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Keeping Prayer Alive
Update #24 for June from the Mahabba Network
Ramadan saw an exciting time for Mahabba as many were drawn together to pray for Muslims. This month we look back at some what was happening and consider how we can keep praying in the coming weeks and months.
Ramadan is a significant time for Mahabba as we take the opportunity to pray for Muslims both close to home and around the world. The impact of Ramadan has fuelled prayer and calls us to action as we look ahead to the summer.
This year Mahabba was able to help many Christians engage online with the opportunity to pray for Muslims.
On Instagram, Mahabba has been sharing regular prayer points, culminating in five days of specific prayer for children, international students, workplaces, refugees and churches. We’ve seen lots of new engagement from Christians who weren’t previously connected to Mahabba – including organisations and student Christian Unions. (See our IGTV on our Instagram @mahabbanetwork if you’d like to access these resources.)
Weekly prayer meetings on Zoom during Ramadan focussed on prayer for Mahabba groups across different regions of the UK, with an average of 60 people attending. This culminated in the Night of Power with over 200 people coming together online to pray. It was so encouraging to hear testimonies and stories of how God is moving in the lives of Muslims and how he’s using Mahabba groups to demonstrate God’s love across the nation.
But now isn’t the time to stop praying for Muslims! `
Mahabba’s vision is to see Christians equipped to love all Muslims and we want to keep prayer alive after Ramadan.
The Ramadan prayer highlighted three key areas to pray for, for Muslims in the UK:
For foreign students – who need welcome, orientation and friendship so that they can acclimatise. Pray that there is also the opportunity to learn about local history and the local culture, including the role of religious belief.
For asylum seekers – who also need welcome, orientation and friendship. This can often come through English language classes. Pray that everyone feels welcome and has an opportunity to tell their story.
For citizens – there is an ongoing need to form relationships, which requires settings where this is more likely to occur. These can be varied and often depend on gender and age group. Pray that relationships would be formed with Christians and Muslims in all contexts of our society – the workplace, the school gate, sports, politics, etc.
As the summer opens up there will be more opportunities for us to connect with our Muslim friends and neighbours again. Let’s keep prayer alive and be fuelled into action, to love all Muslims wherever we are.
Keeping prayer alive can sometimes be a challenge. Check out our creative prayer resources for use in your local group.
Don’t Forget
Coming Up
Our Resources page is full of ideas and stories to equip you where you are.
This month we have two events with Dr Karamat Iqbal in Conversation with Canon Dr Andrew Smith and Revd John Ray OBE.
P.S.
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