The opportunity to share the Gospel is not always something we can see coming, which means we don’t always have the time to prepare for it! However, as a disciple of Jesus, you should always be prepared to share the Good News!

Sharing the Gospel with your Muslim friend will be a different experience than sharing the Gospel with a friend who is, say, an atheist or agnostic. For your Muslim friend, Islam affects their entire life; it is everything to them and impacts every sphere. They may be so passionate about Islam that they may try to get you to convert to Islam!

Remember, you are not trying to convert your friend to a religion. You are trying to share the Good News with them! This is not achieved by winning arguments, but by sharing the truth in love.

How to prepare your heart for sharing the Gospel with a Muslim friend

Personal devotions - What you speak comes from your heart (Matthew 12:34), so you need to fill your heart with God’s Word. If you want to share the Gospel with your Muslim friend, then you need to have the Gospel fresh on your heart and ready to be shared.

Prepare your heart for possibly being rejected - Even Jesus was rejected during His earthly ministry, and when He sent out His disciples, Jesus prepared them to “shake the dust off their feet” (Matthew 10:14) when leaving a town that would not receive them.

Study the Great Commission - Acts 1:8 tells us the last words Jesus said before He ascended to Heaven. He told his disciples that when the Holy Spirit came down on them, they would be witnesses to all the earth. This is part of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19), where Jesus also tells them to go into the world preaching the Good News. When we realize that we must be witnesses and we must proclaim the Gospel, this commandment moves to the top of our list and we become fervent in sharing our Lord with those who do not know Him. 

Make sure your faith is strong - When you are sharing the Gospel with a Muslim, there is a good chance that you will have some tough conversations with them. You may have to talk about heavy topics, so you need to make sure that your faith is secure and will not be swayed by their arguments. Pray and ask God to strengthen your heart and give you the eyes to see what’s from Him versus what’s not. (Ephesians 5:6-10)

Lean on the Holy Spirit - We often forget that we have the Person of God living within us and He is there to direct, lead, and provide us with the right words. Give Him the space to work in you, and ask Him for courage and love toward your Muslim friend as you get ready to share. You can practice listening for the Holy Spirit in everyday life so that as you mature in the faith, you recognize the Spirit’s leading more and more.

Pray continuously - Like Paul says, always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope that you have (1 Peter 3:15). How do you do this? By praying without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), so that your thoughts are always set on God and seeking Him in all situations.

Have support - Having a friend who can support you through this is important. Surround yourself with people solid in their faith and who will give you Godly input and council. They can help you after a tiring conversation, pray for you, and make sure you are still maintaining proper emotional boundaries with your Muslim friend.

Prayer as you prepare to share the Gospel

Dear Lord, thank you for giving me this opportunity to share the Gospel with my Muslim friend. Allow my heart to be set on Your love above all else. May your Holy Spirit give me the words to speak so that my Muslim friend can truly understand how wonderful your love is. Protect my heart from anything that is not from You. Amen.