Farzana has invited you to her home for tea. You are thrilled about this divine appointment but wonder what you will talk about. Take heart. Many Christian women have questioned the same thing. I did at one time, too.
Farzana is a Muslim woman who has not yet evidenced any spiritual hunger. She just wants to chat and visit with you. She is not ready for a lengthy spiritual discussion, nor a Bible ‘study’. I have developed this Conversation Idea link to help you explore the possibilities of conversation topics. Both of you will get to know each other better. The conversation ideas are not in any particular order. If you notice Farzana is not interested in that topic just leave it. They are simply ideas and undoubtedly you will come up with your own ideas, too. I have included numerous questions with each topic. You can choose which questions to ask. At the end of most conversation ideas are exploratory pre-evangelistic questions or thoughts. Often these exploratory thoughts are aimed at laying a foundation of Jehovah God’s character. Islam portrays many of Allah’s attributes in a different way. She may or may not be ready to go there but you could try. When we meet a Muslim woman it’s important to develop a loving trusting friendship with her. Our Western way is to dive into sharing the Gospel immediately but she won’t usually be ready for that for some time. The Spirit is preparing the way.
It isn’t my intention to let these conversation ideas take the place of the work of the Holy Spirit. Don’t let these ideas get in the way of hearing Him speak or lead. If they can be of assistance in equipping you, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I will be encouraged.
Enjoy your visits with Farzana!
AWM (Arab World Ministries)
Learning the Ropes is a series of reflections on effective Muslim ministry.