Secret Believers …
The real cost of following Jesus
For a former Muslim, becoming a believer in the Messiah is more than simply changing religion. In leaving Islam, the person has left his identity. The consequences of this choice are terrible: new believers are often rejected by other Muslims, and their family, and sometimes they are forced to divorce and they lose their children. They can lose their inheritance, their employment, their lodging, sometimes they receive death threats and some are actually killed. In many cases they are obliged to live their new faith in secret because of the fear of persecution. They become real “secret believers.” Many are isolated, and it is very difficult for them to persevere in their faith. The new believer needs a new identity.
In Islamic countries new believers in the Messiah from a Muslim background can experience very dramatic situations. According to Islamic law, the sharia, it is forbidden for a Muslim to change religion. In Saudi Arabia, Iran, the Maldive Islands, Afghanistan and Yemen people can be subject to the death penalty if it is discovered that they have changed religion. However, death threats do not always come from governments. In Afghanistan and generally in the countries of the former Soviet Union, the family of a new believer will sometimes try to save their honour by shedding blood (it is considered shameful for the family for someone to leave Islam and become a member of another faith). In Somalia Islamic fundamentalists will hunt down new believers to put them to death. For more information see the web site: Secret Believers (opens in a new window).
Prayer Starters:
- Pray for the secret believers who are even now facing the possibility of death. May God protect them.
- Pray for their families that they also may be attracted to the light of Christ. Pray that there would be a change of mentality so that Muslims can accept believers in the Messiah as honourable members of society.
- Pray that the situation of the secret believers would be better known and that believers all over the world could give them help.
- Explain to your children about the freedom you have and ask them to pray for a secret person.
Testimony of a secret believer:
Even after coming to faith in Jesus in our passport it is always written that we are Muslims because it is legally forbidden to modify it. One is supposed to present it everywhere. I am very happy that my husband did not lose his job when his employer learned that he had become a follower of Jesus.
The Persecuted Church from Nudge Media on Vimeo.
First time for some years that I’ve joined prayer for the Muslim world. Just starting and I sense that God is already doing something in me.
Being a secret Believer is not a shame but often needed until a strong foundation is laid. Jesus often commanded people to stay silent, not telling what He had done or said. There are many silent Believers all over the nations that need just to stand and trust in the Lord. This is well known in Heaven and they have a special protection and blessing. I just want encourage every secret Believer to trust in the Lord and to stand firm until He, the Lord Himself, will lead them to be witness about His Power, Holy Spirit in them. I thank God for every secret Believer that is transformed into a Prayer Warrior. This is only what he, or she can do, and must do for the Kingdom of God. Better to have a secret Believer that pray as a death believer, amen.
As I’m going over email to delete old ones, I just wanted to thank you, Ester for your comment about trusting the Lord and stand firm. God’s Spirit will transform secret Believers and at the right time lead them to be a witness.
Well I know Christian families that if one of them changed their religion, they would be disowned. Lets not pretend we are above that.
We are mobilizing christians living in our country to intercede in favor of our “secret fellow-believers” hidden in spiritual fortresses.May the all-knowing God protect them as He did with 7,000 other prophets in Israel who have never bowed to another God in the time of Elijah (1Kings 19:18) SNM, RD Congo,Central Africa
For quite a long time God has been showing me that through rape, abduction, forced intermarrying etc, there is much Godly seed in the Muslim communities… it may be bound at the moment – but it IS there!
I have felt led to pray that every seed planted by our Heavenly Father will be watered at just the right time – and that it will bear much fruit! He has already taken all captivity captive! We have no idea what the Lord has planted through the different generations, that is just there waiting to blossom in the right conditions.
I pray that He will redeem the time – redeem the opportunites – redeem the giftings and annointings He has placed in families within the Muslim communities right now – that there will be a breaking forth and a breaking out. I pray that the Body of Christ itself will have eyes to see and ears to hear what the Lord is saying in this regard, and get rid of any fear lurking in our hearts towards our Muslim brothers and sisters – fear which will snuff out prayer and set up a barrier to Godly communication. May God forgive us for our own wasted opportunities to minister and encourage our Muslim neighbours.
many thanks for this reminder!
There is a “secret believer” on my prayer team – right here in America! He has been a believer for several years now, but his Muslim family does not know yet. They are coming to the US soon, so he will have to tell them then. Please lift up this brother in prayer as well. Fear is very strong, but God’s power & love can overcome it.
I am not Muslim. I come from a family that went to church every other Sunday, but we were only nominal. When I accepted Jesus and became a believer in 1995, my father was not thrilled. So I became a secret believer. When he learned I continued with the christian faith, our relationship went downhill and now we have stopped talking for almost 3 years now. He felt that switching to another faith brought shame to the family. I was only switching from Catholicism. So I can imagine what it is like for a Muslim convert. I will pray for this brother that his whole household will be saved.