Start your journey of prayer for Muslims in your community this Ramadan

Reasons for, and resources to enable, praying for Muslims during their month of fasting.

March 22 will mark the beginning of Ramadan this year when Muslims in Canada and around the world will begin fasting and praying. For thirty days devout Muslims will fast from dawn to dusk and are required to abstain from food and water and all “earthly pleasures.” Ramadan will end on the evening of April 20, 2023.

According to the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is the 9th month, and Muslims believe that it was the month that their holy book, the Koran, was first revealed to the Prophet Mohammad.

Muslims put their beliefs into practice by following the five pillars of Islam, Ramadan being one of them.

Why do Christians pray for Muslims during Ramadan?

During the month of Ramadan Muslims devote a lot of time to prayer and fasting, seeking Allah’s favour and the purification of their sins, though they are never sure if they have been forgiven or if what they have done is ever enough. Muslims everywhere are seeking God’s approval through a system of works, and yet they don’t have assurance of their salvation and forgiveness.

As Fouad Masri, the founder of Crescent Project puts it: “For followers of Jesus, Ramadan is an opportunity to focus on God’s heart for Muslim people, many of whom are desperately seeking God’s approval through a system of works.”

Opportunities to pray for Muslims during Ramadan

• Loving Muslims Together has put together the 30 Days of Prayer for Muslims in Canada, a daily prayer booklet with a short introduction and prayer point that focuses on the real needs of your Muslim neighbours in Canada.
• 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World 2023 is a prayer booklet featuring 30 days of stories, images and prayer ideas. Here you will find the Just for Kids PDF 2023 edition, exclusively for children to engage in prayer for Muslims during Ramadan. It’s a free resource.
• 30DaysofPrayer.org has also put together great prayer guide materials for praying for Muslims throughout the world during Ramadan that you can access online via web, pdf, app and print.
• Prayercast offers powerful videos featuring former Muslims leading you in prayer during Ramadan for specific and strategic needs within the Muslim world. Invite your church to watch a Prayercast video to bring awareness of the Muslims living in your community by showing them the Praying for Muslims in Canada video on a Sunday morning or in a small group during the week.

You can also get more ideas about ways to engage with your Muslims neighbours by reading a longer article of mine, Love your Muslim Neighbours this Ramadan: Ways to Pray and Engage.

Cristina Boersma of Sarnia, Ont., is the national coordinator for Loving Muslims Together, where she supports the volunteer leaders of the network. She is originally from Brazil and has been living in Canada since 2008. Loving Muslims Together, a ministry of Outreach Canada, is a national network that exists to rally and support the Canadian church to give all Muslims in Canada the opportunity to become disciples of Jesus Christ. Group photo at top by Aurélien Lemasson-Théobald from Unsplash.