Divine space in my living room: kneeling with my Muslim friend
"You can watch me if you want," she said at my kitchen sink as she began her purification ritual to cleanse herself before facing Allah--washing her face, hands, arms, and feet. It was a rare moment without our kids and our bellies were full of the delicious meal we just shared.
"I will probably pray next to you, if that's okay?" I responded.
As she dressed herself in a sandstone-colored head covering, longer than her everyday hijab, and a long white skirt, I was picking up toys off my living room floor--clearing space to allow room for the different postures of prayer that I knew was about to take place.
We looked at a compass on my phone to determine the direction of Mecca--to the very degree northeast of our little city in the middle of the United States.
She confessed to me moments of impatience she had during the day and her need to repent. I asked if there were any rules regarding where I sat. She said, "It is offensive to walk in front of someone performing prayers." (The Prophet Muhammad said: “If the one who passes in front of a person who is praying knows what [a burden of sin] he bears, it would be better for him to stand for forty rather than pass in front of him.”)
As she began reciting her prayers to Allah, I knelt next to her with my hands open and quietly talked to Isa al-Masih (Jesus).
I asked Holy Spirit to fill my home that night as my dear friend performed her prayers--grasping for connection to her Creator. I asked Jesus to reveal Himself to her in dreams or a vision. I asked the Father to give her a real sense of His love for her, beyond her performances and shortcomings. I imagined as she knelt and rose up before Allah, the Holy Spirit was moving around both of us, and that Jesus would pass in front of her--crossing the sacred boundary to bear her sins.
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I also recalled to Him:
After living in friends' basements for almost 10 months when we landed Stateside in 2023, almost exactly a year ago, I was granted keys to this little duplex. A friend visited and prayed over every room of our little duplex. With no furniture or belongings—it was an empty canvas.
As I was also adjusting to single parenting, I prayed my girls and I would experience Him as our "Elim" (Exodus 15:22-27)--the oasis in our desert and He is where we find our rest and healing--He turns bitter waters sweet.
How as I shopped Facebook market and various antique shops, I asked the Holy Spirit to lead me in what to buy to furnish our home so it would be a place of peace, welcome, and rest.
As I designed my living room, I asked God to guide my decisions when I hung up decor on the walls to tell His story of rescue and healing, and for life to be felt in my placing of plants in corners of the room.
How I intentionally chose the blue area rug to depict the ocean from our overseas island home that I missed-- that reminding me of His deep and vast love--so when I laid prostrate on the floor, I could imagine my body floating in the warm waters of His presence.
That anyone who came in our home would immediately sense relief. That they can come with their burdens, their wounds, and their strivings and encounter Christ and share in our peace.
📍Gracemark📍It was in this unexpected and beautiful moment of prayer in my living room with my Indonesian Muslim friend where I realized God has truly answered prayers from 1 year ago.
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When she was done, I asked her if she ever hears back from Allah. She recalled rumors of people having had visions or sightings and she prays she gets to see Muhammad so she can be guaranteed eternal life. She explained how she has been tormented in dreams, almost seeing Muhammad, and asking Allah to reveal a little bit more. I told her the story of my friend in Asia who had a vision of Isa al-Masih welcoming her to a feast to enjoy.
I thanked her for allowing me to host her prayer time and shared how I have learned from my Muslim friends a deep reverence and the richness of practicing postures while praying to God.
Afterward, she took off her prayer garments and revealed her long beautiful hair to me. My friend is so beautiful. Her faith and desire to be connected to her Creator is beautiful. Later in prayer with other friends, we envisioned what a wonderful picture it would be to see her letting down her hair before Jesus like the woman who washed His feet with her tears and dried it with her hair.
I love my friend so much and I was so honored to experience this intimate prayer time in my home with her.
About the author: With over a decade of cross-cultural experiences, Ayla is passionate about loving people toward Jesus. Writing poetry, coffee-shop scenes, and lots of grace are what keep her going as she embraces motherhood of two littles and servanthood of the King.
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