Hidden Faith
"Nicodemus came to Jesus at night." - John 3
PRAISE:
We are so excited over the new believer we recently came in contact with from Saudi Arabia! He is a young man that is so keen to know more about Jesus.
PETITION:
Many believers from expat congregations in our country are eager to learn how to reach out to the local Muslim population. Please pray for the teams who are training them, and for the many groups meeting weekly to learn how to share their faith effectively.
Please pray for a local man in our area affiliated with the secret police, who formerly hated and persecuted Christian workers. He asked for a Bible and since has been a changed person. We suspect he is a secret believer, due to the joy we now see in him and his eagerness for Christian contact and materials.
Pray for the Christian media production that is happening in Qatar at the moment and for the distribution at the Asian Games.
Pray for the deep shame that many Qatari's feel because they themselves are saying that the country is not ready for the Asian Games and many venues are still not ready. That God will be able to reach and to teach the local people through this time. Pray for the expatriate Christian workers coming specifically to be messengers of the Good News in Doha from 01-15 December.
Pray for "TA", a middle aged man in Saudi that is searching for God. He has had dreams of Jesus but is afraid of making more of a step toward Him because of the fear of reprisal.
TESTIMONY:
A Muslim man living in our city (whom we'll refer to as "R") decided he could earn a bit more money for his family by renting out the upstairs of his house. It suited an "Eastern" Christian family who were looking for a less expensive place to live. The Christian family was very friendly, and the wife was an excellent cook, so "R" found himself visiting them often and was welcomed as full member.
R was in a time of turmoil about some family matters and peace eluded him. One day he was in need of an onion to make his lunch, so he went upstairs to borrow one from his surrogate family. R knew about the picture of Jesus on his friend's refrigerator and as he entered the kitchen this time, Jesus' picture all of a sudden seemed to come alive. As he starred at it in wonder, he said, if you are the Lord give me peace." R was so affected by it that he left without getting the onion and then suddenly noticed that the peace he asked for was there. That night he had an unusual dream. In the dream, he was walking in the desert, very thirsty, and saw a single tree off in the distance. He made his way over and as he got closer, he noticed a man sitting under it. As he approached, the man handed him a large bowl of fresh water. As he drank it, the bowl covered his eyes and when he let it down, the desert had turned into a lush oasis teeming with life all around him.
Suddenly, he knew who the man was...it was Jesus, and He looked just like the picture on the refrigerator. The next morning, he excitedly went upstairs to see the Christian family. Pointing to the picture on the refrigerator, he shared his experiences and said he now knew it was the truth and wanted to become a follower of the Messiah, but how? He was a Muslim, from a family of Fundamentalists.
The Christian family was moving out of the country, spent time with R preparing him to hear the gospel. They introduced him to a missionary living nearby. R's Muslim family then came to live with him in the very apartment he had rented to the Christian family. For the next three years R's very young and immature faith remained secret to all, but eventually he was moved to contact the missionary he'd been introduced to before and get some help with his secret faith. This was a serious risk, but he was pressed from within to get some direction and a Bible. R was passed on to a worker, who got him a Bible and offered to meet on a regular basis. R, was elated to be accepted in confidence by the Christians, and to finally have his very own Bible!
The night before their first scheduled meeting, R was injured rather badly with a serious cut to his hand. His family urged him to stay home, but R sensed it as an attempt by the devil to keep him from what he needed to do. He came, bandages and all, told the tentmaker his whole story, and then earnestly asked his long-held question, 'So, how do I become a Christian for sure?' Later that night R was kneeling on the floor and his hands held up, he confessed with his mouth Jesus as Lord (Rom 10:8-10).
R and the worker meet for a few hours each week, and it thrills us to watch his growth. He has many questions, and is growing daily in his understanding, obedience, confidence and assurance, even to the point of showing up a few times at the English-speaking Church on his own initiative. He is still secret before his family and friends, but God is really at work in his life building a powerful testimony.
Recently, his mother was suffering from an infection on her lower leg that caused swelling and discoloration. Many trips to the doctor and prescriptions of antibiotics gave no relief. With no progress in her condition, the family had decided to send her out of the country for medical help. Then, R and his new worker friend prayed together on the mother's behalf, and within the day the swelling completely receded....she was healed! R was so encouraged by the answer to his prayers!
Naturally, the mother asked who was this person praying with him, but R was only able to reply, "He and his family are religious people." He is not yet ready to announce Christianity publicly, but as God builds his faith and testimony through things like this, we anticipate He is preparing his whole family to receive the Truth as well.
* AP = Arabian Peninsula
+ MBB = Muslim Backround Believer
<>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Praying Thru the Arabian Peninsula
www.pray-ap.info
USA #: 800-376-5876 (Eastern Time)
Encouraging & equipping believers & churches everywhere to pray with a heart filled with the "Seed-of-Laughter" for heirs of the woman who found that "God-Sees-and-Hears-Me" so that biblical church planting movements will spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond for the Lord's glory.
To learn how you can support this & other work in the Middle East, visit:
http://www.srginc.org
Or write MertH.:
ptap@srginc.org
Or:
PTAP
c/o Strategic Resource Group
P.O. Box 1809
Easton, MD 21601
USA
PRAISE:
We are so excited over the new believer we recently came in contact with from Saudi Arabia! He is a young man that is so keen to know more about Jesus.
PETITION:
Many believers from expat congregations in our country are eager to learn how to reach out to the local Muslim population. Please pray for the teams who are training them, and for the many groups meeting weekly to learn how to share their faith effectively.
Please pray for a local man in our area affiliated with the secret police, who formerly hated and persecuted Christian workers. He asked for a Bible and since has been a changed person. We suspect he is a secret believer, due to the joy we now see in him and his eagerness for Christian contact and materials.
Pray for the Christian media production that is happening in Qatar at the moment and for the distribution at the Asian Games.
Pray for the deep shame that many Qatari's feel because they themselves are saying that the country is not ready for the Asian Games and many venues are still not ready. That God will be able to reach and to teach the local people through this time. Pray for the expatriate Christian workers coming specifically to be messengers of the Good News in Doha from 01-15 December.
Pray for "TA", a middle aged man in Saudi that is searching for God. He has had dreams of Jesus but is afraid of making more of a step toward Him because of the fear of reprisal.
TESTIMONY:
A Muslim man living in our city (whom we'll refer to as "R") decided he could earn a bit more money for his family by renting out the upstairs of his house. It suited an "Eastern" Christian family who were looking for a less expensive place to live. The Christian family was very friendly, and the wife was an excellent cook, so "R" found himself visiting them often and was welcomed as full member.
R was in a time of turmoil about some family matters and peace eluded him. One day he was in need of an onion to make his lunch, so he went upstairs to borrow one from his surrogate family. R knew about the picture of Jesus on his friend's refrigerator and as he entered the kitchen this time, Jesus' picture all of a sudden seemed to come alive. As he starred at it in wonder, he said, if you are the Lord give me peace." R was so affected by it that he left without getting the onion and then suddenly noticed that the peace he asked for was there. That night he had an unusual dream. In the dream, he was walking in the desert, very thirsty, and saw a single tree off in the distance. He made his way over and as he got closer, he noticed a man sitting under it. As he approached, the man handed him a large bowl of fresh water. As he drank it, the bowl covered his eyes and when he let it down, the desert had turned into a lush oasis teeming with life all around him.
Suddenly, he knew who the man was...it was Jesus, and He looked just like the picture on the refrigerator. The next morning, he excitedly went upstairs to see the Christian family. Pointing to the picture on the refrigerator, he shared his experiences and said he now knew it was the truth and wanted to become a follower of the Messiah, but how? He was a Muslim, from a family of Fundamentalists.
The Christian family was moving out of the country, spent time with R preparing him to hear the gospel. They introduced him to a missionary living nearby. R's Muslim family then came to live with him in the very apartment he had rented to the Christian family. For the next three years R's very young and immature faith remained secret to all, but eventually he was moved to contact the missionary he'd been introduced to before and get some help with his secret faith. This was a serious risk, but he was pressed from within to get some direction and a Bible. R was passed on to a worker, who got him a Bible and offered to meet on a regular basis. R, was elated to be accepted in confidence by the Christians, and to finally have his very own Bible!
The night before their first scheduled meeting, R was injured rather badly with a serious cut to his hand. His family urged him to stay home, but R sensed it as an attempt by the devil to keep him from what he needed to do. He came, bandages and all, told the tentmaker his whole story, and then earnestly asked his long-held question, 'So, how do I become a Christian for sure?' Later that night R was kneeling on the floor and his hands held up, he confessed with his mouth Jesus as Lord (Rom 10:8-10).
R and the worker meet for a few hours each week, and it thrills us to watch his growth. He has many questions, and is growing daily in his understanding, obedience, confidence and assurance, even to the point of showing up a few times at the English-speaking Church on his own initiative. He is still secret before his family and friends, but God is really at work in his life building a powerful testimony.
Recently, his mother was suffering from an infection on her lower leg that caused swelling and discoloration. Many trips to the doctor and prescriptions of antibiotics gave no relief. With no progress in her condition, the family had decided to send her out of the country for medical help. Then, R and his new worker friend prayed together on the mother's behalf, and within the day the swelling completely receded....she was healed! R was so encouraged by the answer to his prayers!
Naturally, the mother asked who was this person praying with him, but R was only able to reply, "He and his family are religious people." He is not yet ready to announce Christianity publicly, but as God builds his faith and testimony through things like this, we anticipate He is preparing his whole family to receive the Truth as well.
* AP = Arabian Peninsula
+ MBB = Muslim Backround Believer
<>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Praying Thru the Arabian Peninsula
www.pray-ap.info
USA #: 800-376-5876 (Eastern Time)
Encouraging & equipping believers & churches everywhere to pray with a heart filled with the "Seed-of-Laughter" for heirs of the woman who found that "God-Sees-and-Hears-Me" so that biblical church planting movements will spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond for the Lord's glory.
To learn how you can support this & other work in the Middle East, visit:
http://www.srginc.org
Or write MertH.:
ptap@srginc.org
Or:
PTAP
c/o Strategic Resource Group
P.O. Box 1809
Easton, MD 21601
USA