Ramadan

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar.  So why do a I bring this up? – because we are in it right now.  Several people I know and many throughout Europe and the world are celebrating Ramadan right now.  They describe it as one of the best months of the year as families get together multiple times through the month.

For Muslims, Ramadan is a month where they fast (giving up food and drink and other things) during the daylight hours so that they can concentrate more on praising and worshiping Allah.  It’s a time where they focus on living more pure lives in hopes that this will continue through the other months of the year.  Many believe that Allah locks Satan and his workers away preventing them from misleading and deceiving people during the month so that no sin committed during Ramadan can be blamed on Satan, only on the hearts of those committing the sin.  They believe that if you participate properly in Ramadan, then all your past sins will be forgiven.  They are taking the time to better themselves before Allah.  It’s also a time of celebration as when the sunsets, many get together with families and friends to eat their meals.  One friend of mine says that he loves to be around his family during Ramadan as its a whole month of being close to his extended family.  Kinda like how some Christians feel of the Christmas holidays – a really good time with family.

Currently, some friends of mine just moved to a Muslim country and are participating in their first Ramadan.  Since they are foreigners, the locals don’t expect them to actually fast.  But to show respect for the culture, my friends have decided to participate in the fast and the evening celebrations.  If this is something you have not experienced, then know that this is a difficult thing to do.  You have no energy during the day (and its HOT!) and you are up most of the night eating and celebrating.  So basically you are hungry and tired for the month.  However, they want to show their intentions of being true and respectful to the culture they are in.

To show our support of them, many of us are participating in the fast by signing up for one day during Ramadan (mind you, its only one day).  Today is that day for me.  As I’m praying and worshiping God in my extra time or whenever my stomach rumbles, here are some of my prayers:

• That people of all religions around the world will understand that God doesn’t require us to do or behave in a certain matter (removing the bad things or sin from our lives) to be able to be with Him – instead He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to wipe out our sins so that we can be with Him.  That it is once we accept and have faith in what Jesus did this for us (and we don’t have to) that God will work within us, through the Holy Spirit, to start removing the things in our lives that hurt our relationship with God.  (if you have questions about this – feel free to contact me or comment below)
• That as people all around the globe participate in Ramadan, that God will use this time to speak to them LOUDLY as they open their hearts to more spiritual matters.
• That God will strengthen my friends whom I’m supporting on this day and that they will be influencers of the Truth where they are now living.  This also goes for many other friends that I have living in and out of Muslim countries who are interacting with those that are participating in Ramadan.
• I pray for the millions of Muslims living in Europe who see relics related to the Christian history (much of it with disdain) but that they will instead see Christianity as a relationship with God.
• That as people are seeking spiritual matters during this time, they will use whatever means is open to them (friends, cell phones, the Internet, etc) to ask the hard questions that they are sometimes afraid to ask and that they will find the answers that point them to the Truth.  Praying that the people/websites/technological systems that they ask these questions of will be ready and willing to share the Gospel with them.
• That those that do find the Truth during this time will be able to live it out even though their families may reject them, they may lose their jobs, their friends may abuse them and the authorities may arrest them.

Would you pray with me?