God Hears a Muslim Boy's Prayer
A doubting Muslim meets Jesus on the Night of Power during Ramadan.
Mohammed is the grandson of an imam. His family had plans for him to become an imam too. But at the tender age of 9, Mohammed was already questioning the teachings of the Quran. Few Muslims read their Holy Book. Not unlike Sunday pew-warmers in Christian churches, many Muslims depend on the imam's weekly sermons to inform their faith.
How was it logical, Mohammed thought, that praying through the entire night of the Laylat al-Qadr, the holiest Night of Power during Ramadan, would yield more credit than a thousand months of prayer and devotion? Or that it could make up for performing the Hajj to Mecca? And what futility if after a lifetime of piety and good work, he would still have no assurance of getting to heaven.
Mohammed dared not share these thoughts with anyone. Frustrated and disillusioned, he took to smoking, drinking, fighting, and many other bad habits. But deep inside, this 14-year-old boy was crying out to God: Who are you? Are you even there?
The Night God Spoke
One night, Mohammed was again crying out to God at the top of his lungs. This time, in a dream. He saw a vision of hell in front of him. At a distance, he saw what he thought was Paradise, but it was out of reach. Then a Man called out to him. He did not understand the message, but when Mohammed woke up, something inside him had shifted. He felt hopeful.
He found a dusty copy of the New Testament and began to read it, secretly. He became convinced that he had seen Jesus in his dream. He quit all his bad habits, overnight, effortlessly. His heart was full of something strange and beautiful, a new yearning he had yet to understand.
The Friendship That Opened Everything
Mohammed felt compelled to apologize to Adilet, the boy he used to bully. At first, Adilet was shocked and confused, but they soon became friends. Mohammed began to share his dream and his questions about Jesus. It turned out that Adilet was a believer. His family belonged to an underground house church. But it was only after many months that Adilet felt safe to reveal his faith to Mohammed and invite him to church.
This was no coincidence. God's hand continued to lead Mohammed to Himself. Finally, Mohammed was able to hear the gospel clearly explained to him. His life has not stopped impacting others since. (Read more about how Mohammed's story continued.)
How to Pray for the Muslim World
The spiritual hunger during Ramadan surfaces does not disappear when the month ends. Nearly two billion Muslims across Asia and the Middle East are still searching, still asking questions they cannot yet voice out loud. The church has an open invitation to intercede.
Pray for truth seekers like Mohammed, that the light of the gospel reaches those who are already asking questions in the dark.
Pray for Muslim background believers who face rejection by their families and local communities when they follow Jesus.
Pray for displaced, oppressed, and persecuted Muslims in war zones to become open to the love and witness of Christians who extend a helping hand.
Pray for Christian NGO workers and cross-cultural professionals serving in high-risk and difficult places across Asia and the Middle East.
Pray for bi-vocational missionaries building meaningful relationships with Muslim colleagues and neighbors, extending hospitality, and sharing God's grace and truth through genuine friendship.
Additional Prayer Resources
Scripture to Pray Over the Muslim World
"In these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world." (Heb. 1:2)
"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (Jn. 1:4–5)
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Lk. 19:10)
GO INTO THE WORLD. LIVE FULLY IN CHRIST. SERVE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
GLS has walked alongside bi-vocational missionaries for 35 years, sending over 280 men and women into the cities of Asia. Your prayers, your partnership, and your presence matter.
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