The street is empty; there are just a few shopkeepers about, raising their shutters or refreshing their stalls in the hazy morning sun. Two hours from now this street will be bustling with people, stocking up on supplies and bartering for goods.    

I open my shop with anticipation at what the day has in store for me, the people I’ll meet and the conversations I’ll have. I have a renewed purpose these days; a pressing motivation to share the hope that I’ve found with everyone I meet. There was a time when my shop was just a shop, but now it’s a place of encounter.

I see opportunity after opportunity to share the love I’ve found in Christ. 

The open book 

I can’t quite remember what it was that made me want to click on the online advert I saw for a Discovery Bible Course (DBC). My inherited faith is Islam; I’d grown up familiar with the Qur’an and Muslim practices, but for some reason on that day two years ago, something in me wanted to find out more about the Bible.  

I started off reading the Bible with people in an online group, and then with believers in person. We followed the simple DBC method: reading a passage together, re-describing the events in our own words, discussing what it tells us about God and His plan, what it reveals about us, and deciding how we should respond.

The experience was life changing. In the pages of the Bible I discovered a God who loved me enough to die for me. I knew I would never be the same.  

My whole life has been reoriented. And it’s not just a private thing, I can’t help but share the love I’ve found. People know me as the one who loves and lives Jesus.  

 
The open door  

The shop door creaks open. My first customer of the day. It’s my dear friend, Emir*. We embrace and greet each other, like long lost friends, even though we saw each other yesterday! I’ve often spoken to Emir about Jesus, but he remains unconvinced. Though today he’s come to tell me that his son wants to accept my invitation to join the DBC I’ve started hosting. What a start to the day!

God is at work in my community - so many people are joining me to read the Bible and many more are intrigued by the conversations we have. For Emir, and others who remain unsure, I continue to pray and share God’s love – my door is open and so is His.

 

Could you pray for 30 days for your Muslim neighbours? Join us in prayer through the Muslim festival of Ramadan, from 22nd March to 21st April.

Find out more about 30 days of prayer