Breakthrough is a monthly call to pray for the Arab world. In each edition we focus on a different country of the region, praying for breakthrough over a particular stronghold.

Welcome to our May edition of Breakthrough. In just over two weeks, the lives of millions of Muslims all over the world will get turned upside down. For thirty days, there will be no eating, no drinking, no smoking and no sexual relations for all who are able* during the daylight hours. It will be tough, but Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam – so it’s not an option if you are a Muslim.

This month, we pray for the people of Bahrain, but our focus will be on Ramadan, so we will pray for more than just this one people group. We encourage you to follow our social media posts and join other prayer initiatives, such as 30 Days of Prayer.

Ramadan is a key time to pray for Muslims. We were encouraged last year to see a spike in the number of professions of faith through our Arabic online ministry and believe that your prayers made a difference.

Please do remember our team at this time, as well as those who are serving among Muslims.

* Certain people are exempt, such as children, the sick, travellers and pregnant women.

Country focus: Bahrain

Key verse

Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? (Isaiah 58:6 ESV)

About

The Kingdom of Bahrain is a small island country situated to the east of Saudi Arabia. This former British protectorate was once famous for its pearl industry, but is now a centre for finance and oil production.

Bahrain is a monarchy, ruled by the Al Khalifa family. It has a population of about 1.4 million, but more than half of its inhabitants are foreign, mostly hailing from the countries of south Asia. About 70 percent of Bahrain’s population are Muslim. The majority of these are Shia. However, it’s the Sunni minority that holds power and this has caused tension with Shia Muslims.

Bahrain is also home to about 203,000 Christians. The majority of these are expat, but there are some Christian Bahraini citizens. Only a small number of these have left Islam to follow Christ, though. According to a 2015 report by the Interdisciplinary Institute of Research on Religion, there are an estimated 1,650 believers from a Muslim background there.

Stronghold

We always pray against the stronghold of Ramadan as we approach this annual, month-long fast. This year Ramadan begins on 15 May and ends on 14 June. We will pray for the people of Bahrain especially, but our prayers should extend beyond this one country and even beyond the confines of the Arab world.

Prayer points

• As Ramadan approaches and the people of Bahrain begin preparing for the fast, pray that the Holy Spirit would be doing his own preparation in the hearts of those who are receptive to Christ’s message.
• Though Bahrainis are already distracted by material wealth and status, pray that they would sense the emptiness of ritual fasting. Instead, may they yearn to know the one true God, who offers them new life through his son’s death and resurrection.
• Pray that many Muslims, both inside and outside of the Arab world, would come into contact with a Christian during Ramadan and that Christians will be ready to speak of their love for Jesus.
• Pray that Muslims would have dreams and visions, particularly on the Night of Power.

If you want to find our more about how you can pray for the people of Bahrain, watch this Prayercast video.

Some specific prayers for our ministry…

Thank you for your prayers!
The Arab World Media Team

Next month: Mauritania