FAITHFUL WITNESS

PRAYER BREAKS OUT WILDLY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

BY AMY BAREHAM CHAPMAN

In the gospel of Luke, crowds assemble around Jesus as he begins:

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine…and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? (Luke 15:3-4, NIV)

It’s clear Jesus is asking a rhetorical question. “Doesn’t the shepherd pursue that one errant sheep at all costs?” Of course!

And yet…as a Christian reading this parable in an age tormented by distraction and dictated by efficiency, it is tempting to respond, “I’d cut my losses. I’d be quite pleased with the 99, actually.”

Fortunately, the King of kings is a kind and gracious ruler, offering immeasurable joy in return for slowing down. He prizes the restoration of the lost. This joy burst forth recently, in a Middle Eastern city where Faithful Witness has placed Abigail*.

On an early morning walk, Abigail came across a small boy playing in the gravel. Something about him resonated with her, and she later prayed for the Lord to make their paths cross again.

One day, Abigail and a friend went searching for the boy. She writes, “Finally, Father God led us to the boy, by which time, half the community seemed to have joined us and, to the mother’s shock, we all poured into her little house uninvited. I tried to explain how we had been looking for her son. She was absolutely bewildered!”

Abigail gathered that the boy’s mother had been widowed when her husband died from Covid-19. Now, she was struggling to care for her young children.

During their conversation, more and more people curious crammed into the home. Abigail offered to pray for the mother and her son.

“Suddenly, the room erupted, and all the kids were pushing forward to be prayed for – even the old ladies, too,” said Abigail.

“We tried to do one general prayer for all, but they wanted individual attention, so we prayed for each one. It was wild, unorthodox, but so amazing to sense the Holy Spirit working! When we finally pushed our way out through the door, we were escorted along the street by clapping and cheering children.”

It would have been easy to miss the boy playing in the dirt, and easier still, to notice him but not think much of him.

The Lord, with great compassion, made Abigail aware and then helped her choose obedience. When a believer’s heart is aligned with the Good Shepherd, their pursuit of the missing one is not a fool’s errand but a lavish demonstration of unconditional love.

Since that first visit, Abigail has returned to the little boy’s home (with less commotion) and encouraged his mother. Now, she prays for opportunities to share the gospel with this family so she can rejoice with the ninety-nine when they return to God’s flock.

PLEASE PRAY

• For Abigail’s ministry; she is the first Faithful Witness worker in her area and hopes new team members will join her

• For the boy and his family - may they be receptive to Abigail and open to the gospel

• For Christians living in the Middle East. Ask God to shield them from harm as they shine his light in the darkness