Hey everyone! Ok this is going to be a 2 parter because it has been a while! This blog I was writing while we were in Türkiye!   We stayed in a place called Çanakkale, it was so cute and had some fun touristy spots. Türkiye was beautiful, I will definitely share more testimonies and what was happening in Turkey in the next blog!

While we were in Greece, we started reading Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi. It tells the story of a devout Muslim man who encountered Jesus and came to faith in Him. Reading this book made my team and me ask so many questions, and honestly, it lit a fire in us to go to Muslim nations. Now that were are actually in a Muslim nation, it felt so surreal to be there fasting and praying for our neighbors. God truly broke our hearts for this place and its people and showed us how much they need Him.

God’s heart for Muslim people is not different from His heart for anyone else. He loves them deeply, intentionally, and personally. He is pursuing them with compassion and truth.

To understand God’s heart for Muslims, it helps to understand a little about what they believe. Islam’s core beliefs center around one God (Allah), good deeds, and submission to Him. Their holy book is the Qur’an, which they believe is the final revelation of God given to the prophet Muhammad. Muslims believe in many of the same biblical figures as us, Abraham, Moses, and even Jesus. They believe in angels, a coming Day of Judgment, heaven and hell, prayer, fasting, and moral accountability before God. Islam means “surrender,” and the Islamic faith is characterized by total surrender to their god, Allah. Islam is built on the foundation of five pillars, five  steps that make a Muslim total surrender to god. These pillars include sole worship to Allah and recognition of Muhammad as his prophet, a daily series of prayers, tithing, fasting, and a pilgrimage to Islam’s sacred site, Mecca, where Muhammad received his vision.(Saudi Arabia)

Followers of Islam are characterized by passion, zeal, and total devotion to their god, but their god offers them no assurance of salvation or forgiveness of sin. What a hopeless faith this is. Islam is a religion of works, without hope. While its followers may work as hard as they can to be right with God, their souls will never be at peace. They know nothing of resting their eternal future on the work Christ has accomplished already on their behalf. Instead, they are consumed with prayers, fasting and rituals in a never ending effort to earn Allah’s favor. Many Muslims deeply honor Jesus, but they believe He was a prophet, not the Son of God. They do not believe He was crucified or resurrected. This is where the central difference between Islam and Christianity lies.

In many ways, Islam and Christianity are more similar than people think. Both believe in one God. Both value prayer, fasting, generosity, and obedience. Both believe God is holy and that one day we will stand before Him. The biggest difference is who we believe Jesus is. As Christians, everything centers on Jesus, that he is the Son of God who died for our sins and rose again to bring us back to God. That difference truly matters. But beginning with what we have in common builds respect and opens the door to real, honest conversations.

Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Muslims do not believe Jesus is Lord; they believe He was a prophet. They also do not believe He was crucified or resurrected. This is why our prayer is so important, they are so close but something is covering the main point.

In Istanbul, there is an old church that was later turned into a museum and has recently been converted into a mosque (the Hagia Sophia) One of our teammates toured it and noticed that in the front area where people kneel to pray, a large sheet hides part of the wall. But if you walk to a different angle in the building, you can see what is underneath, a mosaic of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. Seeing that was insane because they they bow down to pray they are looking straight at Jesus but it is covered up. It is the visual representation of what Islam is. The biggest prayer you can be praying is for God to take away (the sheet) anything blocking hearts from seeing Jesus for who he really is.

When talking with Muslims about Jesus, posture matters. Muslims grow up prepared to defend their faith. If they sense that the goal is to win a debate, walls can go up quickly. Instead of leading with correction, it is o more fruitful to lead with curiosity. Ask thoughtful questions. Listen carefully. Honor their devotion and sincerity.

Rather than arguing theology right away, share your personal testimony of what Jesus has done in your life. Ask what they believe about Jesus. Ask if they have ever read the Gospels. Focus on the character of Jesus, His mercy, authority, compassion, and sacrifice. Ultimately, only the Holy Spirit can open someone’s heart. We cannot debate someone into faith. True transformation comes from an encounter with God.That is why prayer is essential. We can pray that Muslims would encounter Jesus personally, through Scripture, relationships, dreams, or visions. We can pray for softened hearts and divine appointments that lead to genuine friendships and spiritual conversations. We can pray that curiosity would rise and that truth would be revealed.

1 Timothy 2:3–4 says that God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. God’s heart is not against Muslim people, it is for them!! Praise God!

Many Western Christians’ attitudes and beliefs about Muslims are shaped more by media, stereotypes, and assumptions  rather than by God’s love for all people.Ask yourself do you have apathy, anger, fear, or hostility towards Muslims? If so, I encourage you to stop and pray. Ask God to change your heart and align it with his.

One percent of Americans today are Muslim (that's 3.5 million people). 86% of Muslims do not know a Christian personally. Make real relationships and friendships with Muslims. Meet your local Muslims! Do life with them, let them see how Jesus has changed you! They will see Jesus in your life from the fruit that comes out of it!

I hope this gives you a small glimpse of how much Jesus loves and cares for Muslim people. His heart aches for them, and that should move ours as well. Please continue praying for our team and for the Muslim friends we are meeting each day. Love you all! A part 2 of everything that as been happening will be posted soon! ❤️