We are a ministry rooted in the reformed faith that offers resources on grief, autism, alcoholism, terminal illness and life crises, as well as hope and help for daily life.

Dear Pastor Betters,

I have two dear Muslim friends who are going to visit and stay with me for a while.  Being devoted and obedient Muslims, they pray five times in a day, wearing their Muslim prayers costumes and stand on their prayers rug which direction should be in the same way of the "kaabah" in Mecca.  Being Christian, I don't want my house to be the place of any non-Christian prayers even for any single time but if I tell them this, they might get disappointed and will ruin our close friendship.  They have saved their money to fly all the way from Indonesia to Canada to visit me.  I need your advice, please. 

Thank you. 

Vajra  

Pastor Betters responds:

Vajra, 

It seems to me this is a great opportunity for you to show them your world. Perhaps you can invite them to join you as you lead in prayer for the meals you eat. Maybe you can have them join you as you lead your family in evening prayers. You must show them the love of the Christ you serve. Where I would draw the line is if they expect you to be exposed to their prayer time. For example, they should respect that yours is a Christian home. So their prayer times should take place in private like a bedroom.  On another note, isn’t it sad that we Christians do not have the same discipline in our prayer lives as they do? For you, it is a given that they will pray 5 times a day. I wonder what most Muslims expect when they enter most of our homes.

In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

This message is not meant to serve as or supplant personal counseling. Neither Dr. Betters nor MARKINC Ministries, its employees, directors, or volunteers will be held responsible for the inquirer's interpretation and application of the contents of this e-mail.

 You may submit a question to Pastor Betters by clicking here.

There is no guarantee that your question will be used, and by submitting a question, you agree that, if your question chosen, we may post it on our site. Your name will not be used without your express written consent.