A colleague just shared this story with us. It was such an encouragement. I hope it reminds me to keep praying for everyone and not give up on the work God is doing.

In my home country I was among the very devout. I was a fervent Muslim and had the position of an imam.

One day – it was the feast of Ramadan – I went to the mosque. I was dressed in new clean clothes, ready to do my prayers. On my way I saw the Christian sweeper who used to clean our street.

I felt sorry for him because he had to work on a day like this where everyone else was celebrating, and I de- cided to give him some money.

The man thanked me and asked whether he could pray for me. This was a surprising request and I thought: “How does this Christian want to pray for me? It is nei- ther the right time nor the right place for prayer, and when we Muslims pray, we wash ourselves and wear clean clothes. And he wants to pray with dirty hands and dirty clothes in the middle of the road!”

But I wanted to make him happy and permitted him to pray for me.

And so he prayed, “Lord, thank you for this man, for this money and for this time. God, please show him the way, the truth and the life. Amen.”

I was surprised to hear this prayer, even though it confirmed my opinion that this poor man just didn’t know how to pray the right way.

Six years later God changed my life and caused me to find the way, the truth and the life in Jesus. At that time God reminded me of the sweeper: “Do you remember how six years ago one Christian man prayed for you? This is the answer to his prayer.”

This sweeper never knew that the imam for whom he had prayed would one day become a follower of Jesus. But his prayer had been answered.

And this is why I keep encouraging other people: Pray for Muslims! Don’t give up, even if you don’t see results. You don’t know what God will do.

Lord, stir Christians to follow in the example of this humble sweeper. Touch lives and draw people to Jesus.