Lovefast 14: Indian Muslims in UK
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Day 14 of 30
By Riz from the Mahabba team
Inspired by today's entry in the 30 Days of Prayer booklet, but with a UK twist!
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Daily verse
Thought for the day
Indian Muslims in UK
India is officially a secular state, but there are a diverse mix of religious beliefs and practices and for most Indians faith is very important. 80% of the population are Hindus but there are still over 100 million Muslims and 25 million Christians, all living together in relative harmony.
Indian Muslims in the UK will hold on to their Muslim traditions, but being Indian often means mixing with other Indian families from a Hindu, Sikh or Christian background. The strength of the Indian community in the UK is that there is more from the Indian culture, such as food and family values that unite, rather than differences in religion that divide.
Growing up as a Muslim in an Indian family meant that, even though as an individual family we held on to Muslim traditions, we had the blessing of mixing with family friends of all faiths, attending Hindu and Christian festivals and homes, as they visited ours. There was more from the Indian culture that united us rather than separated us.
As a UK Indian Muslim being exposed to different religions and their practices, I was open to the possibility that God could be found in any religion. But which one?
Whilst attending an Alpha course, seeking truth in Buddhism and practising Ramadan as a Muslim, my constant prayer was ‘God, I will be whatever you want me to be, just show me the truth’. It was one night during Ramadan, when I prayed that earnest prayer, head down on my prayer mat, the Lord revealed himself in a very powerful way. My search was over.....
Prayer for the day
Who do you know that is seeking God ? Pray that the Spirit of truth, will come, and guide them into the truth (John 16v13) Will you trust that the Holy Spirit can do a powerful work in them, just as He did in me, on that prayer mat during Ramadan ?
Pray for all those who are “Seeking Allah’ during Ramadan, that they may ‘Find Jesus’ (you might like to also read Nabeel Qureshi’s book ‘Seeking Allah: Finding Jesus’ to encourage your faith)
Daily action
Please note: actions were written before the COVID-19 pandemic. Please consult the latest advice from your local public health authority or government and adhere to any current restrictions on travel or social situations.
All that was 14 years ago…… Now as a follower of Christ I still hold on to the belief that in spite of differences in ethnicity, social status or gender we can look to what makes us ‘one’.
If you are a Christian in a community of mixed religions and cultures, try and find what is common with your neighbour, you might be surprised at just how much you have in common, rather than just focusing on the differences .
Your turn
Let us know how it went! Leave a comment on our online community platform, Discourse, or tag us on social media with the #lovefast hashtag on social media.
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.