(True story from 30 Days of Prayer For The Muslim World) “Deir al Balah in the Gaza Strip has been a frequent political target, but for Shireen, it was home. A daughter in a family of ten, she was luckier than some, eventually being able to study at Al-Azhar University in Gaza. When she met Christians who not only brought relief supplies, but also the Word of God, her life was transformed and she became a believer in Jesus.
Shireen eventually married a Muslim Palestinian who treated her poorly. She was ignored and left to fend for herself and her children when he was jailed for debt. The desperate situations in Gaza often meant she and the children would go for days without food, and her mother’s heart had to listen to them crying themselves to sleep. She longed to escape. But God changed her heart, and she said, “…at this point, Jesus has called me to be a woman of God in the Gaza Strip. I am needed here and have this special assignment from God. My little sister loves Jesus now and we pray together and share Bible verses, and I tell others about how to find eternal life in Jesus in a place that is known for death.”
Believers around the world prayed for her husband, Mahmoud, who had expressed no interest in Jesus at this point. Then, seemingly miraculously, Mahmoud had a powerful conversion experience. He became an attentive husband and often texted verses saying they were “quotes from my four best friends: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John!” Mahmoud has been badly beaten for his faith, but he rejects sympathy saying, “The only question we should ask is if my scars have conformed me more to the image of Christ.”
You can read more of Shireen’s backstory in the book “Women Who Risk” by Tom and Joann Doyle. In the meantime, PLEASE PRAY:
-Ask Jesus to reveal Himself in dreams and visions to the people in Gaza.
-Pray for peace in Gaza and for the humanitarian crisis to be resolved.
-Pray for Palestinian believers to be prophets and apostles to their own people.