The Month of Ramadan begins at sundown Wednesday and for the next 30 days, Muslims around the globe are more focused on their spiritual life and behavior. There is another global movement that is having a significant influence, as Christians join in 30 days of prayer for Muslims to come to know Christ. We’ll discover how Muslims are learning about Jesus, how to gently and courageously share our faith, and learn how to pray for God’s Kingdom advance with Crescent Project director Fouad Masri.
In Fouad’s book, Connecting with Muslims, he describes the interaction the Church should have with those who don’t share our faith.
Highlight – Using the Bible to start a conversation
“We’re not asking them to become Republicans or Democrats. We’re asking them to take Jesus into their hearts. That’s the struggle we’re seeing… Jesus wants Palestinians, He wants Israelis, to be part of His family.”
Fouad lists a number of ways we can interact with our Muslim neighbors:
Respect them.
The Muslim faith is high on honor and respect – see them as fellow image bearers of God.
Go where they are.
Jesus sought out places where people would be willing to talk.
Ask questions and be willing to listen honestly.
Many Muslims believe Christians worship three gods rather than one. Ask them about their holy book and talk about the things we agree on. Muslims are taught that the Christian Bible, or Injeel, has been corrupted over time – invite them to read the Bible for themselves and talk about what they find.
Tell stories.
Serve their “felt needs.”
Fouad points out that when he came to America as an international student, his felt need was friendship. He also needed help getting familiar with the city and the language. “My first week in America, I didn’t know where to shop. It took me a while to understand where to get my groceries, toothpaste, etc.” Fouad points out that ultimately it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to change someone’s heart, and our job to show them the love of Christ.
Download the 30 day prayer guide for Ramadan here.
