Five times a day, Arabic chants fill the streets of the cities we’ve been living in to invite Muslims into the nearby mosques to pray. I often wake up to the sound of the call to prayer for Fajr, the first prayer of the day, which happens at dawn. Personally, I love hearing the call to prayer. It is an auditory reminder to stop and intercede for the Islamic community. God’s heart is that every single person he created would come to know him. 1 Timothy 2:3-4, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God desires that every single nation, tribe, and tongue worship him, and he is delaying the return of Jesus out of a love for his people who have not yet repented.
Freshman year of college, one of my closest friends was a Muslim. We met because we were both student athletes. He carried a joy and lightness like few people I have ever spent time with before. I brought him into the campus ministry I was heavily involved in at the time, and he joined me for countless spiritual conversations and Bible studies. And he invited me to learn about Islam with him. I read chapters out of the Koran, learned the five pillars of Islam, and listened to stories from his experience of being a Muslim. This friend lived a life of kindness, humility, and generosity. I was continuously in awe of his character because I knew he didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus or operate from a filling of the Holy Spirit. Here is the thing. Muslims are kind and honorable people. But they live a life without assurance of salvation. One day, I asked my friend, “If you were to die today, do you think you would go to heaven?” he replied, “I’m about 70% sure, I try to live as a good guy”. I was shocked that he would put so much effort into moral living and not even have complete confidence that it would end in eternal reward. It grew my gratitude for the Lord because he gives us 100% confidence in our salvation through his Word. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” John 10:28-29. Our eternity in heaven isn’t banking on our works but rather on the grace of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Since meeting my friend six years ago, I’ve prayed with faith for his salvation. Believing that God wants to captivate his heart and walk in a relationship with him. I pray that all the questions he asked me about life with Jesus are seeds sown in his heart that will one day bear fruit. However, he has yet to give his life to Christ and is still a devout Muslim. Pray with me for his salvation! I realized as I began to share the gospel in Albania, where the most predominant religion is Islam, that I was struggling to have faith that Muslim’s would give their life to Christ. After spending years on end praying for my friend, I had a hard time believing that God would change a Muslim’s heart to complete salvation. In Albania, I broke off agreement with those lies and started to pray big prayers for people practicing Islam. I walked into the largest mosque in our city as a prayer time began and prayed over the space and individuals entering. Praying that every single Muslim present would have their eyes opened to the love of Jesus in that moment. I prayed that God would reveal Himself to them in visions and dreams. A large number of Muslims who convert to Christianity do so because they experience a vision or dream with the man of Jesus in it. Often, the vision or dream is of Jesus guiding them.
On Friday, our team took a day trip to Kosovo. A country where approximately 95.6% of the population is Muslim. As we crossed the border from North Macedonia to Kosovo on a bus, I visualized the Holy Spirit sweeping over the nation of Kosovo. Praying for God to move and start a revival that only he could do. Later in the day, our team was standing on a street with three mosques. We stopped and prayed as all three megaphones blared the call to prayer. We prayed that God would flip the percentage from 95.6% Muslims to 95.6% Christian Believers in our lifetime. God can do whatever he wants and we are believing that God wants Muslims to walk in right relationship with himself. God loves the Balkans and he loves every single Muslim living here.
Join with me in praying bold prayers for Muslims to give their lives to Christ. Download a call to prayer app or set timers on your phone to serve as an auditory reminder. Prayer actually does something because that is how kind God is!
Grace
Videos of a call of prayer at the mosques in Albania and Kosovo:
You are showing the heart of Jesus. I certainly will add your prayer requests to mine. I also pray that you will see a conversion take place.
Love this! Thank you for sharing your powerful perspective! I’m joining you in prayer for your friend & Albania. What a gift it is to partner with you in prayer. I read Exodus 1-3 yesterday and marveled at Chapter 3, Moses talking with God; “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry”. This is over 400 years of cries, BUT he heard and delivered! Your prayers are for right now and what’s to come. No prayer is wasted. I am so proud of you. Thank you for tilling the soil of Albania through prayer. What a gift to join you in this blessing!