Hey friends,
This month has been interesting because it’s the month of Ramadan and many of our Muslim friends and neighbors are practicing Ramadan. For those of you who may not be familiar with Ramadan, it is one of the five pillars of Islam and a time when Muslims fast from both food and water from sunrise to sunset. When Ramadan begins and ends depends on the position of the moon. This year Ramadan falls from about May 5th-June 4th. The reasons why our neighbors practice Ramadan are numerous and range from wanting to please Allah to doing it because everyone else is.
This is first time I’ve ever lived in a community that is impacted by Ramadan, but from this first experience I can say Ramadan at 19 Apartments can feel a bit heavy and sometimes discouraging. Part of the reason is because I'm not able to see my neighbors as much, since most of them sleep during the day and spend time with their families breaking fast at night. And another part is because Ramadan vividly shows how Islam influences the lives of my friends and how some of them really see Islam as a part of their identity.
I’ve wondered many times what God is doing behind the scenes this month. I believe that among the millions of people observing Ramadan, there are those who are genuinely trying to seek God and desire to please Him, yet they are missing Jesus. I want my neighbors to know the gospel and the finished work of Jesus so badly, and sometimes I wonder how long will it be until then. Yet, in the midst of this spiritual heaviness, I have to constantly remember that God is doing something. He loves my neighbors and continues to pursue and work on their behalf. Although it may seem like nothing is happening, God is working and has a plan.
During Ramadan, our staff has been using different prayer guides to help us intentionally pray for our Muslim neighbors and also Muslims worldwide. One that I've been using is from a ministry called Prayercast. Each day of Ramadan, they launch a short video praying for Muslims with a specific theme. This video is specifically praying for Muslims in the United States. Click Here for video, and join our staff in praying for our Muslim friends for the last five days of Ramadan.