Earlier this week my family and the Sowers Harvest Cafe team had a bunch of our student friends here for a backyard dinner party around the campfire. As we were preparing to eat, I remembered that most likely one of our friends who was Muslim was not going to join in with the meal because of Ramadan—and sure enough that was the case. We respected her and promised to keep some of the food warm for her for when she was allowed to eat. Later as the sun was setting in the west, she was soon filling up on a much anticipated meal.
What is Ramadan? It is considered one of the 5 pillars of Islam where for approximately 30 days observant Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. Muslims spend more time at the mosque seeking Allah and also intentionally denying themselves worldly pleasures: even as much as a sip of water or a puff of a cigarette will invalidated this fast!
Here in the West if you do not have neighbors or friends who are Muslim, Ramadan can slip by and you many not even had reason to think about it. However, for a number of our ABT field members who are serving in Muslim countries these 30 days are radically different, as you can imagine, with daylight hours being quiet and nighttime hours bustling with activity!
For those of us who are in the West and largely not affected by Ramadan, do we just continue our normal lives while 25% of the world observers Ramadan? NO! Let's not let this opportunity slip by! Let's watch and Pray! Let's pray for these thousands upon thousands that they would catch a glimpse of Jesus during this time. Let's pray that God would raise up many messengers to go and be the hands and feet of Jesus to these dear people.
Truly the Harvest is ripe. Let's pray that sowers would be sent out in the power of the Holy Spirit and that God could reap a bountiful Harvest!
Worthy is the Lamb,
Bryant
"Beware in your prayers, above everything else, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things ‘above all that we ask or think." —Andrew Murray
"God can do more in 10 minutes of our praying than we can do in 10 years of our working." —Finny K.
Read this report that I wrote after my trip to visit the West Africa ABT team in 2018, and be challenged by the huge needs there in the Sahel.
Get this book on prayer by Greg Pruett and read it this month.
Be challenged by this article, "Not the Least Thing," to enter into the powerful work of intercession.
Use this instructive and inspiring resource from PrayerCast as a guide to pray for Muslims.
PRAYERCAST says,
"God loves Muslims. He LOVES them! He loves them SO much that He came to the earth as a baby, lived a perfect life, gave His own life as the perfect sacrifice for their sins, and then raised Himself from the grave!
And He wants all Muslims “to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)
Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Praise God, that is exactly what is happening today! More Muslims have turned to follow Jesus in the past 15 years than in the previous 1400 years combined!
But our hearts are still heavy because 1.8 billion Muslims are still living without a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
And so we PRAY!"
Watch today's PrayerCast video on "Education".
Go here to sign up for their daily emails to be reminded to pray and be inspired!
