Safuan stepped into his home and smelled savory fried rice sizzling in the kitchen. His wife Latifa stood at the stove, stirring their dinner, which would surely taste as rich and spicy as its aroma.

As Latifa worked, her lips moved silently. He’d seen her like this before—praying at any and every time of day. Since she started following Jesus, she no longer joined Safuan at the call to prayer but spoke to God like they were friends.

Safuan looked away with a frown. He loved his wife of more than a decade, but three years ago, she’d befriended some foreigners and begun reading the Injil with them.

Safuan had not tried to convince her to stop. After all, Latifa was a smart and insightful woman. He’d been almost certain she wouldn’t turn her back on Islam—until she had. One day, she’d told him she wanted to follow Jesus.

She often returned to their home after meeting with her friends and talked about what she’d learned. But no matter how much she shared about Jesus, he couldn’t understand.

Late one night, Safuan woke with a start. Latifa wasn’t in bed, but he heard her whispering in the other room. She was praying for him, something she had started to do after placing her faith in Jesus.

Maybe Latifa was right about this prophet. He seemed to have changed her life. Safuan decided to talk with some of Latifa’s friends. He needed to know more.

The next day, he reached out to Taylor, a Frontiers worker married to Latifa’s friend. They planned to meet and talk about the Bible.

For the next six weeks, the two men read through passages of the Injil. Safuan loved the stories about Jesus and the wisdom He spoke, but he still didn’t know if they were true.

One evening, Safuan and Taylor read Matthew 7 at a local restaurant. Soon, their appetizers lay forgotten on the table as they argued about the truth.

“It can’t be that easy,” Safuan insisted. “You can’t just ask God for what you need. You must earn it.”

“Can we ever deserve blessings in light of our sin?” Taylor countered. “Jesus says if you ask for good gifts, God hears you and will give you what you need. As a good father does.”

The thought stung. Safuan hadn’t spoken to his own father in years—only a few times since his dad had left them to start a new family.

Just as he opened his mouth to tell Taylor that life didn’t work that way, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

It was his father.

Frowning at the screen, Safuan considered putting it back out of sight. But curiosity prompted him to answer.

“Safuan, I need your help,” his dad began. “Your brother Vihaan has been in a serious car accident. He’s at the hospital, and you’re the only person I know in the city.”

Safuan’s chest tightened. After two decades of near silence, his dad was calling to ask for a favor. Safuan had only met his half-brother once. Why should he be the one to take care of him? But his sense of duty compelled him to help.

Turning to Taylor, Safuan said, “I have to go.”

“I’ll be praying for you, my friend,” Taylor called after him.

At the hospital, Safuan rushed to the receptionist and asked to see Vihaan.

“He is unable to speak right now,” she said. “He needs surgery to save his life.” Then she told him the required down payment. His heart sank because they could never afford that much. His brother would not survive, and the wedge between Safuan and his father would only grow.

As he dropped into a nearby chair, Latifa arrived. He told her about the cost of the surgery and hung his head. It was helpless.

“Let’s pray about it,” Latifa said. “Jesus knows our need. He can answer it.”

Without any other option, Safuan agreed. In the lobby of the hospital, he called out to Jesus for the first time.

Suddenly, peace began to fill him. The worry that weighed on his shoulders lifted. Then, his phone rang.

He could hardly believe the words of his friend on the other side of the call. “I heard about your brother’s accident. And God just woke me up from a dream where He told me I needed to help you. I’ll pay for his surgery.”

Safuan was too stunned to offer more than his thanks. After hanging up, he turned to Latifa. “I didn’t think Jesus answered prayers so quickly.”

“He doesn’t always,” Latifa said, smiling. “But He does provide what we need when we need it.”

In the following days, Safuan navigated many challenges caring for his brother. With every new hurdle, he prayed to Jesus. The peace that had flooded him in the hospital continued to grow, filling him with unexpected joy and forgiveness toward his father.

“Is it normal that I feel so calm?” Safuan asked. “I haven’t lost my patience even once while talking with my dad.”

“I know!” she said, suppressing a laugh at his confusion. “Jesus is changing you too.”

After three weeks of managing his brother’s health crisis, Safuan called Taylor. “Jesus has given me His peace and shown me that He has the power to answer my prayers,” Safuan said. “I am ready to put my trust in Him.”

Taylor and his wife celebrated the wonderful news. But no one was more excited than Latifa, who had spent years praying that her husband would experience the depth of the Lord’s love and grace.

Soon after declaring his faith in Jesus, Safuan was baptized. After further discipleship, he and his wife have decided to step into full-time ministry. God is continuing to move in Safuan’s life, revealing Himself to be the source of hope and peace he needed.

Pray:

• Pray that Muslim-background believers will pray persistently for their spouses.
• Ask God to meet seeking Muslim men and women in their place of need.
• Praise God for these new brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray that they will continue learning about Jesus and studying the Word with Frontiers field workers.

**This account comes from a long-term worker. Names and places have been changed for security.**

Main photo on iStock: Alex Liew

Original article: https://frontiersusa.org/blog/unexplainable-peace/