Looking Forward & Praying

Looking back on what God has done over 30 years, and considering the current state of the world, gives us some ideas about what might happen in the next decade for global Christian witness among Muslims.

With these, and other, potential developments there will be a need for increased trust and hope in a future of promise.

On the night of March 11, 1812, in Serampore, India, a devastating fire ripped through a warehouse. In a few hours, fourteen language translations of the New Testament were destroyed with no backups, twelve hundred reams of paper and other invaluable manuscripts were also lost. Fortunately, the printing press was saved and within days legendary missionaries, William Carey, Joshua Marshman, and William Ward were back at work translating.

These men and their co-workers would go on to publish thirty-eight language translations of the New Testament. Their work was also an inspiration for Henry Martyn in Patna and his first translation into Urdu of the New Testament for Muslims. For Carey and friends, a horrible fire did not stop them. Nor did countless other losses including loved ones, misunderstandings, crippling of the work by British authorities, sickness, death and much more. In fact, at a particularly low point of Carey’s life in Serampore, perhaps after this fire, he was said to declare ‘The future is as bright as the promises of God’.

No matter what the 2020’s hold, trusting in a future as bright as the promises of God will be needed as we pursue in prayer for Muslims around the world.

More Ways to Pray

• Pray for the global increase of Muslim background believers following Jesus and taking more leadership in global Christianity.
• Pray for those who face increased persecution, that these believers and other witnesses to the Christian faith would stay strong.
• Ask God for continued movements for reconciliation among Muslims and Christians.
• Pray for the mobilization of Christians called to share their faith locally and globally with Muslims.
• And pray for greater global instability due to conflict and environmental changes.