophet; the Qur'an also calls him messiah, a word and spirit from God; however, any reference to his divinity is not accepted.
* Muslims confess that God is One; they do not believe in the Trinity because they consider that it annuls the unity of God.
* Muslims believe that Jesus did not die on the cross, but was miraculously saved and taken directly to heaven; he will return again before the last day.
* Many Muslims believe that the revealed Bible has been changed, and that historical and theological mistakes have crept into the text that we now have.
The Six Articles of Faith
* Belief in One God Alone, Allah.
* Belief in Allah's messengers, the last of whom was the Prophet Muhammad.
* Belief in the revealed Books such as the Torah, Psalms, Gospel, and Qur'an.
* Belief in Allah's Angels.
* Belief in the Life after Death and in the Last Day of Judgment.
* Belief in Allah's Absolute Sovereignty. All things happen with the permission and will of Allah.
The Five Principles (Pillars) of Islam
* Profession of the Faith: There is no god but One God, Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of God.
* Ritual Worship: five times a day -- at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and night. Before praying Muslims perform ablutions, a ritual of washing. In their worship-prayer they face Mecca and prostrate themselves before God.
Alms: the obligation to share wealth for charitable purposes, especially widows, orphans, the poor and needy.
# Fasting: one of the most rigorous disciplines. Required only during the month of Ramadan if a person is able. Nothing enters the mouth from dawn until shortly after sunset.
# Pilgrimage (Hajj): obligatory journey once in a lifetime to the Ka'bah (House of God built by Abraham and Ishmael) in Mecca for those physically and financially able.
Islamic Holy Days
Ramadan: According to the Islamic tradition, God commanded the Prophet Muhammad and Muslims to fast during the ninth lunar month when the Qur'an was revealed to him. All devout Muslims fast during this month and celebrate a holiday at its end called Eid al-Fitr; the Feast of Breaking Fast.
Eid-al-Adha: The month of the Hajj begins seventy days after Ramadan. During this month Muslims who are able make the pilgrimage to Mecca in memory of the sacrifice God provided Abraham in place of his son.
What is Jihad?
The Arabic word jihad does not mean "holy war," but rather to strive to live in obedience and service to God Alone. Muslims speak of jihad as both an inner spiritual struggle and an outer striving to bring society into conformity with God's will, to struggle "in the path of God" or to "make God's cause succeed" (Qur'an 9:40). In the Qur'an, jihad is connected with the imperative to command good and forbid evil (3:104, 110), especially with reference to the struggle of believers against persecution and idolatry. When this struggle takes the form of warfare, the Qur'an speaks not simply of jihad, but of qital (killing). Jihad is, therefore, not simply equivalent to "holy war," though the struggle of believers may include war under certain conditions.
What Can You Do?
* Pray for Muslims and Muslim Nations.
* Explore local study opportunities.
* Support your chruch and missionaries who work with Muslims. Invite them to share in letters and visits.
* Listen and share respectfully with Muslims.
* Challenge derogatory comments about Muslims.
* Offer hospitality to Muslims new to your community.
* Visit local mosques, contacting leaders beforehand.
* Foster friendships with Muslim neighbors.
* Support relief work in Muslim countries
Source Extracted from Globe Mission
Growth of Islam and World Religions
According to statistics from the U.N., Islam is now the worlds second largest religion after Christianity. The U.N. statistics state that the Islam annual growth rate of Islam is around 6.40% compared to 1.46% during the same time period for Christianity. Also according to these statistics, one in five people on the planet are Muslim (by birth or geographical reference).
Other statistics from the U.N.:
Islam in North America since 1989 increased 25%
Islam in Africa since 1989 increased 2.15%
Islam in Asia since 1989 increased 12.57%
Islam in Europe since 1989 increased 142.35%
Islam in Latin America since 1989 decreased -4.73%
and Islam in Australia since 1989 increased 257.01%
Major Religions of the World
Christian - 2,038,905,000 - 32% (dropping)Roman Catholics - 1,076,951,000Protestants - 349,792,000Orthodox - 217,522,000Anglicans - 81,663,000Other - 537,135,000Muslims - 1,226,403,000 - 19% (growing)Hindus - 828,130,000 - 13% (stable)Chinese folk religionists - 389,543,000 - 6%Buddhists - 364,014,000 - 6% (stable)Sikhs - 23,821,000 - < 1%Jews - 14,535,000 - < 1%
Muslims in the Middle East
Middle East Population (estimate - 2007) (An often used version of Middle East, includes Cyprus, Turkey, and Egypt. In some cases, the Middle East is extended to include countries in North Africa with clear connection to Islam, like Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia. We do not use the extended version on our site - check the Africa categories for more details.)
Bahrain: 738,874
Egypt: 78,887,007 (July 2006 estimate)
Iran: 70,431,905
Iraq: 27,162,627
Israel: 7,237,384 + 3,070,228 Palestinians
Jordan: 5,375,307
Kuwait: 2,730,603
Lebanon: 4,556,561
Oman: 2,452,234
Qatar: 824,355
Saudi Arabia: 24,069,943
Syria: 19,514,386
United Arab Emirates: 3,981,978
Yemen: 21,306,342
TOTAL Middle East Population: 272,339,734 million. 9 out of 10 Muslims in the Middle East don’t know any Christians.
Muslims in Europe
The Rise of Eurabia?
A Challenge to European churches!
Today presence of Islam been felt so deeply in
in the land of the infidels.
In the
several thousand Moluccans, former Yugoslav Muslims, Somalis, Iranians, Afghans and Iraqis. There are 18 mosques in
In
In
in
In the
1.5 million South Asians in
In
In
Muslims comprise 1.5% of the 4.3 million Norwegians. The highest concentration of Muslims in
In
and a large number of Muslim organizations.
Conclusion
The statistics mentioned above are merely illustrative of the quantitative growth of Islam in
(Extraction from various Newsletters by Sabir Ali)
Muslims in Asia
The largest and most populous continent or region is Asia. It covers 8.6% of the Earth’s total surface area, or 29.4% of its land area, and it contains more than 60% of the world’s population.
Most of the world’s Muslims live in Asia. After Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have the world’s highest Muslim populations. Islam spread to South Central and East Asia mostly through merchants and mystical Sufis.
As you can see on the right, we have several categories to include all Asian countries. We also have subcategories for India and Indonesia.
Muslims in the America’s
The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere consisting of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions including 35 independent countries. The Americas cover 8.3% of the Earth’s total surface area (28.4% of its land area) and contain about 14% of the population.
South America has an area of 17,840,000 km² (6,890,000 sq mi), or almost 3.5% of the Earth’s surface. As of 2005, its population was estimated at more than 371,000,000.
North America’s population was estimated at over 518,575,000 in early 2007 which includes Central America. (The USA and Canada population is around 331,600,000.) It is unclear just how many Muslims are represented in the America’s and estimates vary considerably.
Muslims in Africa
890,000,000 million people or about 14% of the world’s population live in 61 countries and territories throughout Africa.
Pray with us for these African countries. Muslims represent 41.3% of the population in Africa, growing at a rate of 2.5% per year (mainly as a result of having large families). Islam first spread from the Middle East to North Africa and then eventually towards the south.
You can also search for Muslim People Groups such as: Beja, Dioula, Fulani, Gorane, Gypsies, Harar, Juba Arabs, Kabyle, Lebou, Maba, Myab, Nubian, Saharawi, Saho, Songhai, Soninke, Souss Berbers, Teda, Toucouleur, Tuaregs, Tuareg in Sahara, Worodougou, Yao and so forth.
Muslim Populations around the world
- Demographics: One fifth of the world population is statistically Islam. Muslims are the majority in 52 nations.
* 3-11 million Muslims in the Americas (estimates vary greatly)- 5-8 million Muslims in Canada and the United States- 1-3 million Muslims in Latin America
* 84 million Muslims in Europe (including Turkey)- 10 million Muslims in Western Europe, mostly in the UK, France, Germany- 7 million Muslims in the Balkans, mostly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Albania and Republic of Macedonia- 67 million Muslims in Turkey
* 284 million Muslims in the Middle East or Arab League
* 254 million Muslims in Sub-Saharan Africa
* 103 million Muslims in Central Asia- 49 million Muslims in the former republics of the Soviet Union: Central Asia - in Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan- 26 million Muslims in Russia- 28 million Muslims in Afghanistan
* 450 million Muslims in South Asia- 156 million Muslims in Pakistan- 127 million Muslims in Bangladesh- 174 million Muslims in India
* 289 million Muslims in East Asia- 30 million Muslims in China- 209 million Muslims in Indonesia (the largest National Muslim community in the world)- 30 million Muslims in the rest of South-East Asia, especially Malaysia and Brunei.- Small populations in Japan, Mongolia, North Korea or the South Pacific
* Over 1.5 billion in total
The World Factbook 2006 estimates the world has about 6,525,170,264 billion people. Of those, 1.4 billion people, 20.12% are Muslims. Other estimates for 2006 put the Muslim population at about 1.6 billion people.
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