Reaching Muslims God Had Already Prepared: It Was Incredibly Easy!

This is an amazing story about an effective approach for reaching Muslims.

A Phone Call Raises a Question

Alfonzo received a phone call from Bert. He wanted advice for a short-term outreach team coming into the country. “What can this team do to touch hearts and reach Muslim people in our area?”

As they talked, a thought occurred to Alfonzo. “Muslims are having dreams and visions. Their hearts have opened to the gospel. Some say about 70% of Arabs who have come to faith, have experienced a dream or vision. How can we find people in our area who are already prepared in this way? Let’s think about it.”

Together Bert and Alfonzo came up with the idea of doing a survey using this list of questions:

1. Do you believe Allah can speak to us?
2. Do you believe Allah can speak through dreams and visions?
3. Have you had a dream or vision from Allah? If so, tell me about it.
4. Would you like to learn more?

Cultural Orientation

Bert provided cultural orientation for the outreach team. He showed them how to use the survey. He also gave them other useful tips on how to be sensitive to the local people’s way of living. Bert also explained that in that country, there was only one word for God, Allah. So in the survey, they would use the word people understood to mean the Creator God.

Then they went to the streets.

Of the first 30 people they spoke with, 10 of them answered “yes” to the first few questions! When asked what they saw, many described a Person in a white robe with His face illuminated. When the team members heard that kind of reply, one of them would open their Bibles and read from Revelation 1:13-14.

“He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across His chest. His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And His eyes were like flames of fire” (NIV).

The surprising response was, “Yes! That is what I saw! What book is that?” The team explained that this passage is from the Injil. (Injil is the Arabic word for the New Testament, recognized as one of the Islamic Holy Books).“Would you like to learn more?” they asked.

Most said “yes.”

In total, the team found 30 people who had dreams or visions, and 14 of those joined Discovery Bible Studies (DBS).

Discovery Bible Studies Start

The local, long-term workers started many Discovery Bible Studies. These groups meet in homes, coffee shops, parks, or wherever was best. The groups were interactive. Beginning with Genesis, they covered God’s Story from Creation to Christ.

God had already prepared this harvest field. They just needed to go discover the ripe people God had already spoken to.

Afterward, Bert told Alfonzo the exciting news of what had happened. Alfonzo then gathered his own team and organized a similar survey. Of the first 12 people they surveyed, all 12 had dreams or visions. Of those 12, 8 said yes to attending a DBS.

This is what effective cross-cultural evangelism looks like to us!

The Harvest Is Ripe Among Muslims

Could God use you in a similar way? Do you have a Muslim neighbor? Maybe there are immigrants in your city you have always thought would be difficult to reach. Maybe they are not! God is preparing hearts to receive His good news.

Not only is this a great example of an effective way to love and reach Muslims, it is also a great example of how a short-term team partnered with long-term workers to make disciples who would make more disciples. Are there creative ways that a short-term team could engage with the unreached in your area?

If you have another example of effective evangelism with Muslims or another people group, write to us. We’d love to hear about it.

Photo by Utsman Media, https://unsplash.com/photos/gp_veO5Otm0