Love in the Face of ISIS

Thousands have been persecuted and martyred by this network of Islamic terrorists, and their violence continues to escalate. Many Christians find themselves feeling powerless and afraid. Love in the Face of ISIS exposes the spirit behind this extremist group, providing seven specific prayer strategies to effect real change in Middle East—and in your  circumstances at home.

“God will equip you to excel in the assignments He's placed in your hands.”

I sat attentively in a workshop with eight other writers. We had just listened to a presentation on “The Power of Your Premise”—how to write that all-important pitch which will hook a publisher into championing your project and bring your book to life. Now it was our turn to put what we learned into practice. Divided into groups of three, our facilitator gave each team a topic of her choosing, for which we were to come up with an eye-catching title and a compelling premise statement.

The first group was assigned to write on a current event. The second group was received a fun and frivolous assignment.  My group received the topic of a sobering world event—ISIS and the Middle East. The facilitator had no idea that in just a few weeks time, my husband Gabriel and I would be in Jordan to meet with Iraqi Christians who had fled the clutches of ISIS. But God knew.

Immediately, I had a picture in my mind of looking at the earth from God’s perspective. I knew this would be a book of prayer strategies—prayers spoken in agreement with God’s heart. Our group set to work on developing the title and premise statement. When we finished, I looked at what we had written and thought, That’s a book I would love to read! The next thought that entered my mind completely shocked me. That’s a book I think I should write.

That one eventful class put into motion a series of miraculous, God-appointed open doors. Within one month, I received an email from Chosen Books with a contract for the book title, Love in the Face of ISIS—with a pending deadline just twelve weeks away. I felt like David the shepherd boy facing Goliath the giant. I didn’t feel qualified to write on this subject. I wasn’t an expert on the Middle East and I wasn’t an expert on prayer. This wasn’t a topic that had been burning on my heart. And yet…in that moment, I knew that God had positioned me to be the one to listen to His voice and to bring His hope into this hopeless situation. Each day before I began to write, I asked the Lord to make my heart like His. I asked for His wisdom and His direction. A blank white page can be a daunting challenge. I asked Him for His words. And each day, I saw miracles take place in front of my eyes. Twelve weeks later, Love in the Face of ISIS was complete.

Through prayer, the impossible became possible.

You may feel unqualified to carry the assignments God has given to you. Don't give up! You've been chosen because you've earned His trust. God will equip you to excel in the assignments He's placed in your hands. Simply ask.