Iran (MNN) — Christians around the globe are marking the beginning of Lent with ashes on their foreheads today. Those fasting during this season will join another group who have been doing so for five days already: Muslims. For them, February 28 began the annual commemoration of Ramadan, a month of fasting in pursuit of spiritual purity.
From sunrise to sunset, Ramadan observers do not eat or drink. Nazanin Baghestani with Heart4Iran says they want to hear from God, and this is an opportunity for believers to pray that they will.
“These are critical times, and these are exact times where God can meet them right where they are,” she says.
We can pray that God would reveal himself as savior, and that Muslims would come to understand His redeeming love for them.
Many Iranians, or Persians, observe Ramadan as more of a cultural tradition than a religious ritual. Overall, Persians are becoming less religious, Baghestani says, in part a result of oppression from Iran’s Islamic regime.
“Ramadan is a way for them to have fun, to feast with their friends at the end of the day,” she says.
Muslims feasting after sunset during Ramadan. Courtesy of Pixabay.
Still, many Muslims remain observant. The sincerity of their faith, while misplaced, is a commonality with Christians that can open evangelistic doors.
“That’s where we get to pray with them, and we get to evangelize and share the Gospel,” Baghestani points out.
On the other hand, Muslims’ ingrained desire to remain pure can inhibit interaction with believers.
“They don’t want to get themselves unclean. Christians are unclean,” she says.
Baghestani says Muslims’ openness to Christianity varies by individual and is a matter of the heart.
“Are they really wanting to know God, or are they just wanting to practice a ritual in their religion of Islam?” she asks.
Through their call center, Heart4Iran reaches out to spiritually curious, and often hungry, Iranians. Especially during Ramadan, the ministry receives many calls. Baghestani says they challenge callers to seek the true God in prayer.
“All these years you’ve prayed in the Islamic way. Now try in this new way,” they tell callers. “We challenge them: try, let’s see what happens.”
During these seasons of Lent and Ramadan, please pray for the Lord to open the minds and hearts of Muslims. Pray that believers would have opportunity to meet Muslims and wisely speak Gospel truth into their lives.
“Even if we want to share a story from the Bible, we have the similar stories that are in the Quran, but in another version,” Baghestani explains, “So it’s very important how we share these stories.”
Pray that Christians would speak in a winsome way that does not offer offense, and pray that there would be much spiritual fruit during this season of widespread fasting.
Featured photo courtesy of Unsplash
