mood: 
surprised
surprisedPETITION:
Pray for the language school in one of the southern most countries of the Arabian Peninsula. This school is a key ministry training facility for new workers to obtain Arabic. It is also a key business in the impoverished community as it provides training in computer and other hands-on business related skills. Pray particularly for the decision to move to a larger location and expand their service to the community.
Pray for the Nationals from our country that leave during the hot summer months and take their holidays in Europe or northern parts of the Middle East. Pray that they would have "divine encounters" with Arab Christians actively reaching out in these cities.
Pray for the pastor of the evangelical church in our largest city. Pray that he would know God's vision and way forward. Pray for God's strengthening in the face of difficulties. Ask for God to send others to encourage him and uphold him.
Pray for the needs of a major international, interdenominational church in our country that is looking for a youth pastor. It has been discouraging in that few suitable candidates are capable and willing to come to this part of the word.
TESTIMONY:
Zayneb was a lonely, later middle-aged National Muslim woman. One windy, winter day as she trudged home carrying a bag of groceries in one hand and her unfinished work from the office in the other, she was deep in thought. She thought of the many burdens that she carries and the unfair things that have happened in her life. She struggled with thoughts of an unhappy marriage, of grown kids leaving home to start their own families, of physical ailments and a growing emptiness inside of her. She was lonely. She felt unloved.
As she turned the corner onto the narrow street that led to her apartment building, the wind whipped papers, and leaves and plastic bags of all shapes and sizes in all directions. She leaned into the wind to make headway toward the safety of the foyer of the apartment building only 60 meters away. One paper, a brightly colored one suddenly stuck to her leg. She tried to shake it off, but it stayed. So she continued up the street, into the wind, carrying her two bags with the strange paper stuck to her leg. She went up the steps from the street and into the lobby.
In the lobby she moved toward the lift to go up to her small but adequate 2 bedroom apartment. While she waited for the slow lift to come down to the ground floor she put down her burdens to get the paper that so boldly stuck to her leg these past few minutes. It was brightly colored and had writing in Arabic. It mentioned something about Jesus. Intrigued she got on the lift with her bags reading the mysterious paper. She read the paper as she traveled upward on the lift. The paper was saying something about Jesus loving all people. It went onto say that not only did Jesus heal many people, but that he cared for people. Jesus showed love to some woman at a well, and also for another woman caught in adultery. He healed a middle aged woman with a prolonged flow of blood. She could picture herself as one of those women and wished that she could meet Jesus. Now in her apartment, she read more about Jesus' claims to be God. As a Muslim she knew that Jesus was a great prophet, but how the Christians believed that God can be a man was beyond what she could understand. But there, then, reading this paper alone in her apartment, it didn't seem such a strange mystery. It seemed like this person Jesus - this God as the Christian paper said - wanted to be her Lord. He wanted to care for her - as an intimate, caring, loving friend - even though she had much shame in her life. All time seemed to stop as she pondered what it would be like to follow such a God as Jesus. She began to feel a peace the more she thought of Jesus. She read the words at the bottom of the paper - it was a prayer, a prayer to give her life to Jesus. As she mouthed the words with her silent lips, she felt as if a tremendous burden was lifted off her shoulders. She was flooded with joy. She read the prayer again and again. Zayneb stored that prayer in her heart and believed with all of her might that Jesus was God and that he would care for her like he did for so many needy women in his time.
After several weeks, she met a Christian Arab. They became friends and were able to discuss the many, many questions Zayneb had accumulated in the weeks since the brightly colored paper had changed her life. She believed now in an eternal God who reached out and touched her and changed her. Now, that same God, Jesus has given her a friend to walk the path of life with her.
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Praying Thru the Arabian Peninsula
ptap@srginc.org
www.pray-ap.info
USA #: 800-376-5876
Encouraging & equipping believers & churches around the world to pray through the heart of the Muslim world so that church planting movements will spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula, to the ends of the earth & the islands ... to the glory of God in Christ
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To learn how you can support this & other ministry for the Middle East, visit:
http://www.srginc.org
Or write to:
PTAP
c/o Strategic Resource Group
P.O. Box 1809
Easton, MD 21601
USA
contemplative
