Joshua Project, 14 March 2023
Bathari is a language of southern Oman, but few people speak Bathari. The remainder have switched to speaking Omani Arabic, Oman’s trade language.
The Bathari people are Sunni Muslims who believe that Allah spoke through his prophet Mohammed and taught mankind how to live a righteous life through the Koran and the Hadith. They seek to live righteously according to Mohammed’s teachings. They have never understood that they need a sinless saviour.
One of the main holidays for Sunni Muslims is Eid al Adha, the celebration of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah. They already understand the value of the sacrifice of a son; this can be a connection to the ultimate sacrifice of the ultimate Son.
“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” Psalm 42:1
Pray for this kind of longing for the Lord among this people group!
The Bathari people need to put their identity in Christ, especially as they are in the process of losing their identity as a distinct people group. Pray they would have a spiritual hunger that will open their hearts to the King of kings. Pray for workers who are driven by love and by the boldness of the Holy Spirit. Pray for a disciple-making movement among them to begin soon.