In our 22 years in ministry, we’ve discovered over and over again that for believers in the West, the most limiting factor to sharing the gospel is often our lack of confidence! Yes, the Lord is able to use us in any and every situation, but we need to be willing to be used and aware that we can make a lasting impact on those around us.

In many of our blogs about sharing the gospel with Muslims, we emphasize the value of forming a meaningful relationship with our Muslim neighbors, but what can you do when you only have ten minutes with this person to share the gospel?

Meet Robert, a true story of a Call of Love partner

Robert and his family were getting a taxi to go to dinner together about ten minutes away. Once they got in the car, Robert’s daughter began to sing one of her favorite songs from Sunday school,  “Jesus Loves Me,” and Robert noticed that their driver, a Muslim man, was shifting around in his seat.

The driver looked at Robert and asked, “Are you Christians?”

Robert replied, “Yes, we are. Do you believe in Jesus?”

The Muslim man considered and told Robert that he knew Jesus as a prophet from the Quran. Robert knew this because he had read our posts about Islamic teachings on Jesus. He shared that Jesus was more than a prophet, that He came to pay the wages of our sins and to give us eternal life. Robert shared John 3:16 with the driver and told him that Jesus was the Son of God.  

Robert was sincere and loving as he shared. The driver was so touched, he began crying as he dropped them off at their destination. Robert and his family urged him to read the Bible, and before they left the Muslim man asked if he could hug them!

Because Robert was courageous and prepared, he could touch a Muslim man’s heart in a ten-minute taxi ride!  Here are five key steps that helped Robert be ready.

1. Prepare ahead of time

Robert has been investing time in learning about Islam and Muslims by reading our extensive library. He also spends regular time in his Bible to keep the Word fresh in his heart! These practices help Robert have a compassionate heart towards Muslims and a mission-focused mind towards non-believers. 

How can you prepare for the surprise interactions the Lord might have in store for you?

• Learn about Islam and Muslims so you have an accurate understanding of where they are coming from and a compassionate heart toward how lost they are. 
• Keep Scripture fresh in your heart 
• Pray for the Lord to give you wisdom as you go about your day and encounter people from different backgrounds. 

2. Be courageous

It would have been easy for Robert to pass up this opportunity to share the gospel simply because he was nervous or worried about the driver’s reaction. How many times have we done the same?

Instead, Robert was bold in talking to a stranger about their beliefs. As true Christ followers, we all need to have this same boldness instead of being overcome with fear about making someone uncomfortable.

Here are some blog posts we suggest reading about being bold in our evangelism:

• One fact that will make evangelism less intimidating for the rest of your life
• Stop overcomplicating evangelism: A study of when Jesus sends out the twelve in Luke 9
• Can you really share the Gospel with a Muslim you just met? A ministry to Muslims explains

3. Observe, then act

Robert noticed the way his daughter’s singing impacted the driver. It clearly made the man uncomfortable, but this didn’t mean Robert couldn’t talk to him about Christ. It showed that Robert needed to make the man feel at ease.

Sometimes, you could approach this conversation with passion, but Robert knew that if he just asked a few simple questions his driver would feel valued and not attacked.

There are certain things you can observe in a Muslim that will give you cues for your conversation:

• What is their current mood? Are they nervous, agitated, or happy? This will tell you about how to approach the topic.
• How do they respond to your questions? Is there a sense of defensiveness or are they enjoying the conversation?
• How much of their time can you take? You may have a captive audience for 5 or 10 minutes like this driver who is in the car with you, or you may both be at a dentist appointment waiting for your turn. And that is great. But you may only have 30 seconds, where all you can say is a simple encouraging sentence to bless the Muslim with, like “I pray God will bless your day.” Evaluate every situation and lean on the Holy Spirit within you to guide you.

4. Stay open-minded

Robert could have made many assumptions that would have ended this conversation before it started. We are all prone to making snap judgments based on our perceptions because we are all human, but we need to be disciplined in challenging those assumptions.

Here are some things you might assume about any Muslim you meet that might not be true:

• Talking about Jesus will not interest them– Actually, Muslims believe Jesus is a prophet, and they may be interested in hearing about what the Bible says about Him! Learn how to talk about Christ with your Muslim friend: Introducing your Muslim friends to the True Jesus
• They hate Christians, so they will not want to talk to me– We often find that Muslims believe we hate them and, therefore, will avoid engaging with us. It is up to us to prove to them that Christ-followers love them and want them to know the true God! Learn more in this post: Cultivating true friendships with Muslims 
• I should be scared of Muslims– There is a monumental difference between Islam’s teachings and the way most Muslims live their lives. It is important to recognize that most Muslims are victims of a religion that punishes them for questioning anything. You can start learning about this in this post: Shahadah: The sign of conversion to Islam and its oppressive impact 

5. Pray for opportunities

If you are not tuning your heart and eyes to be looking for opportunities to share the gospel with others, odds are you are not going to see any. Pray and ask the Lord to prepare you for these encounters and conversations so you will be filled with boldness and love when the time comes.

Prayer

Dear Lord, give me hunger to share the gospel with everyone I can. Please give me eyes to see the needs around me and  words to speak Life and Truth when you give me the opportunity. Help me be a faithful witness to you! Amen.