On Good Friday, 80 Christians gathered together at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie to pray for Muslims, and for opportunities to minister to Muslims.

Friday afternoons are typically a holy time for Muslims, as they attend Jumaa prayer in the Mosques. This past Friday, was Good Friday for Christians, when we embrace the power of Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross.

“Good Friday is a day of reflection of Christ’s death on the cross, that’s the issue for Muslims that Jesus died on the cross. This is bringing the real issue to the surface for prayer, on purpose, on their prayer day, which is also Christian’s prayer day,” said Rick Kronk, who attended the prayer gather, and is the author of Dreams and Visions, Muslims’ Miraculous Journey to Jesus.

For our Muslim cousins, the cross is a barrier. While Christians acknowledge the power of Jesus death on the cross for our salvation, Muslims deny the death of Jesus on the cross.

We recognize that prayer is essential to reach our Muslim neighbors.

“It’s a challenge for us in the West. We’re so rational, we’re so Western, we think we read more, know more, that’s good enough. We’ve got to pray more and be engaged in the Spiritual world, not just the academic world,” said Kronk.

We collectively interceded that God’s Spirit will break barriers down and that our Muslim cousins will learn and receive the good news of the cross and Jesus’ resurrection.

We prayed that Muslims would have dreams and visions of Jesus as Lord.

We pray that the 200,000 Muslims living in Minnesota and the 1.7 billion worldwide will recognize the cross as a symbol of love and will come to know Jesus as their Savior.

Of the 80 people who gathered to pray for Muslims, many of them were new to the idea of praying for Muslims on Fridays.

“God has been stirring a lot of things in me lately. The more I’m around others who have that same passion for Muslims, the deeper my passion becomes,” said Janis Stadler of Crosspoint Church.

“If I really am wanting to serve God and if I am interacting with Muslims, I need to mean business and take advantage of these prayer times together, showing God, ‘I really want to be used by you, God,’” said Janet Heim, of Crosspoint Church.

Here’s a starting guide as to how to Pray for Muslims:

• Pray that Muslims in the Twin Cities will hear and accept God’s salvation. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak truth to them through visions of Jesus, friendship with Christians, by hearing God’s Word through film and social media.
• Pray for the 120,000 Muslim international students to have an authentic witness in their lives and to hear the Gospel while they are here.
• Pray for the Mosques in your neighborhood and the imams, scholars, teachers and people who worship there.
• Pray that Christian believers of a Muslim background will have courage to live for Jesus despite family and community pressure and threats.
• Pray that love and compassion replace fear within the local church as it engages in Muslim outreach.
• Pray for Minnesota-based ministries that are in relationships with Muslims.
• Pray for unreached people groups worldwide (there are 107-ethno-linguistic groups that are not reached by the Gospel)
• Pray for nearly 60 million refugees and Internationally Displaced People (IDP) in the world: almost 70% are Muslim.
• Pray for Missionaries in the midst of persecution, throughout the Muslim world; and for community, friendship and perseverance during seasons of difficulty.
• Pray specifically for the Muslim friends or acquaintances you have by name, along with any of their known needs.