Muslims Turning to Christ in Middle East

Islamic State has been filling the headlines for a long time and filling the hearts of many people in the Middle East with fear. But, in the midst of all this, the church is showing the love of Christ to those who have fled their homes and Muslims in the Middle East are turning to Jesus in unprecedented numbers.

Amir*, Rasha* and their two children fled to Lebanon from Homs. The life of this family was and is still hard, but recently they found light in their life.

“About three months ago, I was given a vision of Jesus Christ,” Rasha shares. “I was sleeping and all of a sudden I saw Jesus Christ in white. He said ‘I am Christ. You will have a beautiful daughter.’ I was eight months pregnant, and a month later we received our beautiful daughter.”

At about the same time Amir also had a dream. “I saw Jesus Christ. He was dressed in white. He said to me ‘I am your Saviour. You will follow me.’”

Both Amir and Rasha made a bold decision after these dreams. “We decided to follow Him. We named our baby Christina. We left our old Islamic customs.” Amir stopped going to the mosque, but Rasha still dresses as a Muslim woman with her head covered by a veil. “Our clan is very big; we’re afraid now. They might kill us,” says Rasha.

Amir continues: “Our family knows we are Christians now. Becoming a Christian is, for them, the same as if I had destroyed the Kaaba in Saudi Arabia. It is because we walked in the darkness and are now in the light. I want to protect my family.”

Back home in Syria, Amir worked as a carpenter. “I have no work in Lebanon. Our financial situation is bad. Now, because we are Christians, others don’t want to help us. The church is helping as much as is possible.”

Gesturing with their hands and faces, they say they don’t know what the future will bring. “The most important thing is that we know Jesus Christ as our Saviour. He will save us. We regularly pray to the Lord, we freely worship Him, and He protects us. God is with us. God will resolve our situation.”

* not their real names.

• Give thanks for the many Muslims across the Middle East, like Amir and Rasha, who are making decision to follow Christ.
• Pray for this family, and for all Muslim Background Believers, for protection for them and their families, and for good resources to disciple these new believers.
• Pray for the Church in the Middle East, to continue to reach out with compassion to refugees, and to share the love of Christ in ways that will continue to open many eyes and hearts to the truth of Jesus.
• Pray for peace in Syria and Iraq, and a turning around of these nation to restoration, healing and hope, and to know the God who loves them.

Psalm 39 vs 39: “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their refuge in the time of trouble.”

Source: https://www.opendoorsusa.org