For the majority of the Western world, April 12 – May 12 will come and go this year without a second thought. But for over 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, these 30 days mark the most significant time of the year.
Ramadan is 30 days set aside for Muslims to fast from sun up to sun down. For some places in the world, this could mean over 18 hours of fasting a day. Fasting is one of the five pillars in Islam. This time is aside to focus on prayer and the reading of the Qur’an.
Until you’ve experienced it, you really can’t put into words what living in a land of Ramadan is like. I remember watching from our balcony the streets being flooded with cars and people frantically getting to their homes after work before sun set. Taxi drivers, who notoriously drive fast on a normal day, add a little more drama to the commute home. People are running around handing out dates and small glasses of juice. It’s an atmosphere full of anticipation and angst all wrapped into one.
I remember looking out over the streets after that long-awaited call to prayer. Silence. It was truly the only time that a city of 10 million could be that still. Not a car on the road. Not a person in sight.
So why should Ramadan matter to you?
Fasting is a time to seek God. This holds true for Muslims and Christians alike. What if you took this time to sincerely ask for Muslims to experience God over this next month? What if you daily prayed for the millions of people fasting all over the world to have dreams and visions of Jesus?
We have an opportunity to pray that God would give dreams and visions of Jesus during these days. That they may know that there is a God who isn’t asking them to be good enough for Him. That God instead came to them. He fulfilled all the fasting and praying and giving we could ever do through Jesus.
What could happen if Christians all over the world cared about Ramadan in this way? What could happen if we consistently and fervently cried out to God on their behalf over this Ramadan season?
We know God is generous is in grace and love. Let us join in asking Him to pour His love out over the hearts of Muslims in these coming days. May they truly know Ramadan as the time they sought God and found His Son Jesus for the first time.
