You might be questioning why praying during Ramadan is so important. I did until I realized the significance behind the opportunity.
What is Ramadan? Why Praying During Ramadan is So Important?
Several years ago, I visited North Africa during Ramadan. I really didn’t think anything about it but realized quickly how this religious holiday impacted our travel or more so our ability to eat.
Ramadan falls during the 9th month on the Islamic lunar calendar and is considered by Muslims to be the holiest month. During Ramadan, Muslims give alms, fast, and pray during the day then celebrate with family and feasting all night. They do this for an entire month. So our expectation of finding a restaurant open to accommodate our hunger when we arrived in Morocco was sadly unmet.
As with any “issue” there is always opportunity.
Praying During Ramadan for Muslims Brings Hope
Ramadan begins today and ends roughly around June 14!
Yall, we have an amazing opportunity to be praying during Ramadan for Muslims who are hungry to know Allah better. They will be focused on prayer, giving alms, restoring relationships and pursuing the things of God. Many will be crying out to know Allah better. What better time for us to be praying that they would come to know Jesus as their personal, Lord, and Savior!
They know Jesus is a prophet. The Koran speaks of him in this way, but like Saul, we can pray that the scales will fall from their eyes and they will come to know the one true and living God!
You can pray a simple prayer for those seeking and hungry to know God to see Him for who He really is or you can follow along with this video series for praying during Ramadan. These video prayers are great. They may even give you more of a heart for reaching out to Muslims as well! Truly, this life is all about building bridges with others and then sharing Jesus too!
You can even follow this prayer and specifically pray over each aspect observed during Ramadan.
Nabeel Qureshi, a former Muslim, went a step further than praying during Ramadan while he was alive. He would fast and even participate in the feasts, which are open to non-muslims too. He would use these moments to build bridges of relationship like Jesus did. Read more about how he viewed this as an opportunity to reach out and love people to Jesus.
Praying During Ramadan for Our Fellow Brothers & Sisters in Christ
During the time of Ramadan, our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ stick out like Daniel in his prayer window when it was forbidden to pray. They obviously do not take part in the Ramadan rituals, and are often exposed as Christians because they do not partake in the fasting or calls to prayer.
Due to their non-participation in these events, they are more likely to be harassed and discriminated against. Sadly, some radical Muslims will even take this harassment to the extreme and perpetuate physical violence or persecution against those who choose to follow Christ instead of Allah at this time.
Praying during Ramadan specifically for our brothers and sisters in Christ to be strengthened in their faith and for them to withstand any type of abuse they may receive just as Christ did is of the upmost high importance. We can pray freely and often through the next thirty days. May their strength and courage come from the Lord.
Let’s Grab Hold of this Opportunity
For the entire next month, we, as believers in Christ Jesus have an opportunity. An opportunity to not only be praying during Ramadan for Muslims to come to know God and our Lord Jesus Christ, but to be praying for the protection of our brothers and sisters in Christ ,who will be extremely noticeable as they do not partake in these celebrations.
Praying Over All Hearts
Lord, you are holy and the beyond compare! We pray for those who do not know you yet to come to know you fully and completely. We pray that they will see the amazing blessing that comes from knowing the Creator of the World personally. You are not far from us. You did not make us only to keep us arms length. Our sin has created a barrier between us but praise be to you, you sent Jesus, who took all our sins upon Him on the cross, so that our sins would no longer separate us from you! Thank you, Lord, for your immense mercy, grace, and love.
We pray that as Muslims cry out to Allah this month, that you will reveal yourself to them. May the scales fall from their eyes like they fell from Saul’s eye. May the come to realize that Jesus is more than a prophet but their salvation!
Lord, we also lift up our brothers and sister in Christ during this time. For their willingness to put you first in their lives no matter the cost, you are to be praised. We pray that their faith, courage, and trust in you will be emboldened no matter the discrimination or persecution they face. May they use these moments of facing their “enemies” as an opportunity to point them to you.
Lord, we pray that our faith will be emboldened too. May we seek you with such passion that there is no doubt where our treasure is stored. In the One who took on the sins of the world – Amen!
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