Archives for 2010

In Islam normal daily prayer is a focused ritual exercise which is an expression of worship and honour toward Allah. Muslims do not expect to deeply know God or hear His voice. Personal requests are possible in Islam, but the formal ritual prayers are definitely the most important prayer activity for Muslims.

Toward noon today thousands of Kho in Pakistan will be praying in their local mosques. Many will think that their prayer should earn them merit before God. This people group numbers about 320,000 people. There are no known believers. No one is seeking specifically to reach them at the present time. The Kho appear to be very resistant to the Gospel. Most of them live in the upper valleys, where farming is very difficult due to the dry, rugged mountain terrain. The heart language of the Kho is Khowar.

Prayer Starters:

• Ask the Lord specifically for breakthroughs among the Kho people, and that they will ponder questions like ‘Does God still speak today?’
• Also ask God to send labourers to this difficult harvest for long-term ministry among the tribes of northern Pakistan.
• Pray that the Kho people will receive dreams and visions of Jesus.
• Remember that Pakistan is going through a VERY difficult time just now, our prayers will make a difference.

Video Prayer / Faith Fuel:

Reaching Asia’s Muslims

Most Jola have never heard any of the stories about Jesus and the Kingdom of God from the Bible, but many of them are willing to listen. About 560,000 Jola people live across three countries in West Africa (Senegal, the Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau). Most Jola people maintain various degrees of the traditional animistic beliefs and practices, including the fear of witchcraft, evil spirits, and curses.

The Jola have no caste-type system, all are considered to be equals. Families are large and fiercely loyal to one another. Many families are polygamous – men often have up to four wives. At present 90% of Jolas claim to be Muslim, with only about 2% Christian.

Prayer Starters:

• Pray that the light of God will shine into the Jola villages and towns. Pray that they will have dreams and visions of Jesus and will trust in Him.
• Pray that chiefs, religious leaders, and elders will follow the Messiah. Pray that local and non-native believers will be able to get the Word of God to all the Jola by various means.
• Bible Translation in Gambia: Three gospels are complete and the rest of the New Testament is being corrected. Pray that God will prepare the Jola to hear the Word in their language, understand it, and believe. Pray for the Gambian translators as they seek to express the gospel clearly in their own language.

Video Prayer / Faith Fuel:

Moshen Testimony

Please pray with us by name for the 25 Indian Muslim people groups comprising 100,000 people who have no known gospel witness.

One example is the Kunjra people living in the Indian state of Bihar, which is one of the most caste-conscious states among Sunni Muslims. Religiously, the Sunni caste system (different from the Hindu caste system) not only assigns social status based on birth, it also generally restricts a person to a traditional occupation or role.

The Kunjra have not rejected the gospel; they have simply never heard it.

Prayer Starters:

• Pray for more information to be learned about the Kunjra and the other people on the list.
• Ask God for committed workers to live among the Kunjra and the other groups and to share the love of Christ with them.
• Ask the Lord to raise up prayer teams for these peoples.
• Lift up in prayer before the throne of grace the different peoples groups, speaking their names: Kunjra 822,140 – Turk 530,187 – Makhmi 469,871 – Sudhan 446,757 – Rawther 682,072 – Bhatiara 259,188 – Mahur 243,687 – Yashkun 235,511 – Bhatia 190,957 – Jhojha 175,779 – Nikari 147,684 – Baloch 129,950 – Molesalam 128,738 – Shaikh (Marathi) 2,429,481 – Shaikh (Marwadi) 1,541,534 – Shaikh (Gujarati) 1,057,975 – Shaikh (Maithili) 774,017 – Shaikh (Magadi) 322,135 – Shaikh (Oriya) 235,524 – Shaikh (Mewari) 151,368 – Shaikh (Konkani) 116,051 – Pathan (Marwadi) 215,895 – Shaikh (Dhundari) 404,463 – Shaikh (Nimadi) 110,046 – Shaikh (Shekhwati) 222,665.

Praying to build ourselves up

Worship: Revelation 4:11 (AMP)

He chose us: Ephesians 1:5 (AMP)

Knowledge of God’s will: Colossians 1:10 (AMP)

Roll your works upon the Lord: Proverbs 16:3,9 (AMP)

Persons of right character and clear conviction: Colossians 4:12 (AMP)

Hear from God’s own mouth: Acts 22:14 (AMP)

We have the mind of Christ: 1 Corinthians 2:16 (AMP)

Video Prayer / Faith Fuel

The half-million Bahrainis are descended from a mixture of indigenous peoples and settlers from the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Some tensions exist between the poorer Shia Islamic majority, and the politically-dominant Sunni minority, and between the Arab and Persian background inhabitants.

Hans (not his real name) is a Christian and successful business man in Bahrain. He wants to stay but would also love to live somewhere he, his wife and young son could freely worship Jesus without harassment from relatives. For now he has chosen to stay since the government presently demonstrates a good level of tolerance towards believers. It is unclear how long these freedoms will last.

Prayer Starters:

• Bahraini believers like Hans need daily courage as they follow the Lord, in the face of family and community hostility. Pray for those like him.
• Bahrainis sometimes have opportunities to hear the Gospel through foreign believers and to see their example, but these opportunities need to be multiplied by at least a thousand! Pray for the opening of minds and hearts (Luke 24:32 and Acts 16:14).
• Poorer foreign workers need support and justice; and Bahrainis need courage to address the sins and injustices of their own society.

Additional Prayer Fuel for Today

Praying for Muslims: God’s Character

Muslims believe in the uniqueness of an all powerful and supreme Allah. 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. (Matthew 16:16)

Praying for Muslims: Against Fear

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)

Praying for Muslims: The Relationship with God

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)

Praying for Muslims: Assurance of Salvation

Islam teaches that a person must do enough good deeds to outweigh the bad deeds in order to make it to paradise. 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)

Praying for Muslims: The Work of the Holy Spirit

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)

Video Prayer / Faith Fuel

Nizam Testimony

From August 9th – September 9th 2010 Worldwide Mission Fellowship will be praying that Muslims around the world going through Ramadan will turn to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, this is in conjunction with similar prayer strategies around the world supported by Open Doors and 30 days of Prayer. Our ultimate prayer is for their salvation. The site will be updated daily at 05:45 GMT to coincide with our early morning prayer meeting so you can join us in prayer wherever you are.

Commonly referred to as Muhammad’s favourite wife, Aisha bint Abu Bakr was formally engaged to the Prophet at the age of six. (This practice was not unknown in Arabia at the time). Aisha was Muhammad’s only virgin bride, which some have seen as a divine sign. Aisha did not bear any children.

Sunni Muslims hold her in very high esteem. She is reputed to be the source of many sacred traditions concerning Muhammad (Hadith). When Muhammad was approaching death, he spent his last moments in the company of the 18-year-old Aisha and died with his head in her lap. She remained unmarried until her death during Ramadan. She was 65. Many parents call their daughters Aisha today.

Prayer Starters:

• As we have prayed for the living Khadijahs around the world on Day 13 we can also pray for the living Aishas, who take their name from Mohammed’s favourite wife. Worldwide, they certainly number in the hundreds of thousands.
• Ask God to open doors of opportunity for the living Aishas to hear the traditions and accounts concerning the life of the Messiah and believe in Him.
• Pray for the Aishas that you may know or that you may have heard about. Ask the Lord to reveal himself to them that they might find life in the resurrected King.

NOTE: It is not helpful to accuse Mohammed for having married such a young girl. Ask Muslim friends what they know about Aisha. Say, “I have heard that Mohammed married Aisha at a very young age, what do you know about this?” Let them elaborate on the subject.

Key Scriptures for Salvation:

John 3:16

John 6:37

John 10:10

Romans 3:23

2 Cor 5:19

John 16:8-9

Romans 5:8

John 14:6

Romans 10:9-10

Eph 2:1-10

2 Cor 5:17

John 1:12

2 Cor 5:21

Acts 26:18

Video Prayer / Faith Fuel:

Nabeel Testimony

From August 9th – September 9th 2010 Worldwide Mission Fellowship will be praying that Muslims around the world going through Ramadan will turn to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, this is in conjunction with similar prayer strategies around the world supported by Open Doors and 30 days of Prayer. Our ultimate prayer is for their salvation. The site will be updated daily at 05:45 GMT to coincide with our early morning prayer meeting so you can join us in prayer wherever you are.