Recently, a woman attending a mountain house church was baptized. This Muslim background believer (MBB) has been attending the house church for several months. After she was baptized, she explained, “When I believed, I felt some peace but still felt distracted, but now there is a new more complete peace that I feel.” 

For Muslim-background believers, it is common for the act of baptism to be a bigger deal than a verbal decision to follow Jesus. Why is that? The weight of these decisions is reversed from the Western world for MBBs. In countries like America, the verbal decision of following Jesus is a major decision. It is not something people say if they don’t really mean it. Once the decision is made, usually life changes come with it. At that point, baptism is usually the next logical step, though not as much emphasis is placed on it. A church will typically walk alongside the new believer, discipling them in their new faith and eventually encouraging them to be baptized, the outward sign of obedience to Jesus.

For Muslim-background believers in countries like Indonesia, actions are much weightier than words. It is easier for someone to say they believe. The act of baptism is harder for many new believers. There is a finality to it. It is an outward sign that shows others that they are truly leaving their old ways behind. They are starting a new life following Jesus. It is common to have someone profess faith, but not want to move forward with baptism for a long time. For many in the Muslim world, persecution becomes much worse after baptism. 

Please pray for courage for new believers to take this step of faith. Pray also for protection for those that do.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

The post What Baptism Means for Muslim Background Believers first appeared on Pray For Indonesia.

One night, Fatima had a dream. She was walking on the highway when suddenly a man appeared before her. She couldn’t see his face because it shone like the sun, but he was dressed in white and had a long beard. The man gently picked her up and set her down in the grass. Then she immediately woke up. She didn’t think much of the dream and continued on with her life.

Three years later, Fatima had the same dream with the same man in white. When she woke up from the dream, she felt unsettled and couldn’t go back to sleep. Who was this man and why did he come back in her dreams? She knew something seemed different about this man but could not identify what it was.

After pondering the dream for a few days, she couldn’t bear it anymore. While praying during the evening prayer time, she looked upward and said, “God, I don’t know who You are but I believe in You.” Immediately, she felt a heavy burden lift from her heart. When she told her friend Rida about the dream, Rida explained to her that she had dreamed about a man in white too who had told her His name was Isa al Masih (the Arabic name for Jesus).

Fatima went home and told her husband about the dream and her conversation with Rida, and they began attending a local church together. Fatima studied the Bible daily, hungry to know more about Isa and the God of the Bible. Since then, Fatima acknowledges that she has felt a peace like never before. Her family does not speak to her, but she has found a new family in her Christian brothers and sisters.

Jesus is revealing Himself to Muslims in dreams all over the world. Please pray that many more people come to know Jesus through this and the church around the world continues to grow.

The post Muslim Woman Meets Jesus in a Dream first appeared on Pray For Indonesia.

Nina began to read the Bible on her own and actually read most of it! She came back to her friend and said “Okay I read it and I believe it! What do I do now?”

Her friend discipled Nina for a season and taught her how to have a relationship with Jesus. She experienced a lot of persecution from her family when she told them her decision.

God’s Provision in Hong Kong

Nina then had an opportunity to move to Hong Kong to work as a house helper. (Many Indonesians work as house helpers in other countries to get a better paying salary).

God obviously provided for Nina in Hong Kong because she started to work for a Christian family. The husband was the pastor of a church in Hong Kong.

Nina continued to grow in her faith as she lived with and worked for this family. She began serving in the church and her love for Jesus deepened each day.

After years of living in Hong Kong, the church sent Nina back to Indonesia so she could go to seminary school there. When she finished, she could not return to Hong Kong because of Covid19. She got involved in a church in Indonesia and decided to stay and serve at that church. The church in Hong Kong blessed her decision.

Making Christ Known in Indonesia

Nina was offered a position at the church to be head of the Missions Department that is over multiple church plants. She has a huge burden for Muslims in Indonesia to know Christ.

In her new job, she joined a training for Indonesians to learn how to share the gospel with Muslims. After the training, she reached out to the team and asked if she could continue to learn from them and also go out sharing with them as they met Muslims.

She told them how God worked this out so perfectly and she invited her friend to learn as well. Nina then asked the team to come train her church and the church plants. She wanted more Christians to learn how to share their faith with Muslims.

Nina helped lead some trainings and put into practice what she was learning. She often went out to meet people and share the gospel with them. She also shared with many of her friends who were Muslim.

Although Nina’s family still won’t talk to her, she has remained steadfast in her faith and knows the surpassing worth of living life with Christ. She desires her fellow Indonesians to find a relationship with the Lord as she did. She spends her days sharing about Him and encouraging Christians to be bold in their faith. Continue to pray for Nina and the Indonesians that she has impacted through her ministry.

The post Muslim Woman Becomes an Evangelist for Jesus first appeared on Pray For Indonesia.

Edna prayed that she would get a new job that would help her earn a living, since her husband works as a part-time handyman and does not earn much. And that was when Edna met Eliza. Eliza is a believer and had been praying that God would send her a house helper that was open to hearing the Gospel and would choose to believe in Jesus. God answered both their prayers, and Edna was hired to work for Eliza.

Hearing the Gospel for the first time

One day, Eliza and her daughter Sally shared the Gospel with Edna. She said she was interested in reading the Bible to know more about who Jesus is. Two days later, Edna decided to follow Christ! The next few days after Edna had accepted Jesus, Eliza and Sally devoted their time discipling Edna. They read about the Samaritan woman, and that really touched Edna’s heart. “I felt the shame that woman felt. I feel touched by Jesus and now I am not afraid,” Edna said. Edna also said that the more she reads Scripture, the more faith she has in Jesus. Eliza & Sally also taught Edna how to pray to Jesus, how to read scripture and discussed a few discipleship lessons that would help Edna stand firm on His Word.

Edna felt compelled to share what she had learned with her husband, Ladin. She had been praying for the right time to share with her husband. She was convinced that her husband would hear the Good News and choose to follow Christ like she did. Unfortunately, he was not interested and did not allow her to convert to Christianity. Edna came to work sad the next day but said that she still believes and follows Christ in her heart. She mentioned that she is still sure that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and Life.

Pray with us:

• That Edna would stand firm and cling to Christ no matter what.
• That Edna would have peace beyond understanding, peace that comes from Him.
• For Edna’s husband, Ladin, that God would soften his heart and be open to Jesus. Pray that he would encounter Jesus.
• For Eliza & Sally as they continue to disciple Eda.
• That Edna would take the opportunity to share the Gospel with her family/friends!

The post No More Fear, No More Shame: 35 Year Old Woman Comes to Christ first appeared on Pray For Indonesia.

One day Penny decided to invite Danielle to a morning prayer gathering. During the prayer gathering, Danielle started to cry. She felt as if there was a small voice asking her, “Where have you been? I have waited a long time for you.”

That very moment, Danielle recalled that she once had a dream of Jesus a few years ago. In that dream Jesus said “Come with me.” She nearly believed in Jesus but had decided not to because she was afraid of her family, and feared to follow Jesus because she had no Christian friends. After that prayer gathering, Danielle told Penny she wanted to follow Christ.

Since then, Penny has been meeting with Danielle to disciple her. They would meet at cafes to read scripture together and pray for one another. God has been leading Penny to people who are open to the Good News. Penny’s prayer is for God to use her to bring the Gospel to the unbeliever. Here’s how you can be praying for Penny and her friends:

Prayers

1. Pray that God would continue to equip Penny as she disciples Danielle and Angie
2. For Danielle to grow deeper in her relationship with Christ
3. Pray for Penny’s new disciples to also be bold in sharing Christ with their lost families and friends.

“but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:8

“And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to all creation.'” Mark 16:15

The post Woman Leads Muslim Coworker to Faith first appeared on Pray For Indonesia.

Penny’s boss is a believer and gave her permission to use some of their empty classrooms to start a bible study and prayer group before or after school hours. Penny invited her colleague Angie, a young Hindu woman, to a Bible study. Angie was open to learning about the Bible! At the Bible study, Penny shared the full Gospel with her. A few more meetings and conversations later and Angie decided to follow Christ!

Make Disciples Who Make Disciples

Penny began discipling Angie. They would meet together to study the Word and keep each other accountable to apply Jesus’ teachings. One of the things Penny emphasized during these meetings was encouraging Angie to share the Gospel with her family and friends.

Penny shared the story of the Philippian Jailer (Acts 16: 25-40), how God’s desire is for an entire household to be saved. After hearing this story, Angie decided to share with her grandfather who was dying. She also shared with some of her family members. Although none of them chose to believe yet, the seed was planted. We praise God for Angie’s obedience.

Now Penny and Angie are good friends. They continue to meet and pray together for people they know who are lost and they make goals to share the gospel with those people.

Prayer Requests

• Pray for Angie to be rooted in Christ and be a light to others in Bali
• Ask God to continue to give boldness to Penny to share the gospel and use her in amazing ways for His kingdom
• Pray for the 4 million Balinese who do not know Christ. Despite millions of visitors yearly, Bali is still an unreached people group. Only 0.16% of the population are Evangelical and the rest are Hindu. This is why Bali is called “the island of the gods.”

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

The post Woman Leads Hindu Coworker to Faith first appeared on Pray For Indonesia.

One day they were walking in the the mall and saw a couch in a small furniture store that they liked. They went back the next day and brought their team leader, Agus, (who is an Indonesian) to help translate for them so they could buy the couch.

As they looked at the couch in the furniture store, Agus struck up a conversation with the lady working there. He started the conversation by asking, “Are you fasting today?” (this was during the fasting month, Ramadan). The lady replied that she was and asked him if he was fasting. He then steered the conversation into a spiritual conversation and answered, “I do fast but not today. I am a follower of Isa Al Masih (Jesus the Messiah). Have you ever heard of Isa Al Masih?”

“What is Easter?”

This opened up an opportunity to share the gospel with her. The whole time, the lady was engaged and interested. She asked “Easter was this weekend… what is that holiday celebrating?” Agus continued to share with her why Jesus came to die for our sins and raise three days later from the grave.

She then had more questions about sacrifice, John the Baptist, Mary and other topics about the Bible. After answering her questions, he shared Romans 10:9-10 with her.

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

He then asked her “Do you accept Isa Al Masih as your Savior?” And she said yes! Agus asked her again to make sure her answer was genuine. She said she truly believes that Jesus’ sacrifice covers her sins. He was so amazed at her softened heart to the gospel! He then prayed with her.

Justin, Susan, and Agus are trying to follow up with her to read the Bible and continue discipling her. She works long hours so it is difficult to find a time to meet with her. Justin and Susan are still learning the language so they need an Indonesian to follow up with her. Agus cannot meet with her alone since he is a man. Please pray they can introduce her with a Indonesian sister who can disciple her.

This is fruit from your prayers!

This is one story out of many of how God is moving this Ramadan. Why are we seeing more fruit this month? It’s because there are thousands of people praying for Muslims this Ramadan. We have covered Indonesia in prayer every minute of the last 30 days. There are many faithful intercessors praying for Indonesians to know the love of Christ.

We may not see all that God is doing in the hearts of Indonesians this Ramadan until we get to heaven. But we can trust He is moving and leading many Muslims to Himself all over the world. Thank you for praying with us for this spiritually dark country. Let’s continue to pray for Indonesia even as the fasting month has ended. God hears our prayers and is “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

The post Indonesian Woman Asks About Easter and Ends Up Believing in Jesus! first appeared on Pray For Indonesia.

Nur slowly wakes up to the sound of the alarm. It is pitch black outside. The house is quiet as her family is still asleep. She rolls out of bed and groggily walks outside to the kitchen. She begins making rice, cooking chicken and cutting vegetables. Nur reminds herself that the fasting month is only 30 days. This is day 10. Only 20 more days of waking up this early to cook for her family.

3:00 am:

The loud speaker at the village mosque begins blaring. This is the village wake up call. She hears her 3 kids and husband begin to stir as they wake up. The chicken is almost done cooking.

3:30 am:

Nur serves her family breakfast (sahur) and gives an extra portion to everyone so they can have enough energy throughout the day as they fast. They eat slowly and listen to her youngest daughter, who is 10, chatter on and on about her plans for the day. No one else feels up to talking this early in the morning.

4:00 am:

After they finish breakfast, they begin to change into their prayer clothes. Her husband and 2 sons put on their peci (black hats) and sarung (covering that looks like a long skirt) and walk to the mosque. Nur and her daughter put on their hijab (head coverings), roll out their prayer mats and begin the Subuh prayer. This is the first prayer of the day.

5:00 am:

Nur starts doing the dishes from breakfast as her husband and oldest son leave to work in the fields. They grow vegetables and spend most of the day harvesting potatoes and cabbage. They sell the produce to the village market. The other kids go back to bed to get some more sleep before school.

6:00 am:

Nur wakes up her kids and gets them ready to school. Then the three of them squeeze on the motorbike and she drives them along the dusty village road to school. She stops by the market on her way back home to pick up some more rice, meat and tofu for dinner.

12:00 pm:

The mosque blares again to remind them it is now time for the 2nd pray time (Dzuhur). The men pray at the mosque, while the women pray at home. Nur continues her chores; sweeping, washing and hanging clothes and watering the plants.

3:00 pm:

Nur picks up her kids from school and everyone prays again for the 3rd prayer time (Asar). Afterward the kids play soccer in the street with their friends. Nur walks next door to her cousin Indah’s house. They chat outside with the other women in the neighborhood. This is her favorite part of the day. The afternoon activities (ngaburburit) distract them from their hunger and thirst. “Only a few more hours,” Nur reminds herself.

4:30 pm:

Nur and the other women go home to begin preparing dinner. She cooks duck, rice and tofu. The food looks so tempting but she resists eating it.

6:00 pm:

Nur’s husband and son return from work and take a shower. She had already showered herself and bathed her two youngest kids. When everyone is ready, they break fast together by eating a sweet snack and drinking water. After that, they they go and pray for the 4th time (Maghrib).

6:30 pm:

Finally they get to eat the big meal together and talk about their day. They have been looking forward to this moment all day. They grab the rice and meat with their hands and eat the pieces together. The fried tofu is Nur’s favorite part of the dish.

7:00 pm:

Again the mosque loud speakers go off and they pray for the 5th time (Isya).

8:00 pm:

Nur’s kids play as she finishes up cleaning. Then the whole family goes to the mosque for Tarawih. It’s an extra prayer time only during Ramadan. Most of the village goes and they pray together. Nur and her daughter pray with the rest of the women, separate from the men.

9:00 pm:

After they get home, Nur spends time with her friends again in front of the house as the kids play in the street. Her oldest is inside watching TV and her husband is at a warung drinking and smoking with friends. He usually gets back right before bed.

11:00 pm:

Everyone is finally quiet in the house and getting ready to sleep. Nur is thankful for another day of Ramadan. She hopes God accepts her fasting, praying and good works and saves her on Judgement Day. She worries about that day every night before bed. Nur finally drifts off to sleep only to awake again in a few hours.

The post A Day in the Life of an Indonesian During Ramadan first appeared on Pray For Indonesia.

Arnie was 15 years old when she started working for Elisa. After a few weeks of working as Elisa’s house helper, Arnie started sharing stories about her family with Elisa.

After sharing the Gospel to Arnie through personal testimonies and Bible stories, Arnie decided to accept Christ! She said she felt peace and felt like she belonged to a new family. Every night before bed, Arnie would knock on Elisa’s bedroom door and ask to pray together. She really enjoyed the prayer time! Arnie also wrote a prayer for Elisa’s hospitalized husband during his illness. It was amazing to see how freely she wrote and how her heart had been changed by the Lord!

Unfortunately, a few months later, Arnie was forced by her family to go back to her village to get married. It was an arranged marriage which is very common in villages. Since she returned to her village, Elisa and her family have not been able to contact her because she doesn’t have a phone.

Pray for Arnie to stand firm in the faith and for God to provide other believers in her village to disciple her. Pray for boldness for Arnie to share her faith with her husband, family and neighbors and that she would be like the Samaritan woman (John 4) who leads her village to faith in Christ!

The post 15 Year Old House Helper Believes In Jesus first appeared on Pray For Indonesia.

God is moving among the people of the Java mountain. These mountain people are a mix of Hindu and Muslim people. The Muslims live at the bottom of the mountain and the Hindus live at the top. Very few people have shared the gospel with them and there has only been only a few known believers among them for decades. They are mostly farmers and many work in the tourism business for visitors wanting to explore the beautiful mountain and crater. 

A few years ago, a church planting team from a nearby city began visiting the mountain and intentionally shared the gospel with the locals. They noticed a rare openness among the people that they didn’t find in their city.

A woman named June, who was Hindu, was one of the first ones to start following Jesus. She grew in her love for the Lord and was faithful to share the gospel with others. Since then, her husband, children, parents, sister and her family all became followers of Christ! They worship together in their house church every Sunday.

June continued to share about the hope she has in Jesus with others who live nearby. Every time the team visits, they share with more people as well. In 2020, 35 families came to faith!

Each week the team meets with June and her sister to teach them lessons from the Bible. The women then teach that lesson to the house church a few days later. The gospel continues to spread among the Java Mountain people but there are still many more lost sheep and thousands who are thirsty for the Truth!

~Prayers for Java Mountain~

 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47

• Pray for more leaders to rise up and disciple those who have believed
• For boldness for the believers to share with their people and more would enter the kingdom of God
• Provision for those in the tourism business who were affected by COVID19

The post Hindu Woman Follows Jesus and Leads Dozens to Faith in Java Mountain first appeared on Pray For Indonesia.