Ramadan is the most significant time of the year for Muslims around the world.
For 30 days, they seek to refocus their devotion to Islam while fasting from all food and drink from sunrise to sunset.
Below are five reasons why it’s also a critical time for followers of Jesus to be praying for Muslim men, women, and children.
1. Ramadan is a spiritually significant month.
The fast of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Some Muslims might treat the fast as little more than an attempt to earn merit with God through their works. They view it as a religious obligation.
For others, it’s a chance to seek God and cleanse their hearts.
Regardless of their approach to fasting, all Muslims have the same desperate need to know Jesus Christ as Savior.
Take Action: Pray for Muslims to encounter the truth of the Gospel in the intensified spiritual atmosphere of Ramadan.
2. Ramadan is a cultural event.
With its traditions and special foods, Ramadan feels festive—much like Christmastime for Christians.
Foods and traditions vary between countries. In Morocco, many Muslims break their fast with dates, milk, pastries, and harira, a hearty chickpea soup. In India, many people break their fast with samosas, curries, and fruit.
Each day of Ramadan, the fast begins just before dawn with the first call to prayer. In some communities, a person is appointed to walk through the streets in the middle of the night, shouting to alert families to eat their pre-dawn meal. Other neighborhoods might wake up to young men running through the streets banging on pots and pans.
In many countries, cannons are fired at sunset to notify people that it’s time to break their fast.
Take Action: Think about your own cultural traditions surrounding Thanksgiving and Christmas. How might your feelings about these traditions be similar to what Muslims feel about Ramadan?
3. Ramadan is physically taxing.
Tempers ignite much more quickly during Ramadan—particularly as the day wears on. This is no surprise, since people haven’t had anything to eat or drink since before dawn. Fasting especially difficult during the long, hot days of summer.
During the first few days, people experience the most discomfort as their bodies adjust to being deprived of food and drink during the day.
Take Action: Ask God to reveal Himself to Muslim men and women as they face their own physical limitations.
4. Ramadan disrupts normal routines.
Those who fast find it difficult to focus, study, or work. One way to cope with the rigors of the fast is by shifting daytime activities to nighttime. Many will try to sleep the day away until fast break, and businesses may stay closed until after sunset.
After a long day with no food and water, Muslims eat a simple “breakfast” at sunset. A larger “lunch” is consumed several hours later around 9:00 PM, and “dinner” is served just before the first call to prayer at dawn.
Between these nighttime meals, the streets may be filled with people shopping, kids playing, and friends visiting.
Take Action: Consider disrupting your routine by spending a day, or part of a day, in prayer and fasting for Muslims to discover Jesus Christ.
5. Ramadan is full of Gospel opportunity.
Field workers report that the heightened spirituality of Ramadan gives them special opportunities to share Jesus with Muslims. It’s a critical month for Frontiers workers as they spend time with Muslims and share the Gospel.
Take Action: Join in praying for Muslims around the world to encounter the truth of the Gospel and discover eternal salvation in Christ.
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