Fasting During Ramadan

May 17, 2019

Fasting is one of the five pillars or obligations of Islam that each Muslim is required to participate in so that they are seen as living a good and responsible life. The 30-day fast during Ramadan helps fulfill this obligation. Through this time, Muslims make a commitment to obey, discipline themselves, fellowship with other Muslims, give to the poor and needy, appreciate the gifts of God, and become spiritually stronger.

As Christians, we understand that fasting is not meant to fulfill a religious requirement, but to grow in our relationship with Christ. The greater beauty of fasting represents a desire to draw closer to God because of our love for Him.

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“We love because He first loved us.”

— 1 John 4:19

Through God’s eyes, we understand the deeper purposes of fasting. In Isaiah 58, we are reminded that in God’s view, fasting is not about being seen, heard, or noticed by Him. The sacrifice of fasting is about celebrating the freedom, compassion, confidence, righteousness, relationship, support, guidance, and flourishing that only a relationship with Christ can give. Jesus alone bridged the divide between God and man.

Also, through fasting we long for greater intimacy with Christ and for His return. When Jesus was asked why His disciples did not fast like the religious leaders did, His response was that they did not have to fast because He was with them. Jesus was kindly informing the religious ones that as long as He was physically present in their lives, He would satisfy them and give them joy. Through fasting, we experience Christ’s presence and the joy that fellowship with Him in prayer and fasting gives us, even as we wait for His return.

Fasting helps draw us closer to God, which in turn equips us for challenges in life so that others around us can be blessed, healed, delivered, and restored. Even Christ reminded His disciples that the ability to perform miracles and see freedom for others is only possible because of prayer and fasting. As Christians, we long to see Christ glorified in every human heart. And we long to see every captive soul set free.

As you pray and fast for Muslims during Ramadan, ask God to perform a miracle and reveal Christ to them. Pray that their hearts would be awakened to His love for them, and seek God for the freedom and spiritual strength that He alone can provide.

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“So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

— John 8:36

JOIN US AS WE FAST THROUGH JUNE 4th

All of us at GCM are fasting through the month of Ramadan, which ends at midnight, June 4th. Consider jumping in with us for the next 2 weeks if you haven’t already. Follow along with our prayer points in the prayer guide we have customized just for you!

RAMADAN PRAYER GUIDE

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We believe the Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are inspired by God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct. (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 1 Peter 1:21)

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent who has revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Luke 3:22)

We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father where He intercedes for us, in His present rule as Head of the Church, and in His personal return in power and glory. (Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:31)

We believe in the creation of mankind in God’s image, and the fall of man, resulting in universal guilt and total depravity; and the necessity, therefore, of redemption and restoration; that all men and women are lost spiritually and face the judgment of God, that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation, and that repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ is necessary for regeneration by the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 2:17)

We believe salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God, according to the hope of eternal life. (Luke 24:47, John 3:3)

We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; the saved unto the resurrection of eternal life in the presence of our Lord, and the lost unto the resurrection of damnation and eternal punishment. (Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:43-48)

We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ and that all true believers are members of His body, the Church, which has the duty to preach the Gospel to every person. (Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 2:22)

We believe that we must dedicate ourselves to prayer, to the service of our Lord, to His authority over our lives, and to the ministry of teaching, preaching, the prophetic, the apostolic, and evangelism. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

We believe in upholding the ordinances of the church of water baptism and holy communion.

The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded by the Scriptures. All who repent and believe in Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Thus, they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16, Acts 10:47,48, Romans 6:4)

The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements—bread and the fruit of the vine—, is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4), a memorial of His suffering and death (1 Corinthians 11:26), and a prophecy of His second coming (1 Corinthians 11:26), and is enjoined on all believers “till He comes!”