Prayer for the Muslim world: Beyond the stereotypes
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?
By a former missionary in the Middle East —
I recently heard a speaker talking about breaking down stereotypes. He himself is of Middle Eastern descent, and he used jokes to poke fun at himself and others like him and to dispel stereotypes that others may have of him. He did a (mostly) nice job of telling funny stories and helping people realize that Middle Easterners (or people of Middle Eastern descent) are real people too.
But what also came out in his talk, to me, was frustration and real pain because even though he is an American, he has suffered a lot because of his race and religion.
After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, he found he could only get work as an actor playing the part of bad guys; when directors saw his ethnic background, they immediately cast him as a terrorist or bank robber.
For the first five years, then 10 years, and now almost 20 years after 9/11, he is still trying to break down these ingrained and fear-filled stereotypes of people from the Middle East. Of course, there are dangerous people from the Middle East, but there also are dangerous people from Europe, and from North, Middle and South America, and you will always need to be alert and have situational awareness and discernment in relating to the surrounding world.
But as Christians, as people who are called to be like Christ, should we not be first and foremost among those showing love, respect, and mercy to the people around us?
Didn’t Jesus challenge those eager to punish the woman caught in adultery, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone?” Yes, he also confronted the woman and told her to leave her life of sin, but not until he had first dispersed the crowd.
Fear is something that wants to rise up in our minds and hearts; we have to recognize that and stop and pray, “Lord help me to love others as you love them.” If we don’t understand Muslims, then we need to be involved and get to know some Muslims, be it at work or through our children’s schools, by volunteering in our neighborhoods or towns, or through an outreach at our church. It is hard to change your perception from a distance, so jump in! Move closer!
Volunteer to teach English, coach a sports team, or pick up trash in a Muslim neighborhood.
How about the first words out of our mouths to Muslims are not judgmental words or derogatory words about the Koran or Mohammed? How about we just go and love on them? God didn’t expect you or me to clean up our lives or to have perfect theology before he saved us, so don’t expect others to clean up their lives before you love them either.
10/10 Prayer Initiative requests
• Download a free bookmark
with daily themes to help you pray for your missionary friends and their children.
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?
Learn about the spiritual harmony in Vietnam & how missionaries engage with college students. Join us in sharing the gospel!
Explore Georgia's spiritual heritage and the impact of SEND International's mission. Join us in fostering authentic relationships today!
