Trekking into West Java, Indonesia. (Photo by Rendy Bayutrilaksono, C4C Indonesia)
We’ve learned a lot about Islam over the past 30 days. We’ve shared some of the basic beliefs of Muslims as well as a few bridges and barriers we face in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them. We’ve also seen some personal stories and read about beautiful relationships that God has blessed Climbing For Christ to be a part of.
Our hope is that Project Prayer: Ramadan 2017 has informed and inspired your prayers and your witness.
That said, Islam can be incredibly intimidating. Perhaps you’ve joined us in this series of emails over the last month and feel that God is calling you to share your faith, yet you still feel totally inadequate. If that’s the case, I’d like to share a little encouragement:
God can use you! God will use you, if you’ll just open your heart and open your mouth.
Last week, as we concluded a C4C staff study on Nik Ripken’s The Insanity of Obedience, one phrase jumped off the page at me (maybe it was so I could share it with you today). Nik shared a story about some Westerners who traveled to a very restrictive country. He writes: “Though very new to the whole persecuted world, they did their best in a hostile setting. Though doing their best, they were arrested by Islamic fundamentalists and placed in a primitive prison. Western media, even some Christian organizations, turned on these young women, blaming them for their persecution at the hands of the fundamentalists!”
The story he shares could parallel you and me, in an effort to be obedient to the Great Commission to share Jesus with this lost world, jumping into the deep end of the pool. Suddenly, we feel we’re in over our heads and wonder if we made the right decision. We can sometimes fear mistakes. We can fear offending those we’re trying to reach. We can fear not having the right words or the right answers or the right timing. We can wonder if God can really use us.
Nik goes on in his story: “Even if we make mistakes in our witness, we must remember that the only witness God cannot use is no witness!”
Satan wants us to doubt ourselves. He wants us to be fearful. He wants us to keep quiet. Again, our hope is that God is moving in your life and stirring your heart to share His truth with those around you – particularly followers of Islam.
In the days ahead may we all remember, “the only witness God cannot use is no witness.”
And on this final day of C4C’s Project Prayer: Ramadan 2017, let’s pray together, with one voice:
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your heart for all people. Thank You for Your heart for Muslim people. May all of us have hearts to share the Good News of our gracious God. We pray, Lord, that all that we’ve read and learned over the last month would be used to enhance our ability to discuss the truth with followers of Islam. We want to point them to You, and to no other! Remove anything and everything that would hinder us, and please give us the boldness to simply open our hearts and our mouths to our Muslim neighbors and friends.
And we pray that You would soften and stir their hearts. May Your truth be a lamp and a light to their path. By Your Holy Spirit may You draw many to their knees as they declare their belief in the Saving Son of God! We ask these things for our Muslim neighbors and friends here and abroad.
Above all things, may the name of Jesus be lifted and glorified in every place and among every people – starting right here with me.
In Jesus’ name, amen. 