Prayer for the Muslim world: Identity crisis
As part of the 10/10 Prayer Initiative
, 180 agencies have come together to ask God to draw to himself 10 percent of the world’s Muslims in the next 10 years. 10/10. Easy to remember, yet such an amazingly big task that only God can do it.
Will you join us?
This call to keep our identities clear, however, does not mean that people serving in Muslim countries should refer to themselves as missionaries. Don’t be shocked; let me explain. When you hear “missionary,” you probably think of someone who goes to another country or culture to share about Jesus, or someone who learns a new language and customs so that they can more easily communicate the love of Christ. You likely think of missionaries as people who are honest, trustworthy and self-sacrificing, or at least as people who pray that the Holy Spirit would lead them in the right path.
However, when a Muslim hears “missionary,” they usually have a very different idea. They might think of someone who comes to corrupt their culture with Western ideas and clothing fashions. Their religious leaders teach them that missionaries will bribe and deceive those who are not vigilant and that anyone who even looks at a Bible will be condemned to hell.
No difference between Western and Christian?
Most Muslims would not separate Christians from Western culture. For example, they would label all Americans and Europeans as Christians. That also means that until someone tells them differently, they consider everything they see coming out of the West as Christian — all movies, books, internet sites, etc. If that is indeed the case, then you don’t have to wonder why Muslims are against missionaries and Christians! With pornography readily available on the internet plus the sexual content in many modern movies, is it any wonder that Muslims want to protect their families from the onslaught of everything “Christian”?
When we lived overseas in the 1990s and 2000s, internet cafes started popping up in Central and South Asia, frequented largely by young men. There were several reasons for this —unemployment was high, English was needed, and women and girls were generally restricted from going out to public places without their husbands or parents.
For a time, many Christian organizations used the local internet cafes, because they either didn’t know how to set up their own internet access, or they wanted to save the money needed to do so. Unfortunately, they didn’t understand the damage they were doing to their witness. Eventually, word started getting out that many of the local young men were using these internet cafes to access porn, and it didn’t take long for anyone else who used the cafes to be painted with the same brush.
Once the Christian organizations found out what was going on, they coughed up the money to install their own internet systems, so they wouldn’t be accused of using the cafes for evil means. They also had to go one step further, installing all the computers in their offices in open hallways or with the screens facing the doorways so that everyone could always see what was on the screens at all times. It was inconvenient, but they had to fight the perception that computers and the internet were just used for bad purposes.
A different label or a longer explanation
Because of this tendency to equate Western with Christian, consider carefully how to describe yourself when you’re interacting with Muslims. Feel free to call yourself a follower of Jesus, or if you have the time, say that you are a Christian, but take the time to explain what that means. I was once introduced by a Muslim to his group of friends as a Christian, which made me nervous, but he was quick to add: “But he’s not like the other Christians here in town. He doesn’t smoke or drink alcohol or sleep around with other women!”
It seems my friend felt that explanations were important too! He wanted me to be accepted by his friends, but he knew they would be judging me as what they thought a Westerner/Christian was and judging him as the one who brought me to their group, so he wanted everything clarified. This turned out well for both of us.
Of course, I don’t advocate feeling paranoid about what others think about us, but as we strive to live pure and exemplary lives, we should think through how we label ourselves, as it could seriously affect our witness for Christ.
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Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
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