Understanding Ramadan, and a Christian Response

On February 17, 2026, Muslims around the world will begin Ramadan, a full month of fasting with a spiritual and religious focus. However, Islam is not a religion; it is an anti-Christ spirit that seeks to destroy Christianity. Keep reading to understand Ramadan and how you, my dear brothers and sisters, can respond with prayer, evangelism, and giving.

Beliefs About Ramadan

Ramadan occurs every year on the ninth month of the lunar Islamic calendar. Muslims fast from sunup to sundown, go to mosques more often, and try to quit bad habits such as smoking.

They believe that this month is holy for several reasons. First, Allah started giving the Koran to Mohammad at this time. Also, Allah arrests Satan and traps him in Hell. In theory, Satan being trapped in Hell should make it easier to live a holy life.

Towards the end of the month, they observe Laylat al-Qadr, or the Night of Power. They believe that on this night, Mohammad ascended to the highest level of Heaven, met with Allah, and received the command to pray. Allah also descends from the seventh level of Heaven to the first, which is closest to earth. He is listening for repentance and seeking to forgive during this night and will supposedly grant any request that Muslims pray for.

Throughout the month, the media will share stories about people converting to Islam. Schools will force all students, even registered Christians, to study the Koran. Strong spiritual powers are at work.

Spiritual Powers During Ramadan

Many spirits are working during Ramadan among both Muslims and Christians in Muslim-majority countries. The spirits change in each country and culture, but many overlap, such as legalism, violence, and fear.

The spirit of legalism infects many Muslims and makes them work hard to be religious. People who normally don’t care about sins like drinking alcohol try hard to give up these habits, often replacing them with reading the Koran.

They also grow more violent against non-Muslims, especially Christians. While this changes in each country, strict Muslims in Islamic countries won’t even speak to Christians during Ramadan.

Christians, whether they’re born into a Christian family or come from a Muslim background, experience the spirit of fear at this time. They’re afraid that sharing the truth of the Gospel with them will hurt them and fear that the Muslims will become violent in response.

The presence of these spirits makes the land very heavy, regardless of where people are living.

Life for Christians and Converts

Christians living in Muslim-majority countries, especially those who are believers from a Muslim background, face many hardships during Ramadan. Ones who are secret converts must participate, lie, or face intense persecution. None of the options are good, and they need wisdom for how to respond to each situation they face.

Children of secret converts face similar pressures, even though they’re younger. They often live as Muslims when outside of the home, which would require them to participate in all parts of Ramadan, but they know that they are truly believers in Jesus. Knowing what they truly believe can make this time confusing, as they may want to break the fast, which could get them in trouble.

What To Pray

We must unite together in prayer for our beloved brothers and sisters in Muslim communities. I invite you to join me in daily prayer for five minutes, lifting our hearts to the Lord and asking Him, by His Holy Spirit, to work powerfully in these spiritual atmospheres, granting our brothers and sisters steadfastness, peace, and divine opportunities to share light and hope.

Our prayers may be short in time, but they are great in impact when we pray with faith and unity.

You can [download 31 days of short prayer prompts now], or when you’re done with this article. The prayer prompts are about different groups of people, such as women and church leaders, and various areas of concern, such as extremism and Christian compromise.

The most important prayer is that we bring people from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Light.

How To Evangelize

Prayer is the most powerful thing we can do in response to the spirit of Islam during Ramadan. We can take additional actions, though, and evangelize Muslims. Whether you are in the U.S. or another country, you can use the beliefs about Ramadan to lovingly share the truth of the Gospel with Muslims.

Our missionaries evangelize using the beliefs about Satan being arrested and Allah coming down from the seventh level of Heaven. They ask Muslims questions, such as why people still do bad things if Satan is arrested or how people can experience forgiveness from Allah if he is still in Heaven.

Based on how Muslims respond, missionaries point out that we need a new nature, not just the absence of Satan, and we need God to come to earth. Jesus, the Son of God and part of the Triune God, came to earth to forgive us. And when He forgives us and makes us new, we receive the new nature we need to live better.

An evangelism strategy that some Christians use is inviting Muslims to break their fast with them, possibly within a church. However, you must be careful when you consider this strategy. Some Muslims may accept and then do their prayers inside the church. This isn’t right! And if you only eat with them without sharing about Jesus, then you haven’t truly evangelized.

Remember, you don’t need to go anywhere to evangelize Muslims. They are already your neighbors and you can reach them now.

Where To Give

Believers and missionaries need additional support during Ramadan. They must live as salt and light in dangerous circumstances, and financial support can help them survive and evangelize. You can give today at advancingnativemissions.com/act. 

Don’t forget to download the prayer prompts here.

Thank you, brothers and sisters, for joining with me in prayer for the month of Ramadan. Please share this article and download it so that more people can understand Ramadan and how Christians can respond.