Pray4Pashtuns Ramadan2024

Day 19-Kingdom Spread: Open Hearts and Open Doors

• That believers around the world would be willing to use their skills among the Pashtuns and leave behind comfort, wealth, and safety for the sake of God’s glory.
• That strongholds like fear, oppression, pride, and despair would be broken in Jesus’ name so that Pashtuns would have open hearts to hear the gospel and believe.
• That God would draw whole families to himself, so they can encourage each other and worship together.

Consider these verses as you pray for open hearts and doors:PSALM 24:7: 1 CORINTHIANS 16:9; REVELATION 3:20

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Gulalai ran to me as I entered the studio. After exchanging greetings, I noticed her tears. She is my most confident, skilled, and compassionate employee. Our clients love her! But here she was—her joy and confidence shattered as she grieved over the most recent explosion. “Things aren’t good here. We aren’t living right. People are dying in explosions; husbands are beating their wives and children; families are starving. This can’t be the way! Is there a right path for us? Or is this how it will always be?”

Like many Pashtuns in the homelands [Afghanistan and Pakistan], Gulalai has been crying out for change. Though no one may see or hear her cry, our Father keeps track of her sorrows. And while hopelessness and helplessness seem to pervade the land, God is opening doors for Pashtuns to hear the good news! It is not just our neighbors who open their doors to us gospel workers. They’re the people we buy our vegetables from, or the students in our class. They’re our patients, coworkers, taxi drivers, and their families.

Open Hearts

Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He is stealing sight by blinding Pashtun eyes to truth; killing hope by pouring out despair through war, poverty, and revenge; and destroying opportunities for Pashtuns to encounter followers of Christ. Without an opportunity to explore the truth in scripture, Pashtuns young and old are conditioned to believe it is corrupted and are taught to defend Islam. Jesus came so that we may have life—abundant life! God is opening Pashtun hearts to hear the word and receive it like the fourth soil we read about in Matthew 13. Prayer is needed for Christians to meet and share with open-hearted Pashtuns. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. Acts 16:14

Open Doors

Before we encounter open hearts, we must walk through open doors to bring the gospel to the Pashtuns. While many countries with unreached and unengaged peoples may allow cross-cultural workers to stay on a tourist or missionary visa, work in the Pashtun homelands requires creative access. God has opened doors in areas such as business, engineering, development, healthcare, education, and linguistics. These professions can be a redemptive pathway into homes and hearts as Christians honor God in their work.

Ultimately, the Holy Spirit is the only one who can open the Pashtun homelands for gospel workers to share Christ, whether they are foreign or local. We look to him to open doors and hearts! When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me. 2 Corinthians 2:12