Muslims around the world are gearing up for Ramadan 2012. It’s Islam’s holiest month, and this year it begins July 20. What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is a time when Muslims reevaluate their lives in light of Islamic guidance. They try to make peace with those who have wronged them, strengthen ties with family and friends, do away with bad habits—essentially clean up their lives. The Arabic word for fasting (sawm) literally means “to refrain,” not only refraining from food and drink, but also from evil actions, thoughts and words.
During Ramadan, every part of the body must be restrained. The tongue must be restrained from backbiting and gossip, the eyes from looking at unlawful things. The hand must not touch or take anything that does not belong to it. The ears must refrain from listening to idle talk or obscene words. The feet must refrain from going to sinful places. In this way, every part of the body observes the fast.
For the 21st year in a row, WorldChristian.com‘s Paul Filidis is asking Christians to pray that many Muslims actually will come to know the Messiah during their holiest time of the year. He is the North American coordinator of the 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World, a worldwide mobilization coordinated out of Europe.
The prayer focus always coincides with the month of Ramadan, which is one of the five pillars of Islam, when Muslims fast from sunup to sundown. This year, the 30 days of Ramadan occurs from July 20 to August 18.
The 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World is a worldwide prayer effort designed to raise awareness, educate, motivate and mobilize new support and workers to reach out to Muslims around the world and across the street.
As hardline Islam has grown in the Middle East and Asia, one missiologist has observed that many nominal Muslims are becoming disenfranchised and beginning to look elsewhere for answers. Young people in countries such as Iran are finding Christ on Christian satellite television and the Internet.
Many Christians want to participate in Muslim evangelism but don’t know how. WorldChristian.com annually produces a new 30-day prayer guide booklet of more than 50 pages to help you on your journey. Each day focuses on a specific issue or area of the Islamic world. As you read through it and pray, you’ll gain a better understanding and a heart for Muslims, which transcends the news headlines.
Each day takes you around the Islamic world so you can pray more effectively. Filidis says this is doing more than providing education. He says it’s “expanding our ability to love. As you pray for people, you can’t help but get God’s perspective and His heart for them, which is very different from the fear, anger or even hate that so easily arises when we only [hear] media sound bytes.”
To get your copy of the 30 Days Muslim Prayer Guide, go to WorldChristian.com; or to request a flyer in the mail with more information and an order form, email Orders@WorldChristian.com.
