Ramadan

Mar 08

Day 9 – Pray For The Perfume Islands

By Brianna Alexander Blog

During Ramadan, we are taking time each day to pray for people in the Muslim world. We are praying that they would hear the Gospel, have access to the Bible, have a divine encounter with Jesus, and be saved. We are also praying for Christians living as the minority in the Muslim world, that they would be protected from persecution, strengthened in their faith, and given opportunities to share the Gospel.

The stories and prayer requests that we are sharing have been taking from World Prayer Guides. You can visit their website (www.WorldPrayerGuides.org) to purchase a printable prayer guide for just $2.50.

Translating The Bible In Their Mother Tongue

Because vanilla, cloves and spices grow here, the Comoros archipelago is also known as the Perfume Islands, with frangipani, jasmine and lemon grass also lending a delightful fragrance. Almost one million people live on the four main islands, which are located between Madagascar and Mozambique. One of them, Mayotte, is a French overseas territory, which is why many Comorians try to reach France via this island. This has led to unrest and conflict. The population lives in poor conditions and is almost exclusively Muslim.

Said is one of the only Christians on the island. Only a few people around him and in his family know Jesus. He wants the Comoros people to get to have the opportunity to read the Word of God and to believe. Together with other believers and missionary societies, he is working on a Bible translation in the local language. This will give people access to the Word of God in their mother tongue, which is crucial to spreading the gospel and enabling a deeper connection to faith.

The unity and dedication behind this collaboration is impressive. The indigenous believers and mission agencies bring their resources, talents and passions to serve God’s mission together.

How Can We Pray?

That the fragrance of God spreads throughout the Perfume Islands and that the people experience Him.
That Christians may live safely and securely.
For Bible translation to progress well, with great unity in the team.

Mar 07

Love0

Day 8 – Pray For Muslims in Sandzak

By Brianna Alexander Blog

The Only Christian in Sandzak

Hamza is sitting in one of the most famous ćevapi restaurants in the Serbian city of Novi Pazar with his foreign friend. People come here to drink coffee and to enjoy the best sausages and a good view of the pedestrian zone. Hamza, however, is here to learn from the Bible. On their mobile phones they read John 8:32 together: “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

After a moment of silence, Hamza says: “That is what my people need. They should recognize Jesus as truth and as light. And then he will free them from the many dark powers and the slavery of money.” And he continues: “God sent you here for me! Without you, I would no longer follow Jesus.”

Sandzak is a historic region in the Balkans that straddles the border of Serbia and Montenegro. As the only known follower of Jesus in the entire region with around 250,000 Muslim residents, Hamza knows life in Sandzak. It is not easy for him to live his faith, but he always draws strength from the Bible. The Muslims in Sandzak are a significant majority locally, but overall, they are a minority in Serbia and Montenegro. Thirty years after the war, they are still discriminated against. This is one of the reasons why many Muslims here are very religious and devout. In the city of Novi Pazar alone, there are over 60 mosques, three Koran schools and an Islamic university for future religious teachers and imams.

How To Pray

That more Muslims from Sandzak will recognise Jesus as the truth and follow him.
That the people of Sandzak would recognise the light of Jesus to be stronger than all the dark powers that they have experienced.
For more workers and new ideas on how to reach the Muslims of Sandzak.

Mar 04

Love0

Day 5 – Pray For Muslims in Zanzibar

By Brianna Alexander Blog

Fantastic beaches, picturesque sunsets and a natural paradise attract thousands upon thousands of tourists to the popular island archipelago of Zanzibar every year. They make a stark contrast to the local Zanzibaris, who are 99 % Muslim. Deeply entangled in folk Islam and occultism, they try to distance themselves from the influence of the Western world through their religion and traditions. Jesus speaks into this bondage and conflict and calls Zanzibaris to follow Him.

Mansour experienced that through Isa al-Masih (Jesus, the Messiah) he was set free from evil spirits and demonic burdens. Curious, he and his family watched LUMO films about the life of Jesus, and they began reading the Injil (New Testament). They decided to follow Jesus into a life of light and freedom. Mansour’s father-in-law in the south of the island heard that his daughter had been set free by Jesus – something that all magicians had failed to do so far. A group of seekers are now meeting there, too, to learn more about Jesus in the Injil. The first life changes through the Holy Spirit can be seen, and some are ready to be baptized.

Ways To Pray

That the young believers would take courageous steps of obedience and not allow themselves to be prevented from doing so by rumors circulating about baptism.
That Jesus would answer their prayers when they pray in His name for the sick and burdened.
For supernatural protection and care for the believers, who are now increasingly disadvantaged and persecuted by religious leaders and neighbours.

We are praying for different Mulsim people groups around the world during the 30 days of Ramadan. The stories and prayer requests shared here are taken from World Prayer Guides. Please consider making a donation to them or purchasing a printable guide to suppor their ministry.

Mar 03

Love0

Day 4 – Pray For The Kazakhs from China

By Brianna Alexander Blog

Today is the 4th day of Ramadan. As Muslims around the world take time to pray, The Global Mission is taking time to pray for them, to pray for their salvation and deliverance. We would love for you to pray with us and to search for opportunities to share your testimony and the gospel with Muslims in your life.

All stories and prayer requests are taken from World Prayer Guides. You can purchase a printable prayer guide from their website.

The Story

Tolkyn grew up in a big city in eastern China, though his people consider the northwest of the country to be their home area. Despite not being especially religious or traditional, he considers himself a Muslim. Like many younger generation Kazakhs, he’s living abroad. Work, study, family connections, and immigration are common reasons for this phenomenon.

Kazakhs who travel out of China tend to be ambitious and prize worldly wisdom. Having escaped many limitations by coming out of their country, they recognize the relative freedom they’re enjoying. At least some of their dreams are coming true, though their happiness is often mixed with heartache over separation from relatives still in China.

Tolkyn is pursuing advanced studies and thinking seriously about marriage to his girlfriend, Saule. Through Saule, he met some Jesus-followers in the city where he lives. He had read some of John’s gospel in Chinese years ago, but it didn’t make much of an impression on him. Saule’s friends, however, in a conversation about how a husband and wife relate to each other in marriage, brought up the passage in Ephesians 5 where it says, “Husbands, love your wives…” This really made Tolkyn think. The fact that this scripture was in Kazakh, and not some other language, also got his attention— so much so that he got a copy of the Bible in Kazakh for himself.

Ways To Pray

For Kazakhs living abroad to feel a longing to know their Creator that nothing else (education, career, money, emigration, even family) can satisfy.
For them to meet Jesus-followers along their paths in pursuit of worldly ambitions.
That Kazakhs would have the opportunity and desire to read scripture, and that they would receive understanding through the Holy Spirit.