For the millions of Muslim people in East and Southeast Asia, the fasting month of Ramadan marks the time Muslims believe the Qur’an was first revealed to Muhammad. It’s a great time to pray for God to bless these Muslims and to pray that they would learn more about Jesus.
This year in the UK Ramadan begins the evening of 2 April and ends on 1 May. The exact dates vary depending on sighting the crescent of a new moon. We invite you to pray with us through Ramadan with these daily prayer points.
Find out more about the Muslims of East and Southeast Asia on the OMF Asia’s Muslims page.
Day 0: Saturday, 2nd April
Tonight as dusk falls Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month starts. Tomorrow will be the first full day of fasting. Pray more Christians would pray God’s blessing daily for Muslims this Ramadan. ’Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven’. (Mt 18:19)
WEEK 1
Day 1: Sunday, 3rd April
When dusk fell last night Ramadan began. This is a special time of year for Muslims. Today is the first day of a month of daily fasts between sunrise and sunset. Pray for Muslims that as they start their fast our Heavenly Father would be working in their hearts to prepare them to hear from him in the weeks ahead.
Day 2: Monday, 4th April
Sawm or fasting is the fourth of the five pillars of Islam. 1.8bn Muslims around the world seek to obey Allah by not eating and drinking during daylight hours during the ninth month of the Islamic year. Today is the second full fasting day. Ask God to help Christians grasp how ‘wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” Eph 3:17-19 and that as we do so, we would love Muslims like he does as they settle into their Ramadan r
Day 3: Tuesday, 5 th April
Ramadan is the most precious month of their year for all Muslims. It is precious because they believe it is the month the Qur’an was first revealed to Muhammad. The whole Qur’an is read in special sessions in Mosques throughout Ramadan. Isa, the Islamic Arabic name of Jesus, is honored in the Qur’an. Pray that as Muslims listen to the Qur’an being read they have opportunities to learn more about Jesus.
Day 4: Wednesday, 6th April
Did you know that older Muslims or those with underlying health conditions are not expected to keep the fast, making charitable gifts instead? However many do and find it physically challenging. Give thanks for Jesus’s compassion for those who are struggling with age or poor health. Pray for good advice from doctors during this period.
Day 5: Thursday, 7th April
Today is the fifth day of fasting for Muslims and they are now settling into the routine of getting up early to eat before dawn. This meal is called the Suhur and it needs to be prepared and eaten before the sun rises. After the sun has risen no food or water may pass a Muslim person’s lips. Pray for God to bless Muslims as they hunger for him.
Day 6: Friday, 8th April
Did you know Muslims believe in a Day of Judgement? It is the day when good and bad acts are weighed by Allah. Muslims hope to have done enough good acts to give them an afterlife in Paradise. Fasting in Ramadan is considered a good act. Pray for God to bless all Muslims as they fast and to learn of his love for them.
Day 7: Saturday, 9th April
Every Muslim wants to give zakat, charitable giving, it is a proof of their faith. Any money given during Ramadan is believed to have more value, earning more rewards from Allah for the giver. Give thanks to God for the generosity of Muslims during the fast, and pray that their gifts are a blessing to those who receive them. Pray for charities and individuals working with the poor, that they would be effective and help bring change in the areas where they are working.
WEEK 2
Day 8: Sunday, 10th April
Muslims are now eight days into Ramadan and are getting used to the new routine. Did you know that the meal that ends the fast at sunset is called Iftar? It is often shared with others. Pray for God to bless East and Southeast Asian Muslim families relationships as they spend time together each evening.
Day 9: Monday, 11th April
Did you know some Christians refer to Muslims as their Abrahamic cousins? This is because in Islamic history, Ishmael, Isaac’s half-brother, is a prophet and ancestor of Muhammad? Many Muslims believe the Tawrat (Pentateuch) is a holy book sent down by Allah as guidance and light. Pray that East and Southeast Asian Muslims might learn more about the common patriarchs in the Bible and Qur’an.
Day 10: Tuesday, 12th April
“You are the God who sees me,” was the name Hagar gave to God, when she fled from Sarai to the desert. (Genesis 16:13). Hagar, Ishmael’s mother is the only woman in the Bible who addresses God by a new name. Pray that as East and Southeast Asian Muslims will learn more of the God who sees them.
Day 11: Wednesday, 13th April
Many Muslims miss praying in community at their local mosques because of the ongoing pandemic restrictions. Instead they are saying their prayers in the intimacy of their homes. Let’s pray God will help Muslims maintain good ties with their friends and neighbors during this difficult time.
Day 12: Thursday, 14th April
Did you know that the Subha is a string of 33 prayer beads used by devout Muslims to chant the ninety-nine beautiful names of Allah? Muhammad is quoted as saying “The Most High Allah has ninety-nine names and whoever enumerates them will enter into Paradise.” Isa al Massih (Jesus the Messiah) is honored as a prophet in the Qur’an. Pray Muslims learn more about his name.
Day 13: Friday, 15th April
In Revelation, the Bible reveals that in the new creation all cultures will be there. Ask God to help us think of all people as he does. ‘Through him all things were made, without him nothing was made that has been made’ (John 1:3). Pray for more believers to pray God’s blessing over Muslims this Ramadan.
Day 14: Saturday, 16th April
Did you know according to the Qur’an, the Ka ’bah (House of God), the holiest site in Islam was originally built by Abraham and Ishmael. It sits at the center of the Great Mosque of Mecca, its location dictates the direction a Muslim must face as they perform their Salah. Praise God for the Tawrat, the Muslim name for the Pentateuch. Pray that as the Muslims of East and Southeast Asia read it they will learn more of Abraham and his descendants.
WEEK 3
Day 15: Sunday, 17th April
In the Qur’an, Jesus is mentioned frequently, for example, ‘When Jesus came with Clear Signs, he said: “Now have I come to you with Wisdom […] therefore fear Allah and obey me.”’ (Sura 43:63). Pray that as East Asian Muslims read verses like this one that they will want to learn more about Jesus.
Day 16: Monday, 18th April
Many Muslims believe the ones who truly follow Islam are at perfect peace with themselves and others. Pray for God to be at work healing broken relationships and strengthening families and communities across East and Southeast Asia as Muslims celebrate the month-long fast together.
Day 17: Tuesday, 19th April
As dusk falls Muslims all around the world meet to break the fast together. Did you know it is a tradition to break the fast by sharing a few dates with others? These can be expensive. Pray for those Muslims in the East and Southeast Asian regions who don’t have enough to eat, that they experience God’s love and care for them through others who show love and compassion.
Day 18: Wednesday, 20th April
Did you know that completing the Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the five pillars of Islam? Doing it gives immense spiritual merit, yet many Muslims in East and Southeast Asia are not able to make the pilgrimage to Mecca owing to cost or pilgrim limits. Pray that God would bless for those feeling disappointed.
Day 19: Thursday, 21st April
Did you know that each time a Muslim performs their ritual prayers they recite the Fatihah? This prayer is the first chapter of the Qur’an and its seven verses are a prayer for the guidance and mercy of Allah. Since the Fatihah captures the essence of Islam it is often compared to the Lord’s Prayer. Pray that as the Muslims of East and Southeast Asia pray using the Fatihah our Heavenly Father will be merciful to them.
Day 20: Friday, 22nd April
Christ’s desire for closeness to his people is striking – ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’ [Romans 15:13] Pray for local followers of Jesus living in Muslim communities in the East and Southeast Asian regions to display joy and peace in their relationships.
Day 21: Saturday, 23rd April
Up and down East and Southeast Asia many children in Muslim communities mark Ramadan by attending extra teaching at the mosque and starting to fast for part of the day. It is considered a great privilege to be old enough to fast. Pray that as Muslim children study Islam they will find out more about Isa, the Islamic name for Jesus in scriptures.
WEEK 4
Day 22: Sunday, 24th April
During Ramadan, long portions of the Qur’an are recited in Tarawih, the especial extra evening prayers at the mosque. Isa, the Arabic name of Jesus, is honored in the Qur’an. Pray for those who have already had a long day to be able to listen well and want learn more of Isa.
Day 23: Monday, 25th April
The month of Ramadan is time for giving (Zakat), pray that those who do so do it cheerfully and generously. As we come towards the end of Ramadan pray that as Muslims receive their allocation that it would be a help to their families.
Day 24: Tuesday, 26th April
It’s a strong test of discipline to keep the fast during Ramadan. This is now the final week of Ramadan and Muslims all over East and Southeast Asia are looking forward to celebrating the end of the fast. The workload of preparing food in Ramadan is considered a privilege. Those who prepare it often rise very early to get the pre-dawn meal ready, before their normal working day and then later creating the special evening meal, Iftar. Remember those who prepare food as they serve their families and communities in your prayers in these final days of the fast.
Day 25: Wednesday, 27th April
Islam was carried into East and Southeast Asia by Muslim traders in the seventh century. Today there are many business people in Muslim communities around East Asia. While some businesses may open for reduced hours during Ramadan, there is still work to be done which may seem harder to those who are fasting. Employers may need an extra measure of patience in the fasting month. Pray for fasting workers and employers to be patient with one another in Ramadan.
Day 26: Thursday, 28th April
Eid al-Fitr’ is the festival marking the end of Ramadan. Many people will buy new clothes or put on their best clothes for the festival, but for some this can be a challenge. Pray for those who may feel left on the edges of these festivals at the end of Ramadan, either because of their social position or financial circumstances.
Day 27: Friday, 29th April
“The night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months” [Sura 97:3]. Muslims believe that on the night of power, Laylat-al-Qadr, the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. It is celebrated on one of the last ten days of Ramadan. Muslims often stay up all night praying as they believe prayers on that night are more powerful and the blessings from Allah are more abundant. Pray for Muslims in the East and Southeast Asian regions to have opportunities to learn more about Isa (Jesus) who is honoured in the Qu’ran.
Day 28: Saturday, 30th April
Muslim communities are preparing to celebrate the end of Ramadan together. This year will be an extra special celebration as last year communities and families could not meet because of Covid-19 restrictions. Pray for Muslims as they prepare to meet to celebrate to look out for those in their communities who may find it difficult to re-enter social situations.
WEEK 5
Day 29: Sunday, 31th April
On the last day of the fast consider how Muslims have shown their devotion to Allah through fasting. Pray for local followers of Jesus to reflect on how they show their devotion to God.
Day 30: Monday, 1st May
Today is the great festival of Eid al-Fitr, the Festival of Breaking the Fast. Families decorate their homes, prepare great feasts, new clothes are bought and worn and people visit their families. It’s a big celebration and after Ramadan ends many Muslims will try and keep up habits formed over the month. Ask God to help you keep praying his blessing on East and Southeast Asia’s Muslims beyond Ramadan.
