Sensitive to the Spirit

When I first met my daughter’s Muslim friend Rana, I learned she was full of surprises. Despite her traditional appearance, she always had bold, new opinions to share, as well as many questions and doubts about Islam.

Rana’s inquisitive nature quickly led to conversations about Christ, and she wanted to know everything about Him. Even after she committed to following Jesus, Rana’s quest for knowledge continued. She was determined to grow in her blossoming faith.

She often stayed behind after our Bible study ended, sometimes keeping the discussions about God’s Word going for hours.

But one evening, I returned to the living room to find Rana pacing. It was clear that something was troubling our young sister in the Lord.

My wife asked kindly, “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” She gestured toward the sofa. “Please, sit down.”

“I can’t stay long.” Rana sighed. “I was invited to attend the church downtown, and I want to go. They have more people my age there.”

My wife smiled. “Is that all? You had me worried.”

“You’re not angry?” Rana turned from my wife to me. “Really?”

I shook my head. I preferred our intimate gatherings to more structured services, but I also knew the Gospel was preached there.

“This is your faith,” I said. “You have to follow where the Holy Spirit is directing you. And we can’t wait to hear about it.”

 I cannot wait to see how many hearts turn to Christ because of her faithfulness.

The next week, Rana stopped by our house. Over tea, she recounted every detail of her first service, cataloguing every flickering candle and vividly describing the building.

A few weeks later she stopped by again, sharing more about the people she had met. But as months went by, her summaries shortened, until one day she again stood before my wife and me in our living room.

“I’m not sure that church is the best place for me,” Rana said. “It’s nice, but I learn more about what it means to be a follower of Jesus from studying the Bible with you. I’ve prayed about it, and I think I’m supposed to stay with your home church.”

She paused for a moment, then smiled brightly. “I’ve started sharing the Good News with my mother as well as some friends, like you encouraged me to. If they agree to learn more, I want them to come here. It’s small, but it reminds me of the church in Acts. It’s beautiful.”

We were overjoyed to see Rana’s sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading and the way she followed Jesus as closely as she could. We believe God will bless her efforts and use her to accomplish great things. Already, she is becoming a disciple who makes disciples, and we cannot wait to see how many hearts turn to Christ because of her faithfulness.

Orar:

• Praise God for sending laborers to the Muslim world, and ask Him to raise up more.
• Ask the Lord to continue increasing the number of Muslim men and women who are responding to the Gospel.
• Pray for Muslim-background believers to cling to God’s Word and to share the Good News with boldness.