E-Connected Archive - Autumn 2008
Going on our knees
A significant movement is gaining momentum today:
prayer FOR the Muslim world from INSIDE the Muslim world
Although the concept of churches and individuals in ‘sending’ countries praying for the Muslim world is not new, what is new is that an intentional, concerted commitment to corporate prayer for the Muslim world is now rising up from inside the Muslim world. This is taking place among the three main strands of the Body of Christ: national Christians, expatriate ‘sent’ workers, and emerging Muslim-background fellowships.
The oldest strand is the national churches - Christian minorities that have existed in this part of the world for millennia. Believers who have long been intimidated and persecuted for their faith have been standing before God and crying out for Him to move in mercy upon their nation. This is 2 Chronicles 7:14 prayer that in humility asks God to heal their land.
The results here have been powerful - hearts filled with love for Muslims where there was previously bitterness and hatred, increased receptivity among Muslim neighbours and teams sharing the message of Jesus. Fellowships of Muslim-background believers have been planted, all through young believers whose hearts have been ignited in love and boldness through prayer.
The second strand is workers sent from other countries to spread the Gospel. They have also been moving into a more intimate and intentional posture of prayer. This is Acts 6:4 prayer - the supplication of those who give themselves continually to prayer even as they diligently proclaim the message of Christ.
Across the Muslim world, an increasing number of teams that engage significantly in prayer have been seeing noteworthy fruit. In one city in Southeast Asia, for example, a team that had not seen a single person come to Christ in 15 years of ministry committed themselves to engage in sustained prayer. Within three years over 500 new believers were gathered in a network of house fellowships in the city.
The final strand is the emerging body of Muslim-background believers. Although the numbers are still relatively small, the dynamic power that will be released as they gather to pray will be intense. This will be Acts 4:29-30 prayer that considers the threats arrayed against them and asks for boldness and the release of miracles. There will be a spiritual earthquake released as this strand rises into prayer in the coming few years.
Already there are foretastes of what is to come. In one North African country, believers in one city who pray are seeing over 100 new believers baptised each month, even in the midst of clear persecution.
God loves all three strands of His body in the Muslim world! He longs for each one to partner with Him to bring about His Kingdom, and has decreed that prayer be one of the key means of partnership between us and Him. As His people turn to Him in prayer inside the Muslim world, and as the prayers of the worldwide Body of Christ are added to that, expect unprecedented results in the coming few years!
Paul Hill
A Team Leader in the Middle East
- > Paul and his wife Lucy will be teaching at our November conference
‘Going on our knees’. For further details click here.
It is all too easy to become focused on the task and overlook the spiritual dimension of this work. Redressing this balance was the turning point for a team in South Asia.
Seventeen years ago, after over a decade of serving in Asia, my wife and I joined Frontiers and changed our focus to reaching an unreached Muslim people group. Having seen little fruit before, we adopted the ‘upper room’ approach and waited in prayer for the Holy Spirit to move.
God did many things during the early years, continuing to encourage us that this was the right path even though there did not seem to be any tangible results. However, after 12 years the Holy Spirit began to do just the things He had led us to pray. He told us millions would come to Christ starting with leaders first and that it would begin at a specific place. In faith we prayed these things forth. The first baptism was of a 60 year old Muslim fundamentalist leader who lived less than a mile from the spot where the Spirit said it was to begin.
Many more have started to follow Jesus as believing Muslim leaders have been winning their circle of family and friends. The Holy Spirit has told us not to count, so we don’t actually know whether there are 300 believers or 3000. This is still not the millions promised; so what are we doing? Of course, we are using every opportunity in the natural to join God in His great work, but we must continue the ‘mountain top and upper room’ approach to finish the task.
A Team leader in South Asia