During the days of the Ottoman Empire, Turks spread out to lands they conquered, including modern day Moldova. When this empire was crumbling in the early 20th century, most Turks returned to what is now Turkey, so the Turkish population in Moldova is small.
The Turks are among the small Muslim communities in Moldova. Muslims congregate together not only for prayer but for social activities, especially after 2007 when the Moldovan parliament passed a law that allowed for freedom of religion. The Turkish population in Moldova is so small that they seem to have escaped detection as an individual community.
The Turks are nominally Sunni Muslim, believing in one god (Allah), and an eternal heaven and hell. "Sunni," is derived from the Islamic term, sunnah, which means "well-trodden path." Sunnis believe that the correct path is that of the majority. Therefore, the tradition of the Sunni is political conformism, though the Turks have been more flexible than many of their Muslim neighbors. Other Turks are more secular in their beliefs, though they visit the mosque for special events. Some also hold to pre-Islamic beliefs as well. For example, some believe that men have the power to curse others by giving them the "evil eye."
Although the Turks have Christian resources (both the Bible and the JESUS Film have been translated into Turkish) available to them in their language and mission agencies have worked among them, they remain strongly Muslim. Prayer alone has the power to break through the strongholds of Islam. Intercessors are needed to daily stand in the gap and pray for the salvation of these precious people.
Pray for the fervent believers to reach out in faith and love to the Muslim Turks among them. Pray for a spiritual hunger among Turks that will be satisfied by none other than the only Savior, Jesus Christ. Pray for a Disciple Making Movement among Turks to spread far and wide.
Scripture Prayers for the Turk in Moldova.
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
