Hajj Day 3 - November 6, 2011

Stoning and Sacrifice - Sacred Act #3

As the pilgrims leave Muzdalifah, they pass through Mina again. They head to the three pillars, which represent Satan coming to Abraham three times*, to tempt him to ignore the instructions of God concerning the sacrifice of Ishmael**. Muslims believe that Abraham threw stones at Satan. Using the stones or pebbles that they have collected, they throw them at the pillars, which represent Satan. In the stoning, pilgrims renounce evil and declare their willingness to sacrifice all they have to God.

After this victory over Satan, pilgrims will kill a sheep, a goat or maybe a camel in remembrance of God's provision of a sheep sacrificed instead of Abraham's son. This sacrifice ends the formal time of Hajj. It is on this day, as well, that Muslims all over the world will sacrifice a sheep or some other animal. This is the biggest Islamic feast of the year, called Eid el Kabir (literally the Big Feast) or Eid el Adha (the Feast of Sacrifice).

Key Scripture

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. John said, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." John 1:29

Going before the Father 

• Ephesians 6 states "Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Muslims understand there is a spiritual battle caused by Satan. Throwing rocks at Satan during the day of stoning is meaningless apart from the Cross and Resurrection which defeated Satan.  Pray that they would see that only Jesus defeated sin, Satan, and death. May they know that in Christ, we have mighty weapons "for the tearing down of strongholds." (2 Corinthians 10:4)
• Thank the Lord that Muslims see the importance of sacrificing an animal. In the Old Testament, it meant forgiveness of sins. After Jesus died on the cross, animals no longer were sacrificed, for His death covered all of our sins. Pray that they will understand the meaning behind it.
• Ask that God would overwhelm people with the truth and reality of Jesus' death on the cross. Ask that the Holy Spirit move in people's hearts so that they can receive this as truth.
• Ask God to give Muslims understanding that Christ has overcome all the powers of Satan on the cross and pray that they will experience the reality of that victory in their lives through spontaneous healings and deliverances by calling on Jesus' name.

What does the Bible say?

*The Bible does not talk about Satan visiting Abraham, nor stones, Genesis 22.

**The Quran does not actually say which son of Abraham it was. It is Islamic tradition that says Ishmael. The Bible says that it was Isaac, Genesis 22. 

Hajj Day 2 - November, 2011

Wuqoof - Standing at Arafat - Sacred Act #2
In the morning, after prayers, the pilgrims proceed to the Plain of Arafat where they perform the central ritual of the Hajj, the standing (wuqoof). In a shame and honor society (most Muslims come from this type of society), the seeking of the forgiveness of sins (shame) brings freedom. Abu Qataadah reported that Muhammad was said to say, "fasting on the Day of Arafat expiates (atone for guilt) the sins of the preceding year and the coming year.*"

The pilgrims face Mecca and pray from noon to sundown. These prayers are done in a prescribed way: they should remember God, ask for forgiveness and pray other Islamic prayers. It is believed that Muhammad delivered his final sermon from a hill above this plain, called Mount Arafat, during his last pilgrimage. Muslims believe that they leave this day cleansed of sin.

As the sun sets, the people are not required to quote any prescribed prayers. During these sacred moments, pilgrims are to be alone with God. They should ask that their sins and lifelong shortcomings be forgiven.

At sunset, a cannon sounds. Pilgrims leave Arafat going to Muzdalifah, where they sleep or stay up all night under the stars. On the way, many will pick up stones and pebbles. For Muslims not on the Hajj, many will fast on this day of wuqoof.

Key Scripture

Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and all the people in your house. 

Acts 16:31

Going before the Father

• As the pilgrims head to Muzdalifah, may what happened to Paul in Romans 7:7-13 well up in them, that theirs sins would continue to overwhelm them. Pray for conviction of sin deep in their hearts and minds. Pray that God would reveal His heart - that He is grieved by our sin, but that He offers a way to receive His forgiveness. Jesus takes guilt and shame away which brings real freedom.
• Pray that God would reveal His heart of love for the people. He loves them so much. Pray that people will have encounters of God's love for them.
• Pray that God will speak to them in dreams and visions, as they spend the second night of the Hajj praying for their shortcomings and needs. Ask God for an open heaven for many who are genuinely seeking an encounter with God.
• Muslims pray five times a day "Show us the straight way, the way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray." Pray that God will answer their prayer in such a way that they can grasp God's grace through Jesus Christ.

What does the Bible say?

*  The Bible talks about sins being cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Matthew 26:28, Acts 2:38, 1 John 1:7

Hajj Day 1 - November 4, 2011

Ihram - Sacred Act #1
There are six different places to enter Mecca for Ihram (ritual cleansing), so it is at the Miqat, "a stated place," where Muslims actually enter into the Hajj. After performing this ritual, the pilgrims will wear white cloths, wrapped around them, a sign showing that all pilgrims are equal in Islam, kings and servants are all dressed alike. More crucial than wearing the white clothing, Ihram is the state of sacred purity the Muslim faithful must enter before conducting the Hajj.

From the Miqat entry point, most pilgrims head to the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque. As they enter Mecca, they will shout the Talbiyah, a Muslim prayer."Here I am at Thy service O Lord, here I am. Here I am at Thy service and Thou hast no partners*. Thine alone is All Praise and All Bounty, and Thine alone is The Sovereignty. Thou hast no partners*. 

"After the Kaaba visit, the pilgrims will walk to a tent city called Mina, continuing to quote the Talbiyah prayer. They must spend the night in prayer and meditation.

Key Scriptures

They will call on me, and I will answer them. I will say, you are my people and they will say, The Lord is our God. Zechariah 13:9b 

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14

Going before the Father

• Purification rituals may cleanse the body, but they don't cleanse the heart. Only Jesus can cleanse our hearts and we can only do that through repentance. Pray that the Holy Spirit would issue a call to genuine repentance that seeking hearts hear and respond to.
• Thank Jesus that it is through His blood sins can be forgiven and pray that Muslims would understand that He is the only way to the Father. John 1:29, Hebrews 1:3, Acts 10:43
• Ask the Lord to bring to memory Scripture verses they may have heard over the TV or radio or internet about the white robes God provides for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Revelation 7:9). Pray they may understand and desire to be clothed with Christ's righteousness.
• Two to three million people come together from all over the world for the Hajj. Pray for physical safety (protection from stampedes and disease - like the "Mecca flu").

The Kaaba contains a black stone believed to have been given to Abraham by the angel Gabriel**, according to some sources. Others say the stone was simply part of the original structure of the Kaaba. 

In pre-Islamic times, the Kaaba was an object of pilgrimage, housing idols, jahiliyyah (the age of ignorance) and, according to Islamic tradition, was cleansed by Muhammad of idols and then dedicated to the worship of the one God.

What does the Bible say?

*     It would be in statements like these that Muslims would not allow room for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:18-20, Luke 10:21-23, Galatians 4:6

**   There is nothing in the Bible about Abraham receiving this stone.

The Hajj, 11/4-11/7

Prayer for the Arab World

PRAYER GUIDELINES: For prayer guidelines, in Egypt, in Tunisia
and the other countries, as well. When you read "Egypt", include other
countries as appropriate. When you read "church," think of the local
fellowships, expatriate fellowships.

1. A peaceful transition of power. Wisdom and revelation for the leaders and to the way they address the people of Egypt.
2. A quick end to this protest and the economic crisis accumulating.
3. That the evil unleashed will hit a wall, and the plans of the enemy to start a civil confrontation will not succeed.
4. Peace and security to return to the streets of Egypt
5. A restraining of the Muslim Brotherhood and other political parties who have evil hidden agendas.
6. For the Church to have a prophetic voice at this critical time. For Wisdom and revelation from the father to speak life and revealed truth to the Church and the Nation.
7. The Church to move prophetically and know how to handle this difficult time with confidence and boldness.
8. That Egyptians will not be taken lightly or mistreated any longer.
9. That President Mubarak will leave with dignity and honor, and none of His family will be harmed.

Brother Andrew sharing Jesus with the Taliban

"Peace is not the end of conflict and war, nor the result of so called 'peace talks'. It's rooted more deeply in inner peace with God and people around us," says Anne van der Bijl, the Dutchman who's better known as Brother Andrew. Now in his eighties, he still serves the persecuted church and preaches the Gospel to her persecutors. "Peace is a fruit of justice, as the prophet Isaiah says, not of prayer. That's why Jesus said: 'Blessed are the peacemakers'; He didn't say: 'Blessed are the peacetalkers'."

"The main thing that's preventing peace today is our own 'enemy mindset'," says Van der Bijl. "We build defenses and send out troops all over the world to 'bring peace', but everyone knows that we're not able to establish peace. As the Church of Jesus Christ we've lost the art of bringing the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to our enemies. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus teaches that we don't really have enemies: 'Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you'. This is followed by: 'Blessed are the peacemakers.' I can't love my enemy if he remains my enemy, so I first have to clear the barrier that makes me think there is an enemy."

"What makes us unique as the Church of Jesus Christ is our call to the 'ministry of reconciliation', to be peacemakers in our time. Where do we make peace? Wherever there's conflict and war. When we become friends with those who are considered our enemies, we become effective fighters against terrorism. You will see that the doors and hearts of people are wide open, and if we do what Jesus commands us, there will be supernatural results as well. That's how I got entrance to the Hizbollah, the Hamas and the Taliban."

How did you get access to the Taliban?

"I just go there. I find out where they live and show up at the door step. They ask what I come for and I tell them about Jesus. We've become way too diplomatic and careful in our approach. Next week I hope to visit the Taliban again. They now say: 'Anne, this is your second home'."

"One day I visited a large, notorious Quran school where 90% of the graduates immediately join the ranks of the Taliban and al-Qaeda. A war factory of human weapons, targeted to wage war against the infidels, which is the Americans and NATO. I arrived at a square where hundreds of these students waited in line for military exercise. There was a microphone in the front. The head of the school and a minister of the government gave a short talk, and suddenly the microphone was handed to me: 'Anne, it's your turn'."

"I was surprised as I only came to visit. So I went to the microphone, pulled out my Bible and said: 'This is the only book in the world that tells us that God loves us, that our sins can be forgiven, and how we can go to Heaven when we die.' I told them about Jesus. I believe every Christian should be able to speak about his faith in Jesus unprepared for at least 15 minutes. Sometimes you get a chance like this to share the Gospel, and it would be pity to waste such an opportunity."

"After my talk, the leader of the Quran school, who's also a high official in the Taliban and government circles, came up to me and said: 'Anne, would you please come back and tell us more about Jesus, also to our graduate class?' By the time they graduate, they all have a beard and a high degree, and are ready to take on the battle against the 'great satan', America and NATO. I asked the leader how many guys he had in his final class, and he said: 1,300. This is an amazing mission field! They also ask for Bibles, books and computers. Together with the Bible Institute we already brought them hundreds of Bibles, and I believe many more will follow. We want to reach 300 Quran schools!"

"Recently I visited a leader of the Islamic Jihad. I told him that so many Muslims come to Jesus because they've seen Him in a vision, a dream, a revelation. He looked at me with such a hunger, that I stopped talking and prayed with him that the Lord Jesus would give him a fresh revelation of the Peacemaker, the Son of God. At the end of my long evangelical prayer he said: 'Amen!', straight from his heart. I thought: 'Just one more step. Lord, you have to give him a revelation of Yourself. I did what I could do'."

What can we do ourselves?

"The solution is to make Jesus Christ king of our lives. To ask Him: 'Lord, what do You want me to do?' To submit our whole life as a voluntary service to Jesus Christ. This gives incredible peace, where-ever we go."

Source: Anne van der Bijl
-----------------------------------------------
(c) JOEL NEWS, 2010 | republication only with full credit line www.joelnews.org

Muslim woman encounters Jesus through a dream

God is revealing Himself to the Muslim world through dreams and visions. When Muslims are questioned on this phenomenon, many of them reply that they have encountered Jesus in their dreams.

One of the recent stories is of an Egyptian lady who stopped a Christian man on the street. The woman said, "You are the one!" The Christian man didn't understand what she was talking about. She told him, "[In my dream] you were walking with me and Jesus, and you had that same striped shirt on, those glasses, those pants and those shoes. Jesus was telling me He loves me and wants to have a relationship with me." In her dream she asked Jesus, "What do I do?" And Jesus told her, "Ask this man tomorrow when you see him."

Pray with us that more Muslims would encounter Jesus through dreams and vision.

Hajj Introduction

Greetings! From November 4 to 7, you will receive from us prayer information focused on the Hajj. Please be praying for Muslims during this time.  Please watch this 5 minute video on YouTube about the Hajj: Hajj 2011  Hajj Introduction Young Muslim children grow up hearing passionate stories about the men and women who have gone on a Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca. Young women are blogging asking if the Hajj will cleanse them of sins, not only their small common sins, but also their big serious sins. These women desire to be clean and they are told the Hajj, "when performed properly and sincerely for Allah, removes all sins."* (From islamonline.com they talk about two Hadiths that most Muslims scholars point to for the removal of sins by those going on the Hajj.) This year we have seen revolutions in the Muslim world. We have seen Muslims rising up against long-standing corrupt governments. Muslims desire freedom from these oppressive government leaders. They desire new freedoms. There is a hunger in their hearts for something that can really satisfy. For those of us that follow Jesus, we know that true freedom and peace is found in His life, death and resurrection.  Muslims are going on the Hajj to be cleansed of sin; we all desire to be clean of sin. We want to call on God to be merciful and intervene in their lives as only He can do, just like Paul's experience on the Damascus road**. When and What is the Hajj Hajj is the pinnacle of the lives of Muslims around the world.  They are commanded to make Hajj at least once in their life if they are able. It begins on the 8th day of the 12th month of Dhul Hijjah in the Islamic calendar. Because the calendar is based on the moon's cycle, the dates of the Hajj change each year. This year, the Hajj will start on November 4 and last for 3-4 days. During this time, Muslims from all over the world will flock to Mecca to perform sacred acts and follow the steps of Muhammad, their prophet. Each day they will perform a different ritual:        ·    Day 1: The ritual of IHRAM (cleaning) #1        ·    Day 2: The ritual of WUQOOF (standing) #4        ·    Day 3: The ritual of Stoning and Sacrificing #6        ·    Day 4: The ritual of Sa'y (running between) #7

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers  will worship the Father in spirit and truth,   for they are the kind of worshipers  the Father seeks.  John 4:23 What does the Bible say? *    The Bible does not state that we must go on a pilgrimage to be cleansed from sin.       It talks about sins being cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Matthew 26:28,       Acts 2:38, 1 John 1:7 **  Paul journeyed to Damascus wanting to persecute men and women who were       following Jesus. Instead he met the resurrected Jesus, Acts 9.

The Hajj

During this year's Hajj, we have put together a guide for four days of prayer.
Our hope is that you all might fan the flames to increase prayer for those going on the Hajj and also for the Muslim world during these four days, from November 14 - 17.



There are no copyright laws for this, so feel free to copy, translate and forward as much as you would like. Please forward it on to those who will join us in praying!



This is also on the PTAP web site: http://www.pray-ap.info/

Life in the Middle East