Continuing to Pray for Muslims beyond Ramadan

Today continues the ‘Eid el Fitr celebrations throughout the Muslim world to mark the end of Ramadan 2015.  Ramadan has ended, but hopefully our prayers for Muslim peoples and nations will continue.

Yesterday OM published some suggestions on how to continue praying for Muslims:

As we close up the month of prayer for Ramadan, we want to continue to seek God to do great things in the Arab world. We pray that Christians in the Arab world would be able to love their neighbours and that that love would flow from Believers in Jesus to the Muslims around them. Pray that God would work in a supernatural way in the hearts of local Christians and put His love in their hearts. Also pray that God would give them peace each day, rather than a spirit of fear.

And finally, there are Christian workers all over the Middle East and North Africa, sharing the love of Jesus with their Muslim friends. Pray for them. Pray that the Lord would keep them safe, that He would bless their ministries and that many hearts would be transformed by the Gospel. Pray also that God would raise up more workers to minister in this part of the world.

The Mahabba Network also had a helpful graphic with dates of other upcoming Islamic holidays which can be times to offer focused prayer for Muslims:

Further dates for 2015 when you can be praying for Muslims #lovefast #30daysofprayer pic.twitter.com/dQCYL6Km2k

— Mahabba Network (@MahabbaNetwork) July 17, 2015

 

September 21 – 26 comprising the Pilgrimage to Mecca and the ‘Eid al Adha (the feast of the sacrifice) is an especially significant time.

May the Father continue to reveal Jesus to many Muslims and draw them to Himself.  May they seek Jesus and find Him!

A note about Ramadan Prayer posts…

Hi all,  I apologize that I’ve not posted any recent Ramadan Prayer Roundup posts.  A bunch of other things, including the Supreme Court marriage decision and the Episcopal Church General Convention (and their vote in favor of same-sex marriage liturgies and changing the official definition of marriage according to the church canons) have taken up my time online.

However, anyone who looks at our Twitter feed, either by following @AnglicanPrayer or just scrolling our tweets displayed in the sidebar on the right side of the blog will see that almost every day we’ve still been tweeting Ramdan-related prayer resources.

So please continue to pray for Muslims during Ramadan, that they will hunger for Jesus, seek Him and find Him.

In case it’s helpful, I’ve put together a Twitter Feed list “Ramdan Prayer” which focuses on the tweets of 13 Twitter accounts that are daily posting good Ramadan-prayer resources.  I’ve also come across a few excellent new resources to share re: Ramadan prayer which I will post more about next week…. stay tuned!

Ramadan Day 5 – pray for Somalia

The PrayerCast Ministry’s Ramadan Prayer Challenge has begun today.  Today’s focus country is Somalia:

#PrayercastRamadanChallenge Day1:SOMALIA. 99% Muslim. Many die for faith in Jesus. Pray: http://t.co/IqplcsNYWb pic.twitter.com/DFtEg6v6Df

— Prayercast (@Prayercast) June 22, 2015

You can find the prayer page for Somalia here

Please find a few minutes today to pray for God’s work in this country!

  •Pray for the believing minority who suffer great persecution and martyrdom.

 • Pray for courage and strength for those who are boldly sharing their faith.

 • Pray for safe fellowship and encouragement for isolated believers.

Ramadan Day 3: Prayer Roundup

June 18 – July 17, 2015:  I hope all our readers will commit to spending 5 or 10 minutes before or after your evening meal during these 4 weeks to pray for Muslims’ spiritual hunger to be satisfied in Jesus. 

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A few points to spur your prayers today for Muslims during Ramadan.

A prayer included in Garrett Kell’s excellent blog entry “How Christians Can Pray for Muslim Friends During Ramadan”

Father, we pray that as they set their hearts to worship their god Allah, that You might make them to “know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). Help them see that Jesus is Your eternal Son through whom they can have eternal life.

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From the excellent new resource produced by Frontiers – PrayforIsis.com, an excerpt from their Day 3 entry:

As Saul lay blinded before the Lord, he was awed and humbled by God’s holiness. This firsthand encounter with God transformed Saul’s life and mission.

And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. – Acts 9:6-7

Pray that members of ISIS would be stilled before God and awed by His presence. Pray that their ears would hear, their eyes see, and their hearts receive Him.

And he said [to Elijah], “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. – 1 Kings 19:11-13

Pray that ISIS members would be able to hear God’s voice. Pray that the voice of the Lord—whether loud or very quiet—would be heard clearly and that members of ISIS would obey. Pray that God would speak to them in the specific way that they need, just like He did to Paul and Elijah.

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Adapted from yesterday’s entry at the Global Prayer Resource Network Ramadan Prayer Guide (Week 1)

Pray  for  the  opportunity  of  our  brothers  and  sisters  in  Christ  living in Muslim countries throughout Central Asia to  demonstrate  the love and  grace  of  Jesus  to  Muslim neighbors.

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From Arab World Media

Praying Scripture over the Arab world during Ramadan

Today’s verse is for victims of war who are bereft.

Revelation 21:4: He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Ramadan Day 2: Prayer Round up

I hope most days of Ramadan to post a brief entry here highlighting some of the prayers posted at various sites focused on praying for Muslim peoples & countries each day of Ramadan.  I can’t predict what time I will be able to post every day, but certainly will aim to post usually by 4 p.m. Eastern, (usually earlier).    I hope all our readers might commit to spending 5 or 10 minutes before or after your evening meal during these 4 weeks to pray for Muslims’ spiritual hunger to be satisfied in Jesus. 

Thank you!

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Here are a few prayers that caught my attention today:

Excellent prayers for several countries in North Africa:

Via OM, excellent prayers for the neighboring countries of Morocco & Mauritania:

For Morocco:

As Muslims are praying and fasting during Ramadan, we pray for them.

Christians across Morocco are sensing more openness among their friends in the last 12-18 months, with more of them open to discuss their faith in light of recent world events. Small numbers are open to hear the Gospel. Ask God to bring a great harvest in Morocco during 2015.

We ask God to open the borders between Algeria and Morocco. We pray that more Algerian Believers will be able to come and minister in Morocco. Ask God for fruit to come from these opportunities, especially among the Moroccan Berbers.

Pray for a victory over a spirit of fear among all Moroccan Believers. Ask God for breakthrough and freedom in this area. May God strengthen each Moroccan Believer to be bold and courageous, wise and mature, so that the church can be built. Praise God for those who are reaching out to other Moroccans boldly.

 

For Mauritania

As Muslims are praying and fasting during Ramadan, we pray for them.

Slavery still exists in Mauritania, so justice is a real need in this nation. Pray for abolitionist movements within the country. Also pray that all peoples (including Arabs, Berbers, Haratine and Afro-Mauritanians) would be free to worship Jesus, as persecution of Believers can be very severe. Ask God to pour out His courage on them, causing them to grow in faith and works.

Pray also for the local church as they’re seeking divine appointments with those who are interested in knowing more about Jesus and are willing to bring family members and friends along for the journey. Pray that local Christians will be bold in living out their faith so that more people of Mauritania would come to know the Lord.

 

From PrayNorthAfrica, a great short prayer for Tunisia:

Almighty Father, blow your Holy Spirit over country in this time. Cause the people to realise that idols are useless and worthless and turn to follow you. (Jer.18:15)

 

Here is today’s Scripture & pray focus from Arab World Media

Praying Scripture over the Arab world during Ramadan

Today’s verse is for victims of war, living in fear.

Psalm 46:1-3: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

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Update:  Don’t miss Jerry Rankin’s fantastic article at the online edition of Christianity Today:  “How Christians Can Observe Ramadan” He writes from his first-hand experience of work in Indonesia and outreach to Muslims there.

During Ramadan, we found our Muslim friends were more open to talking about spiritual things. We would ask them about their practice, why they were fasting, and what they hoped to gain by it. It was surprising to them when we shared our own practice of fasting from time to time to seek God. We do not fast to get something from God but out of a desire for God himself that exceeds our desire for food. Wonderfully, God does meet our needs and answer our prayers, but we should not fast presuming by our piety we are obligating God to do something for us.

While most Muslims observe the fast because they are commanded to and believe there is merit to be gained, many do it as a perfunctory obligation. Some want to avoid the condemnation from more pious family members. However, for the devout, the Muslim month of fasting is actually for the same purpose that we as Christians may occasionally fast: the desire to know God in a deeper more intimate relationship.

[…]

What if Christians fervently prayed during the month of Ramadan that God would reveal himself to Muslims in this time of seeking? What if we covered millions of fasting Muslims with 30 days of intense intercession that something would happen in their spiritual search? Believing in the power of prayer, could we not expect God to respond to our heartfelt burden for the lost millions of the world? […]

Join me this month in praying for Muslims in our own communities as well as those around the world. Pray that they would truly seek God and be open to revelation that would lead them to the truth. In seeking Allah, an impersonal deity that is aloof and cannot be known, may they find a loving, compassionate God who revealed himself through Jesus Christ and died for their sins.

We have a responsibility to observe Ramadan also, to pray for those who are far from the kingdom and for generations have been locked into the bondage of sin and futile religious traditions.

After all, Christ died for them, too. God loves them. Shouldn’t we?

AMEN!

Ramadan Resources – help in praying for and reaching out to Muslims

This post will remain at the top of the blog during Ramadan.  Look for new entries below.

Ramadan has started today for most Muslims around the world.  It is a month when even many non-devout Muslims devote themselves to greater prayer and study in hopes of earning God’s favor and drawing closer to him.

I invite all our readers to also pray earnestly in this month – to pray for spiritual awakening among Muslims.  That the eyes of their hearts would be opened to the truth of Jesus Christ and that their hearts would be softened to repent and choose to follow Him.  May the scales fall from their eyes, and may the lies of Islam that bind them be broken. 

Pray too for Christians reaching out to Muslims during this month, for obedience, discernment, fruitfulness, and protection, as for Christians living in Muslim lands it can be an intense and very draining month.

Below are MANY great resources to help you pray for Muslims during this month.  I’ll update this from time to time as I find additional materials.

We’ll hope to post quite a lot of prayers for Muslims throughout Ramadan.  You’ll find all those entries with the Ramadan 2015 tag