For those of you not familiar with Muslim culture, every year for approximately one month, Muslim believers (cousins) practice Ramadan. Essentially, they wake up at 3am to eat breakfast to then fast all day and eat dinner after sundown. It is especially common to focus on rituals, prayers, and to absolve any unconfessed or unresolved sin. It is a time of spiritual sensitivity but also a time of celebration and lots of noise. One of these noises is the call to prayer.
The call to prayer was at full blast the first night I heard it because of Ramadan. I felt overwhelmingly sad. The city seemed to be wailing and I was reminded of coyotes howling in the night. One starts and others respond. Soon one voice is indistinguishable from another. My heart was heavy at what sounded like the soul cry of an entire city clinging to a false hope. Many thousands upon thousands of people place their faith in these rituals, traditions, and prayers believing they are good enough to go to heaven…eventually.
Many people are blinded by Satan and his spiritual forces. Islam has many truths in it, such as the existence of one God. Thus, they are our cousins because God has used the Koran to reveal himself to many people who then pursue Him through the Bible. Even though Satan and his forces have fooled millions, God’s kingdom will continue to grow. He can use our weaknesses to bring him glory. Look at Jonah, a man who begrudgingly went to Nineveh like a spanked child was the spark that caused an entire city to repent and believe God.
In my failures, I have believed the lies that the world, my flesh, and the devil tell me, yet God can still use me. The lies of “I deserve this or that”, “it doesn’t hurt anybody”, or “its not that bad” have plagued my young single adult life. I praise God, for His seed is planted in me and I can draw from the rivers of water and life that only Jesus can provide instead of relying on earthly pleasures though I am still learning how to rely on Jesus in temptation and trials.
Spiritual warfare is real and happens here as much as in the U.S. There are those who would have you believe Satan is docile or “those things don’t happen anymore” but Satan prowls like a lion. He and his minions are not idiots. “Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded. Be watchful.” “Pray without ceasing.”