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PRAYER DURING RAMADAN Each Year, Faithful Muslims Around the World Spend 30 Days Fasting and Praying During the Month of Ramadan

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PRAYER DURING RAMADAN Each Year, Faithful Muslims Around the World Spend 30 Days Fasting and Praying During the Month of Ramadan SERVING PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS WORLDWIDE 30 DAYS OF PRAYER DURING RAMADAN Each year, faithful Muslims around the world spend 30 days fasting and praying during the month of Ramadan. In places where Islam is the dominant religion, this means the entire cultural rhythm changes during the month of Ramadan. Restaurants and food shops close, business slows down to enable prayers, and fasting is expected and assumed. In a few places, Ramadan means a ratcheting up of violent attacks against Christians. The 2017 bus attack that killed at least 28 Egyptian Christians was conducted by ISIS, which specializes in terrorist attacks during Ramadan. Such extreme violence is rare, but it does happen. But for most Christians who live in Islamic regions, Ramadan simply brings increased cultural pressure—most Christians do not fast or pray during the specific times throughout Ramadan, and so they stick out. In some places, that means they are criticized or discriminated against. Their lack of participation in the surrounding cultural and religious customs makes them more noticeable— and believers are punished for it. Over the next 30 days of Ramadan, we have the opportunity to stand with 1 30 DAYS OF PRAYER DURING RAMADAN our brothers and sisters around the world in prayer—asking God to protect and bless believers living and worshiping in places where their faith in Jesus makes them stand out this month. We also have the opportunity to pray for Muslims; Ramadan is all about seeking after God, and so we ask that God will reveal His true self through Jesus to Muslims who are searching! And finally, we have the chance to remind fellow Christians they aren’t alone—that God has not left them and that He will give them the courage and boldness to stand for Him and His gospel. Each page of this special prayer journal will remind you to pray for a particular region or situation. There is a page for each day of Ramadan, a place to write out your prayers and a passage of Scripture on which to meditate (all Scripture passages are New International Version, unless indicated otherwise). Your brothers and sisters are grateful for your prayers, and we ask that God will do mighty works during this month of pressure. *Throughout this prayer journal, asterisks indicate the name or photo has been changed to protect identities 2 30 DAYS OF PRAYER DURING RAMADAN WHAT IS RAMADAN? Ramadan refers to the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, when Muslims believe the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. It is a month of fasting and prayer for Muslims all over the world. Muslims are required to refrain from food or drink (including water) from dawn until dusk. Islam teaches that good deeds and prayers during Ramadan are especially effective, and that during the month, the gates of heaven are opened while hell is locked up. Muslims are expected to give to charity during the month of Ramadan as well. The month is ended by a day of feasting called Eid al-Fitr. 3 30 DAYS OF PRAYER DURING RAMADAN DAY 1: 30 DAYS OF PRAYER MIDDLE EAST: RAMADAN BRINGS EXCITEMENT The start of Ramadan brings a lot of excitement to Muslims in the Middle East. In Islamic societies, you can almost feel Ramadan approaching, similar to how in some places you can sense Christmas getting closer. Colorful Ramadan lamps can be seen, and some shops are decorated. It reminds the Christians in those societies of the coming period where they will be looked down upon by Muslims when they see them not joining the fasting, when they could meet harassment in the streets, at work or at school. They could even face violence. Pray for peace in the hearts of the Christians. Pray that the Lord will give them wisdom to know how to act in the coming weeks. PRAYER __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves His child as well. —1 John 5:1 4 30 DAYS OF PRAYER DURING RAMADAN DAY 2: 30 DAYS OF PRAYER MIDDLE EAST: PRAYING FOR FELLOW CITIZENS During Ramadan, many Christians in the Middle East are daily reminded to pray for their Muslim neighbors. They know that Muslims see the time of Ramadan as a time to search for God and dedicate themselves to Him. Pray that many Muslims will find God in this period of fasting. Pray that God will bring people, television or radio programs, or just the right websites to their search. Pray that many Muslims will meet with the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. PRAYER __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. —Psalm 31:15 5 30 DAYS OF PRAYER DURING RAMADAN DAY 3: 30 DAYS OF PRAYER BRUNEI: GUIDANCE NEEDED DURING RAMADAN Pray for God to guide new believers like Victoria*. Since conversion from Islam is illegal in Brunei, and can mean expulsion from families or even forced divorces, Christians from a Muslim background often have to maintain an outward appearance as a Muslim. This can be especially difficult during Ramadan because of all the religious rituals, customs and practices that are observed. Many converts remain “hidden believers”—at least until they are grounded firmly enough in the faith. They know that once their faith is known, they will suffer persecution. PRAYER __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? —Romans 8:35 6 30 DAYS OF PRAYER DURING RAMADAN DAY 4: 30 DAYS OF PRAYER KAZAKHSTAN: FROM BETRAYER TO FOLLOWER Roman* was a Muslim who decided to visit a Christian church during Ramadan to confront and taunt “betrayers of the real faith” during Ramadan. “By ‘betrayers,’ I meant ‘Christians with a Muslim background,’ he explains. “I decided to go to the church service during Ramadan because I considered myself to be a devout Muslim. I wanted to prove my faith to Allah.” The church service started, but Roman couldn’t force himself to stand up and cause a scene. The words he heard touched him too much. “For the first time, I heard about a God who loved me,” he remembers. “I never knew that the almighty God loved me even though I was not perfect. That thought seriously never entered my mind. I always felt guilty. I felt that I had to earn His attention.” And then something happened: prayers to Jesus, repentance and joy! Please pray for Roman this Ramadan. Also pray that God will bring many other Muslims to church and that they will also be touched by the gospel. PRAYER __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! —2 Corinthians 5:17 7 30 DAYS OF PRAYER DURING RAMADAN DAY 5: 30 DAYS OF PRAYER WORLDWIDE: PRAY FOR MUSLIM MINORITY-COMMUNITIES The spiritual battle for the hearts of Muslims is not only fought in the Middle East and other Islamic societies: There is also a Muslim minority in the United States and many countries around the world. Pray that Christians all around the world—that includes you, where possible in your community!—will use this month of Ramadan to show God’s love to Muslims. In places like Egypt, Christian communities actually gather to serve their Muslim neighbors the fast-breaking dinner at the end of the day, showing Christ’s love in radical action. How might Christians in the West show Jesus’ love to Muslims and pray for those who are trying to seek after God this month? PRAYER __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. —Revelation 22:17 8 30 DAYS OF PRAYER DURING RAMADAN DAY 6: 30 DAYS OF PRAYER MUSLIM WORLD: CHRISTIANS HIDE THEIR FAITH In some countries in the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa, Christians need to hide their Christian faith to avoid threats to their health, their family or their lives. They cannot meet openly as Christians for their church services. In some cases,
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