Stories of the Sent: A Muslim Woman Seeks Hope

The air was heavy with humidity as we walked along the boardwalk next to the oblong lake in an urban South Asian center. There were three of us, one local and two foreigners, all united in surrender and a shared desire to share the gospel.

After twenty minutes of walking on the sparsely occupied sidewalk, we still hadn’t had the chance to talk to anyone. Earlier, we had asked the Lord to lead us to someone He had prepared to hear the good news. One foot in front of the other, our prayers kept going up, one after another.

Then, before I even knew it, He answered that request.

“Salaam aliykum,” I said to a twenty-something girl with a blue hijab sitting on a bench.

“Wa aliykum salaam,” she responded, a smile painted across her face. After that exchange of words of peace, it only took a matter of minutes before the conversation drifted into spiritual topics.

The Muslim holiday of Korbani Eid was just a few days away. On this holy day, Muslims around the world perform a sacrifice in remembrance of the prophet Abraham and his obedience to Allah. If they are wealthy, that usually means a cow. If not, it might mean a goat or a sheep. Either way, on this day of sacrifice, the streets run red.

To celebrate the holiday, many people leave the city for their village homes. There they will spend time with their families, fulfilling their religious duties and demonstrating their devotion and submission to Allah. As a young college student, Hope was no exception.

She shared her plans to take a bus back to her village the next day. Out of curiosity, I asked how she intended to celebrate the holiday. I was hoping that in her answer I might find a bridge to share the good news with her.

However, her response was not what I expected.
“I have distanced myself from the religion of my family,” she said.

She didn’t spend those minutes explaining the Muslim practices during Korbani Eid. Instead, she shared about her search for truth that had gone on for years. Books like the Ramayana—about the Hindu pantheon—and the way of the Buddha had occupied her free time. Yet, she was still unable to find what she was looking for.

Hope added, “I don’t know a lot about Christianity, though.”

My heart almost skipped a beat. It was as if God was saying, “Here she is. She is ready. Share with her the true story of my Son.”

During our long conversation, all three of us shared the story of Jesus. Her response was one I had never heard so clearly in all my time in South Asia: “I am very interested in learning more.” It was as if her eyes were filled with the hunger and thirst for righteousness that Jesus talks about in Matthew 5. She was longing and looking for the One who would satisfy her soul.

Then we spent time reading a story about Jesus from the Injeel Sharif—the New Testament. She had her first experience searching the Scriptures for the truth about a man she had only heard about sparingly in her Muslim upbringing.

Now, Hope continues to spend time with Anna*, a national believer who was there that afternoon. God is continuing to work in her life as she reads the New Testament and attends a local gathering of believers.

I know Hope’s story is not unique in this part of the world. There are many Muslims, especially young people, who have grown disillusioned with Islam. Hope had witnessed the fruit of a life surrendered to the god of the Qur’an, and she knew it could not be the true way.

Stories like this stir an affectionate awe for the God who is at work in the lives of people often considered too resistant to the gospel—even enemies of Christians. In light of this, God calls us further into wonder at who He is and deeper compassion for the lost. Here are two takeaways I hope we will seriously consider.

God is doing a work in South Asia among Muslims. Though this region has been only marginally engaged throughout much of mission history, through the faithful prayers and labors of many, God is turning the hearts of believers toward their lost Muslim neighbors and bringing many Muslims to Himself. Even so, may it be that many more come to know of the blood that ran red for them on Calvary.

Prayer is the foundational work and also the unrelenting work of the disciple of Christ. Just as God answered our prayers that day by leading us to speak with Hope, may that be fuel to keep the fire of our hearts burning, to continue praying persistently and with faith.

Pray for the work of the Holy Spirit to establish healthy, multiplying churches among South Asian Muslims—all for His glory.

Pray for Hope: that she would come to faith in Christ and follow after Him fiercely.

Additionally, here are a couple of prayer resources for ongoing, strategic, and specific prayer in South Asia and around the world:

• https://pray4digital.com/prayasap/list
• https://www.imb.org/prayerpoints/

May He be glorified in the faithful prayers of His saints!