International (MNN) — Tonight marks the beginning of Ramadan — a month of fervent prayer and fasting in Islam.
Chris Ruge, director of Prayercast explains, “One of the things [Muslims] are required to do — one of the five pillars of Islam — is that they fast and pray from sunup to sundown through the Islamic month of Ramadan.
“Islam, like most other world religions, is a works-based religion. So Muslims around the world are working, striving every day to do enough. Their goal is that they can do enough to please God and to attain his presence for eternity.”
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Today, Prayercast launches their Ramadan Prayer Challenge. This challenge is aimed to help Christians pray strategically for Muslims throughout Ramadan to know Jesus as their Savior.
You can still sign up to join the Ramadan Prayer Challenge!
Ruge says, “While [Muslims] are fasting and praying, doing this work that they believe they need to do to earn their way to God, we’re coming alongside and praying the same thing for them — that they would in fact be exposed to the one true God, that He would reveal Himself to them as they’re fasting and praying.”
Every day, participants in the Ramadan Prayer Challenge get an email from Prayercast and an accompanying video to inform prayers for Muslims during Ramadan.
Ramadan is a critical time to pray for Muslims because it’s a time when their hearts are especially open and seeking spiritual truth.
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Many believers from a Muslim background have shared stories of how Jesus Christ appeared to them in dreams and visions during Ramadan. In these encounters, they come to know Jesus as more than just a prophet. They embrace Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Prayercast often hears encouraging stories like these. Ruge says, “We have Muslims in different parts of the world every year who will reach out to us and share. We had one who wrote in the past who said, ‘I have seen all of your videos and read the things that you send out. I see that God’s peace is on you and people like you. I want to know that peace in my life. How can I know that peace?’”
One thing is certain: God is moving in Muslim hearts. Now is the time to pray.
“The greatest needs across the Muslim world are the same as the greatest needs across the rest of the world and that is, we all need a Savior,” Ruge says. “We all need Someone outside of ourselves who can come and make sense of our broken lives. That’s true everywhere around the world, including in the Muslim-majority world.”
Click here to sign up for Prayercast’s Ramadan Prayer Challenge.
Header photo courtesy of Ahd93y via Unsplash.
