Muslims in Ramadan 9

Last year, one in seven children in sub-Saharan Africa died before their 5th birthday. Of the 65% survivors, few had the opportunity to go to school as a large percentage of Muslim children are born into extreme poverty. Some are forced to beg for survival, many are abused or coerced into drug-trafficking or drawn into prostitution. Some become gang members or members of rebel armies or terrorist groups. Whilst many Christians have compassion for young children and do good work in street shelters, orphanages, feeding schemes and education; more needs to be done. More than a quarter of the world’s 2.4 billion children live in Islamic countries, an estimated 600 million children. Children make up over 40% of the Muslim population worldwide. According to UNICEF’s photo essay entitled ‘Children of the Islamic world’, 4.3 million children in Islamic countries die each year, millions don’t attend primary school, and in some countries one in every six women dies in childbirth. That is a lot of need!

PRAY: Let us unite in prayer today, asking God that more people would respond to the need for reaching children with the message of the gospel in word and deed. (Lamentations 2:19). Let us with one cry pray for God’s protection and mercy towards children in Muslim nations. (Proverbs 22:6). Pray that God shows you how you can get involved in helping Muslim children in need. (Matthew 28:19).