April 2023

To Help you Pray this month for your Local Mosque Community. 

I was born into a Muslim family that was extremely strict in the practiced of Islam. I began to practice Islam seriously when I was young (15), but my faith was blind and mostly I was following what my family did and what my friends in school were doing.

A few years after I began to study the Quran and other Islamic reference books, I started realizing that it did not seem that those words and commands could be from the real God in heaven. I was not convinced that the Islamic principles were true, that they could offer me the assurance of an afterlife that I was looking for, nor could it make me a better human being in this world.

When I got older, I read other books on Islam, such as “23 Years: A Study of the Prophetic Career of Mohammad”, by Iranian author Ali Dashti. I felt very sad, realizing I have not seen the truth all these years. I had been taught that Muhammad is the last prophet, and that his religion is the best and the most complete, and that he is the best person to bring God to us.

I also began to feel that all religions are the same in root and they are just fictional stories from the past.

Eventually, I became an atheist. I had come to believe there was no God, even though at one time I had been serious about Islam. After a while though, from the deepest parts of my mind, I still could not find the right answers to my questions, and I started to feel that my life was meaningless and pointless. I simply took it as an inevitable part of life.

Several years ago, I was introduced to Christianity, but I was not really deep into discovering its meaning or reality. Shortly thereafter I attended a church for the first time. Something was truly different. I now believe that was the holy spirit. However, I did not explore that any further, and after a few months it passed. The turning point of my life was when I met a fellow Iranian named Ben, who was a Christian. My wife and I began to attend his bible study classes.

I can simply say that I began to realize how lost I was, and I began to find myself. I discovered the source of love and the Creator, through our study of the Gospel of John. As I read more, I fell in love with God who calls us his children, not servants. Every day my eyes opened more, and life became more beautiful. As I read more, all my questions were answered one by one. I attended the Alpha course a few months later and it completed the structure of my faith.

Throughout my journey, I have had many good days and many bad days. My faith was tested and challenged many times. But it was different from the past. I am sure that the LORD is walking with me and has my back since he blessed me in different ways.

Throughout my journey, the testimony of one sister in faith became salt and light in my life and now I pray that one day I can be salt and light in someone else’s life. And as Jesus saved me, I can introduce him to the others such as my family who I care about deeply.

My entire life has changed when I believed in Jesus, who said “I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE” - John 14:6.

I pray for everyone to be found and saved by Jesus.

“Amen”

Prayer Items: 

• According to Canada's 2021 census data, there were more than 213,000 Iranians living in Canada. Over 90 per cent of the people in Canada who are of Iranian heritage live in the Greater Toronto Area, Greater Vancouver Area and Greater Montréal.
• Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to reach out and share the love of Christ with them.
• Pray that God will raise up faithful intercessors who will stand in the gap for the Persians.
• Ask God to strengthen, encourage, and protect the formerly Muslim Persians who have come to faith in Christ.
• Pray their traditional Muslim culture will soften, creating open doors for the Gospel to be preached among them.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to open the hearts of the Persian people towards Christians so that they will be receptive to the Gospel.
• Ask the Lord to raise up strong local churches among the Persians.

Prayercast is a website dedicated to activating prayer around the world. For prayer resources on Farsi-Speaking Persian Muslim peoples, click HERE.