Let Down Your Nets

"I will let down the net..."

After 25 years of strenuous labor and little fruit, Dr. Zwemer, the first missionary of his time to work among the Islamic peoples of Arabia, was invited to speak at an evangelistic conference in England. He began with this story:

“Master we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word, I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net broke. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink (Luke 5:5-7, KJV).”

Dr. Zwemer explained that he had labored “all night” in the Muslim world, and could count, on his fingers, the number of Muslims that had put their faith in Jesus. He went on to say that he was confident, with faithful obedience to Christ’s command, that there would be a time when so many Muslims would come to Christ, that there would not be enough room in churches to hold them. When the people listening asked Dr. Zwemer what they could do, he answered, “Pray!”

The Importance of Prayer

Today, we are living on the brink of the “Age of Broken Nets.” Movements of Muslim people groups to Jesus are happening all around the world. According to leading researcher and Muslim Ministry expert David Garrison , more Muslims have turned to follow Jesus in the last 50 years than in the previous 1300 years*.