One of the primary ways God is drawing Muslims to Himself is through simple Bible studies that highlight passages of scripture from Creation through the Resurrection. The Waha app contains many story sets that have been translated into dozens of languages. Throughout the 30 days we will pray through these story sets that reveal Jesus, the Word made flesh.
As you read these familiar passages, prayerfully imagine what it would be like to read them for the first time – to see the wisdom, power, beauty, and authority of God and to be drawn to trust in Christ and yield your allegiance to Him.
But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Isaiah 9 describes a heroic Savior who comes to bring light and peace where there was death, captivity, and darkness. He will reign as the perfect king, full of justice and righteousness. We see the initial fulfillment of this prophecy in Luke 1 as God’s plan for this Savior begins to unfold. God sends an angelic messenger to announce the upcoming birth of a humble human baby, Jesus. While fully human, the baby carried by Mary was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and was the Son of God.
Humanity is separated from God, walking in darkness. Our Creator God sees our great need and, instead of abandoning us, He draws near, offering us the gift of His only Son. The Light enters the world in a most unexpected way. He becomes one of us.
God, we know that we are not who You created us to be. We are separated from You with no hope of accessing You on our own. We stumble in the darkness, slaves to our sins and hurting one another. We praise You for being the King above all, the One who came down to us and gave us hope, destroying what holds us captive and making us holy. We ask that this land would learn who You are and what You did for us, because You came to set them free, as well.
The Qur’an denies the Divine Sonship of Christ and the concept of the Trinity. These concepts are common Muslim arguments against Christianity. However, when the Holy Spirit opens eyes, understanding can break through.
Majid had been listening to the witness of a Christian friend and was thinking through his testimony that Jesus was God, come to earth, One with the Father and the Holy Spirit. As he processed aloud he said, “If I believe God is with me here in my city, and at the same time with my mother in the countryside, I recognize that He is not bound to one place. God the Father can be in heaven and God the Son, Jesus, can be on earth, and God the Spirit can live in us. There are not three gods. There is one God, not bound by place. Just as you can hear an audio message and say, ‘This is so-and-so’s voice…’ Jesus is the Spoken Word sent from God that we might hear Him.” Majid declared his faith in Jesus that very evening.
Christians play a key role in showing Muslims, who are walking in darkness, the bright light of Christ in them.
1 Corinthians 2:6-16 describes the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory: “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” Yet, “these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit.” Paul explains that, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” He concludes, “‘For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”
Pray that the Lord will reveal to Muslims the mystery that can only be understood by revelation of the Spirit of God. Ask that they would find peace in recognizing we cannot fully understand God’s mind, yet rejoice that through Christ we are given the mind of Christ.