Lovefast 23: Little Arabia - Arabs in London

Lovefast prayer and action campaign from the Mahabba Network

Day 23 of 30

By Chas from Mahabba’s Network Team

Inspired by today's entry in the 30 Days of Prayer booklet, but with a UK twist!


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Daily verse

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus.
— Isaiah 35:1

Thought for the day

Little Arabia

Edgware Road is known variously to Londoners as Little Cairo, Little Beirut or Little Arabia because of the large number of Middle Eastern restaurants and shisha cafes that stay open late at night.

What is less well known is that Britain is home to over 350,000 Arabs from Somalia, Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and other countries.

Most live in Greater London, especially in the boroughs of Brent and Ealing, though populations can also be found further afield in Cardiff and South Shields.

In the summer, about a million and a half wealthy Arabs vacate the intense heat of the gulf for the temperate summers of London.

They are also attracted by the shops, shisha cafes, restaurants and parks in areas like Edgware Road.

Living in and visiting London provides them with the freedom to consider the Gospel outside of the religiously restrictive nations they come from.


Prayer for the day

Pray for those struggling to settle in to the UK, especially refugees. Pray that Arabs will hear the good news and be filled with Holy Spirit.


Daily action

Are you visiting London this summer? Why not add to your agenda visiting Edgware Road for an evening meal, or visit Regents Park during the day. Pray for an opportunity to share the good news with those you meet.


Your turn

Let us know how it went! Leave a comment below, or tag us on social media with the #lovefast hashtag on social media. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter!


Resources

Do you want to involve your church in blessing Muslim people through prayer and friendship?

There are new 30 Days of Prayer church resources available for you:

  • Pray Together as a Congregation

  • Small Group Session

  • Night of Power Prayer Meeting

  • Prayer Walk Guide

What’s your next step after 30 Days? There are loads of resources to help you on your journey.


Partners of 30 Days of Prayer