Hamit was born into an Albanian Muslim family. He thought that by fasting and doing good deeds he could find salvation, but these were things he practiced only out of obligation to his parents. He felt nothing in his heart but instead wondered, “why we are here in this world and what is the purpose of life?”
One day when he was 17 years old, Hamit left school hungry and went to buy himself a sandwich. It was wrapped in paper which he looked at curiously. He realized that the sandwich was wrapped in a page from the Bible! The man who sold the sandwich was an old Communist who invited him to his house for a coffee. Hamit went to his home, and the old man started to speak out negatively against the faith.
When Hamit asked to use the toilet, he found that instead of toilet paper, the man had placed the pages of the Bible there. Shocked that the old pages of a holy book were in the bathroom, Hamit took them, hiding them under his clothes, so the old man wouldn’t notice.
Later, at home, when Hamit began to read the pages of the Bible, he began to understand that God loves him. John 3:16 became his favourite verse. He decided to believe this love and take it into his heart. He began to search for other people who could believe the same as the Bible. He found a church where the pastor there led him in a prayer. Hamit beams:
“As soon as I finished praying, I felt that a heavy stone had moved from my heart and I felt joy.”
How to Pray
- Pray for many Albanian Muslims to hear the Good News and come to faith in Jesus.
- Pray that Albanians who have come to faith since the fall of Communism would become grounded in the Word.
- Pray for unity between churches and that believers would be known for their love.
- Pray that the many Muslim missionaries who are in Albania from other countries would actually fall in love with Jesus instead.
God bless you