Month: June 2014 - Pray For Qatar

RAMADAN SAWM

Ramadan began this week all over the world.  Sawm, one of Islam’s five pillars, requires fasting from dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadan. It starts when fajr, the first Call to Prayer, echoes through the wee hours of morning, raising the sleepy to perform prayers. Then it’s a busy morning before the sun comes up, because all the eating and drinking for the day must happen before daylight. Dhuhr, the second Call to Prayer, comes around noon. Stomachs growl, thirst sets in, and smokers fight cravings they can’t satisfy. Asr sounds in the afternoon. Ritual prayers are performed, but…

ISAIAH 61:1

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” Isaiah 61:1. Pray through this verse and ask God if He is calling you to go to Muslim people.

INDEPENDENCE FROM ISLAM

Dominated by the Thani family for almost 150 years, the mainly barren country was a British protectorate until 1971, when it declared its independence after following suit with Bahrain and refusing to join the United Arab Emirates. Pray that the people of Qatar would declare independence from Islam and come to salvation in Christ.

PRAYER FOR SUNNI MUSLIMS

More than 90% of Qataris are Sunni Muslim. Many follow a very strict form of Islam known as the Wahhabi movement. Wahhabi reject the veneration of Muslim saints, the decoration of mosques and the influence of non-Islamic ideas. Can you pray for the Sunni Muslims in Qatar today?

FISHERMAN

Doha

Before the discovery of oil, fishing was a common occupation and source of income in Qatar. Since oil discovery fishing for a livelihood has decreased greatly but still remains today. Read Matthew 4:18-22. Pray that Jesus would call Qatari fisherman to become fishers of men for Him.

NANNIES

The care of children has been the primary responsibility of mothers supported by other women from the extended family. The recent affluence of many Qatari families, however, has provided the opportunity to supplement traditional extended family support by importing nannies and other servants. Many of them are Christians from Asian countries, influencing the little ones with their Christian values and worldview. Many kids are raised on bible stories and songs through the persistent witness of believing nannies. Pray for these nannies to be bold for His name and that they would disciple children into a thriving relationship with Jesus Christ.

WILL HEAVEN LOOK DIFFERENT?

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Will heaven look different because you lived here on earth? What you do today affects the future, and that includes eternity. You can change who will be in heaven through prayer. Pray that everyone in Qatar will come to worship Jesus Christ as Savior.  

THE ORYX

Image: Creative Commons

The Arabian oryx, Qatar’s national animal, is a long-horned white antelope that was officially classified as extinct in nature in 1972. A herd of Arabian oryx was rescued and successfully bred in captivity, then reintroduced to reserves. Poaching, while outlawed, is difficult to enforce. The oryx is well adapted to desert life. Its white coat reflects the sun, helping it survive in some of the most extreme heat on Earth. Oryx can endure up to 22 months without drinking water, absorbing moisture from plants and detecting water sources from far away. Used on logos and as mascots, the oryx symbolizes…

WEALTH–AN OBSTACLE

Qatar, a former pearl-fishing center and once one of the poorest Gulf states, is now the richest country per capita in the world, thanks to the exploitation of large oil and gas fields since the 1940’s. Wealth abounds among the Qatari people. Wealth is a major obstacle when it comes to reaching the Qatari people. How can you minister to a people that think they have everything and are in need of nothing? Pray that the Qataris would recognize that they are missing something crucial–a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

KATARA ART CENTER CLOSING

Katara-Cultural-Center

Recent news reports have stated that the Katara Art Center in Doha, Qatar will be closing at the end of this month due to lack of financial support. This art center’s aim was to give local artists an outlet to express themselves. Local artists feel that they do not have enough opportunity to display their art with freedom. Pray that local artists in Qatar will come to salvation in Jesus Christ and use their art to share the gospel.

WAKE: HILLSONG YOUNG & FREE

PRAY: God would You stir the hearts of those living in Qatar. May they seek after You. Wake within their hearts and lives. Be ever near. At break of day in hope we rise We speak Your Name we lift our eyes Tune our hearts into Your beat Where we walk there You’ll be With fire in our eyes our lives alight Your love untamed it’s blazing out The streets will glow forever bright Your glory’s breaking through the night You will never fade away Your love is here to stay By my side in my life Shining through me…

RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHERS

“Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible for other souls spiritually before God?” –Oswald Chambers. May we take up the burden of the souls around us and across the globe and intercede for them before God.