I met Ellen in a chance encounter at an Indian restaurant in the US.
It happened just before my family and I moved overseas to live among an unengaged Muslim people group. Ellen had a heart to serve and told us she would pray for our ministry. She loved visiting missionaries on the field and always used her vacation time to go and bless long-term field workers like us.
We didn’t think we’d see Ellen again. But she stayed in touch with us. And two months after we landed in our new country, Ellen came and visited. That trip sealed her heart for the Muslim people of our country.
Little did Ellen know that she would venture back to our city three more times. On each visit, she brought more people to come and pray in our Muslim neighborhood.
Ellen often prayed for God to lead us to persons of peace—men and women who open doors for us to share the message of the Gospel.
On Ellen’s fourth visit, God answered her prayer.
We had just shown Ellen and her team the new location at our business, a therapy center for people with disabilities. Ellen and another team member took a moment to walk and pray along the street.
As they were coming back, it happened—a divine appointment and the answer to her prayer.
A man named Zaydan was returning to his home in a building next to our business. Ellen greeted him. After a few moments of conversation, he invited her and the rest of us into his home.
Zaydan introduced us to his family and served us tea. Then he told us about his long career as head of the police over the entire region. He was well known and highly respected throughout the state. When he asked about our business, I described our goal to bless the most vulnerable people in the community.
Zaydan immediately pulled out his phone. He started calling his friends and professional acquaintances—doctors, nurses, and social workers. He instructed them to come to our business within the next week. “Help them with whatever they need,” he told each of these influential people.
In the days that followed, strangers started showing up at the business. “We’ll help you any way we can,” many of them told us.
One of Zaydan’s friends even organized an inauguration for us. He invited a hundred medical professionals and business people who could help promote the services provided through our business.
We rejoice in the divine appointment with Zaydan—which God orchestrated through Ellen’s obedient, faithful, and persistent prayers. It’s helping the success of our business. And It has opened so many opportunities to share the Gospel.
We pray that many will discover Jesus Christ as Savior through Ellen’s faithfulness.
And we pray for God to raise up even more prayerful men and women whose intercession will move mountains in Muslim communities.
**This account comes from a long-term worker. Names and places have been changed for security.**
Original article: https://www.frontiersusa.org/blog/article/when-god-calls-you-to-pray
