“Muslims think that it wasn’t Isaac — it was Ishmael. There is a big discussion about it,” says Pastor Saleem Shalash. He serves at Home of Jesus the King Church, a partner of Beit Hallel Congregation in Nazareth, Israel.

Sacrifice is central to Eid al-Adha (Stock photo courtesy of Diyar Shahbaz via Unsplash)

Despite these differences between Christians and Muslims, the theme of sacrifice is a common thread between them. The holiday provides a unique opportunity for Christians to have gospel conversations with Muslim friends and neighbors.

“In this holiday, they give a sacrifice for their sins. And it reminds us of the real sacrifice: Jesus,” says Pastor Shalash.

Around 1.5 million Muslims are on pilgrimage to Mecca this week as part of their annual Hajj. Pastor Shalash says that Christians should be confident to speak out about Christ with Muslims.

“People are more open and not like before. Today we have a lot of ways to start asking about reality, about the truth, and Muslims start to ask,” he says. 

If you know Christ and have Muslim friends or neighbors, invite them to explore who Jesus — called Isa in the Quran — really is. Pastor Shalash says they can even begin by examining what the Quran says about Him. 

He points to Surah At-Tawbah 9:31 and Surah Maryam 19:33 as starting places. 

“A lot of Muslims, leaders (sheikhs), if you ask them who is the one that will come back to judge the world, they will tell you the Messiah, Isa, and they admit it,” says Pastor Shalash.

“If Jesus is the one that is coming to judge, that means He is representing God, because the one who judges is just God Himself.”

Shalash encourages Muslims to wrestle seriously with the Quran’s descriptions of Isa.

“Who is this prophet? Who is this one that He will judge? Who is this one that He can create life? Who is this one that He can raise dead people? You need to ask this question, and then you will recognize that you are talking about God Himself. No doubt about it.”

He also encourages Muslims simply to read the Bible for themselves.

(Stock photo courtesy of Afiq Fatah via Unsplash)

Shalash speaks directly to Muslims, and you can too: “It’s time to search, it’s time to ask, it’s time to show your questions to everyone around you. They will help you, they will lead you. And most important, ask God Himself. Ask God Himself to show you what is the truth, and He will lead you.”

Ask God to give you boldness and opportunities to speak to Muslims about Jesus. Even if your Muslim friends are not ready to receive this message now, Pastor Shalash points back to biblical truth about Jesus: 

“It was through Jesus Christ, the Messiah, Isa, that He came, and He was the real sacrifice, and He was crucified for our sins, and He is the one that is coming back to judge the world. If He is coming back to judge the world, that means He is God. There is no doubt about this truth.”

Header image is a stock photo courtesy of Masjid Maba via Unsplash. 

This year, Hajj takes place May 25 through 29. Usually, millions attend, but ongoing regional instability could impact travel plans and security.

Airspace around the Persian Gulf remains unstable, making safety difficult to guarantee. Pierre Houssney of Horizons International says, “A lot of airline companies are not willing to fly in the region.”

Crowd in Mecca, Saudi Arabia (photo courtesy of Fahad Puthawala via Pexels)

The conflict also raises questions about whether Shiite Muslims will attend this year’s pilgrimage. Houssney explains, “There has been war now between the Shiites and the Sunnis across that Persian Gulf.”

Because of these tensions, Saudi authorities will likely remain on high alert for possible terrorist threats during the pilgrimage season.

Even so, Hajj continues to hold deep spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide.

“Muslims around the world actually see making that pilgrimage as a kind of goal in life,” says Houssney.

For many of them, Hajj reflects a deep longing to draw near to God.

“Muslims are looking toward these physical acts that you can do to receive the forgiveness of sins,” he adds.

Many Muslims believe their salvation can be earned through religious acts such as making the pilgrimage, reading the Quran, giving to the poor, or fasting during Ramadan. Yet many remain unsure if they have truly pleased God. Outwardly, they may appear devout while inwardly longing for His love and acceptance.

Pray, “That they would be able to find the only true way to receive forgiveness of sins, which is through Jesus’s sacrifice, not through their own actions.”

Please pray also for the nearly 2.06 billion Muslims worldwide — both those attending Hajj and those staying home — to find true hope in Christ.

Visit Horizons International to learn more about fulfilling the Great Commission and supporting ministry work in Muslim communities.

Header photo: Men praying in Mecca, Saudi Arabia (courtesy of Mido Makasardi via Pexels).

Despite the pilgrimage being a sacred, once-in-a-lifetime obligation for Muslims, unauthorized attempts remain high, highlighting concerns about safety amid rising temperatures and past fatal accidents during the event.

Suzanne Heegaard of Prayercast, MNN’s sister ministry, says, “This is a very holy week for Muslims. They prepare for months, trying to procure a seat or a ticket, with packing [and] preparations.”

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. More about that here. According to Islamic tradition, performing the Hajj pilgrimage tests patience, temperament, and devotion to Allah.

The first Hajj ritual requires walking seven times around the Kaaba, the large black cubic structure in the middle of Mecca’s Grand Mosque.
(Photo courtesy of Haidan/Unsplash)

Because it depends on lunar sightings, the timing of the Hajj varies annually. This year, it starts tomorrow and ends on Monday, June 9.

“It is a spiritual pilgrimage that they (Muslims) complete once in their lifetime if finances and physical ability allow them to,” Heegaard says.

“They see it as a religious duty. They believe that Hajj will earn them salvation.”

Those who were refused entry by Saudi officials could feel desperation because they could not participate in the Hajj this year. Pray this desperation leads individuals to seek answers outside of Islam.

“For those who didn’t get their ticket, we’re praying that they can realize that Jesus is readily available for all Muslims everywhere to offer full hope and peace right where they are,” Heegaard says.

Now that you know, how will you respond? Join Prayercast’s email campaign to pray for Muslims during Hajj.

“We would love to have you guys join us and pray during Hajj for Muslims because God created Muslims, and He loves them,” Heegaard says.

Header image depicts Muslim pilgrims in traditional white clothing. Photo courtesy of Afif Ramdhasuma/Unsplash.

The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and a requirement for every Muslim.

Bruce Allen with FMI says, “Saudi authorities try to control the flow of pilgrims through quotas, allowing each country one pilgrim for every 1,000 Muslim citizens. People are just hoping that this year, I will be one of the ones who is allowed to go in — whether they’re going from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Netherlands, or wherever they may live.

“But there are unofficial pilgrims who also come because they’re told to. Their religion says you must perform this act.”

Roughly one-quarter the size of the US in terms of land mass, Saudi Arabia is mostly desert and is one of the few countries in the world with no rivers; instead, there are some wadis – valleys with river beds – which may occasionally collect water. The average annual rainfall in most areas of the country is below 6″. Less than 2% of the land is arable. (Photo, caption courtesy of FMI)

Unofficial pilgrims on the Hajj didn’t have the same access to shaded pavilions and water as registered pilgrims. The Saudi Health Minister reported 83% of those fatalities were unauthorized pilgrims.

Pilgrims on the Hajj desire to be closer to their god. Please pray for Muslims around the world to know the truth in Jesus Christ.

Allen says, “I keep going back to Jesus’s words: ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.’ And I pray, Lord, let me be an agent of your filling to those people to give them the spiritual nourishment that they really need, rather than all the polluted cisterns…where people go to get water when Jesus offers living water.”

“As much as there’s this obligation on Muslims to perform the Hajj, for Christ’s followers, there’s an obligation on us to let those living waters flow from us and quench the spiritual thirst of people literally dying in the desert.”

FMI is expanding its ministry to new fields, including Saudi Arabia, to support believers representing Christ under difficult circumstances. Pray for FMI as they connect with Christians in Saudi Arabia and discern ways to unify and expand the Church.

Support FMI’s expansion to new fields here!

Header photo courtesy of FMI.

Saudi Arabia may have banned foreign visitors, but nothing can stop the Holy Spirit.

Normally, 2-3 million pilgrims participate in the hajj. This year, Saudi Arabia limited activities to 60,000 Saudi residents.
(Photo courtesy of Konevi/Pexels)

“It’s during times like the hajj, or Ramadan, when our Muslim friends around the world are submitting to God,” Greg Musselman with Voice of the Martyrs Canada says.

“God is doing a work in our Muslim friends’ lives, and we just pray that we’d see many, many more come to know Jesus.”

The same God who breaks spiritual strongholds in the Muslim world can save “Brother A” from danger. This persecuted Saudi Christian is in serious trouble, but details are hard to find.

Advocates say there’s a purpose to the secrecy. “We have to be careful; we [don’t] want to cause our brother any more harm than he’s already gone through,” Musselman says.

“He is under a lot of pressure right now [and] we’re watching this case very closely.”

Why is Brother A in trouble?

Here’s what we know about Brother A: “He was fined the equivalent of about $77,000 (around 100,000 Canadian dollars) on these charges,” Musselman says.

“In Saudi Arabia, which is the home of Islam, it’s illegal to convert to Christianity. For those that do, and then tell others about Jesus, that could [result in] a death sentence [or] imprisonment.”

Current events may influence the courts’ delay in processing Brother A’s case. “It’ll be interesting to see, because of hajj and all that’s going on in Saudi Arabia right now, whether he (Brother A) will be successful in his appeal and not to have to pay that fine,” Musselman says.

Earlier this month, VOM Canada released the following update on Brother A:

According to a recently received report, the timeline for his appeal is uncertain. In the meantime, he has thankfully been able to get his family to safety. His wife and younger son have relocated to a safe country where they are being protected, and his eldest son was able to leave Saudi Arabia earlier.

Find your place in the story

As individuals, we do not influence Saudi Arabia’s judicial system or government. But we know the God who holds the nations in His hands. Ask the Lord to give Brother A peace and protect his family.

“These cases are very sensitive. Some of these governments, like Saudi Arabia … they’re trying to be seen from the outside world as not being barbaric. As followers of Christ, we can see through some of the façades; but again, we don’t want to put people at risk where it’s not necessary,” Musselman says.

“We don’t know this ‘Brother A’ [but] certainly God does. Pray on an individual level for Brother A, his wife, children; and then also for Muslim people around the world — that they would come into a relationship with Jesus during this time.”

Header image courtesy of VOM Canada.

According to Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court, the annual Muslim pilgrimage known as the hajj began July 18, with Eid al-Adha celebrated July 20-22. Eid al-Adha is the second major Muslim festival after Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting.

Uncharted Ministries co-founder Tom Doyle says it’s an essential time for believers to pray for the Muslim world.

“They (Muslims) are seeking; they want to have a personal relationship with God,” Doyle says.

“We do see God move more dramatically during Muslim holidays, because what are the Muslim holy days about? They’re trying to connect with God.”

What is Eid al-Adha?

Eid al-Adha commemorates a father’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience, but God provides an animal to offer instead. Most Muslims sacrifice an animal in remembrance of the father’s compliance.

Eid al-Adha, known among the Arabs as the “Great Eid”, is celebrated every year with special rituals and traditions in the port of Assaluyeh. The Arab people of this port visit each other in groups after Eid prayers to congratulate and rejoice.
(Milad Rafat/Wikimedia Commons)

While the father is Abraham in the Bible and Ibrahim in the Quran, both holy books contain a version of this event. Furthermore, while the Quran doesn’t indicate the son by name, most Muslims believe it was Ishmael. Genesis 22 shows the son was Isaac – the son of promise.

“They don’t know the truth. They have a story that’s been changed; it wasn’t Ishmael, it was Isaac,” Doyle says.

“But most importantly, all of this is fulfilled in Jesus, who died on the cross for their sins.”

Find your place in the story

Pray Muslims will encounter Christ in visions and dreams during this holiday season. “[It] is important that we see Muslim holidays; we don’t just blow them off. Take some time and pray,” Doyle says.

Use this free resource from Prayercast, our sister ministry, to guide your intercession. “Pray for breakthroughs. There is an openness; there is a dissatisfaction with their religion. There is [a] sense of hopelessness [among] young Muslims throughout the Middle East,” Doyle says.

“One-fifth of the world [is] remembering this sacrifice, but the ultimate sacrifice – the real sacrifice – is what Jesus did on the cross for the world, and that includes Muslims.”

Header image depicts Muslims at a 2019 Eid al-Adha event in Delhi, India. (Photo courtesy of Shivam Garg/Unsplash)

But thanks to efforts to combat COVID-19’s spread, the Hajj is going to look much different this year. According to Perry LaHaie of Frontiers, “Last year 2.5 million people went on the hike to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, but this year because of the pandemic, there are only going to be about 1000 people at this Hajj in Mecca.”

Primarily by blocking airports and international travel, Saudi Arabia is trying to keep numbers down as much as possible. So this year on July 28, one of the smallest groups in the history of the Hajj will visit Mecca on their once-in-a-lifetime journey.

It’s a devastating blow to many Muslims who have prepared their entire lives for this trip. It emphasizes the uncertainty LaHaie says is a regular part of Islam.

“There is this underlying current of fatalism that doesn’t make promises,” he says. “If you’ve performed really well in your life and done a lot of good things, you’re still aren’t sure if you’re going to make it into heaven.”

And with the Hajj off the table, some Muslims have started asking difficult questions. LaHaie hopes Christians can step in with the answers.

Photo courtesy of Frontiers

“It’s a great time to just be praying to just ramp up our prayers, because I’m sure that Muslims are feeling disillusioned. They’re feeling a lack of hope,” he says.

But nothing provides hope like the promise of eternity through Jesus Christ. LaHaie recalls the story of Ali, an alcoholic who abused his family. He hated himself for his lack of control, and so he turned to Islam. Determined to follow the tenets of Islam to the letter, he made his pilgrimage to Mecca and begged Allah to help him become a better person.

According to Lahaie, on Ali’s first night in Mecca, Jesus appeared to Ali in a dream saying “You belong to me.” He woke up, and once again heard Jesus’ voice: “You belong to me. Leave this place.”

Ali returned to his family and begged their forgiveness. His family and neighbors were skeptical at first, but as time passed his transformation continued. Now, he and his wife pastor a church in Turkey and regularly share their testimony on social media.

That’s why we need to pray. Pray that Jesus would work through organizations like Frontiers, compassionate believers who still want to continue ministry, and even dreams and visions to show Muslims what Christ’s love looks like firsthand.

“We have the promises of God underneath us to show us… that our prayers will be effective,” LaHaie says. “When the world seems to be shut down, I would just say take one step of faith. Go to frontiersusa.org and reach out to us. Ask us how we can help you move from where you’re at to a place in the Muslim world that needs the Gospel, and I know God will accomplish that desire in your heart.”

Typically, Mecca is flooded with Muslim pilgrims. That won’t be the case this year. Header photo courtesy of Unsplash.

A Religious Mandate

For Christians the idea of mandatory travel for worship is foreign. Jesus’s resurrection and the indwelling Holy Spirit for all believers means that worship can happen anywhere. However, Islam is tied strongly to land in the Middle East.

Photo courtesy of Omar Chatriwala on Flickr https://bit.ly/30ALZy4

Doyle gives some background on the journey. “The Hajj is one of the five key pillars of the faith of Islam. So Hajj is required of all Muslims to do this at least once in their life. [They] journey to the city of Mecca, which for Muslims is the holiest city. Mecca would be number one, because that’s where Muhammad, they consider the Prophet, was born. And then Medina would be number two. So that’s called the Hajj and to go to both of those places, Mecca and Medina, you’re in the area called Hejaz. That’s the special holy place for all Muslims and they’re required to go there.”

Every year Muslims from around the globe travel to the area during a specific time and walk the well-worn route of the Hajj en masse. This year the Hajj will occur from the evening of Tuesday, July 28 through the evening of Sunday, August 2. For many who planned to make the once in a lifetime journey this year with millions of others of their faith, Saudi Arabia just slammed the doors shut. Only those residing within Saudi Arabia are able to make the trek this year. And presumably, there will be other restrictions in place that will change the experience.

Doyle says, “This year for people that do not have a permit that just try to get into Saudi Arabia from other countries, that try to get there without an official government permit (perhaps some workers that live there from another country, expatriates that live in Saudi Arabia), they will be fined. And it’s a steep fine. It’s 10,000 Riyals, which is about $2600-$2700.”

What Does This Mean?

(Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera English on Flickr https://bit.ly/2ZQTKAF)

For many Muslims, in addition to general frustrations and disappointments with COVID-19, now there is sincere religious disappointment. For those who are there, the journey will be different than it has been in the past. For those unable to make the pilgrimage, there is frustration.

However, this change offers an opening for Christ. Doyle says, “They’re going to be thinking about their religion, they’re going to be thinking about the veracity of Muhammad’s words and all of that, but as we know this is the time where Muslims are questioning their faith. This is the crack. This is the opening. And Christians need to be praying for Muslims during this time to meet Jesus as Savior through the internet, through a Bible that somehow gets into their hands, through a dream or a vision that introduces them to Jesus, and they want to know more.”

The Truth is Spreading

God is working in Saudi Arabia. Although the country severely restricts freedom of religion and frequently violates human rights mandates, the Gospel is spreading. People are coming to know the hope of the true God. Doyle says that he recently spoke with a believer in Saudi Arabia who grew up Muslim and now worships Jesus.

“She was thankful. The underground church there are praying for Muslims to come to the light of Christ. And so she was saying, ‘Hey, this is what’s happening around the world. We are thankful for this. And we’re just praying that Jesus gets a hold of their hearts during this time of void for them in their religion.’”

Click here to listen to and join in this believer’s prayer for her nation.

Join Saudi Believers in Prayer

Saudi Arabia is far away. For many Christians, identifying with Muslims’ sense of loss with the restrictions of this year’s Hajj is difficult. Yet God is near to the broken-hearted and is ready and waiting to bring Muslims into His light.

Doyle encourages Christians to seek out their Muslim neighbors and friends and ask them about how they are handling the changes with this year’s Hajj. He wants them to listen and encourages real relationships. He suggests watching and talking through the videos on ifoundthetruth.com together.

“So that’s what I would do engage in a conversation,” Doyle says. “I would say pointed to some dynamic videos of former Muslims that love Jesus now, let them grapple with that a lot.”

During the Hajj this year, pray for the truth of Jesus Christ to invade Muslim homes and lives.

Learn more about Uncharted Ministries here.

Header photo courtesy of Al Jazeera English on Flickr https://bit.ly/30Ez0vb

Now, Saudi Arabia is expanding its efforts to contain COVID-19 and deterred Hajj tourism could deal another difficult financial blow. The Hajj and Umrah, another Muslim pilgrimage, account for 20 percent of Saudi Arabia’s non-oil GDP, as noted here.

Use this Prayercast video to pray into the coronavirus pandemic. Stay informed by reading the latest updates here, or sign up for our daily email.

Each year, the Hajj brings millions of Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
(Photo by ziedkammoun from Pixabay)

Total coronavirus infections in Saudi Arabia are approaching 2,000, and the death toll is up to 21. Kingdom officials put a 24-hour curfew on the holy cities of Mecca and Medina this week, and they’re asking Muslims to delay Hajj bookings. Each year, between one and two million Muslims journey to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj, a ritual that Islam requires every follower to do at least once.  Learn more here.

When Saudis leave Islam and turn to Christ, it sets them free from things like the Hajj.

However, for believers like Deena*, it doesn’t make life easier  Social distancing takes on new meaning because, if revealed, her faith in Jesus could get her killed.

Deena: Saudi’s secret believer

Saudi Arabia is deeply rooted in Islam, and strict Islamic laws govern every aspect of public life. All Saudi citizens are expected to be Muslims, and leaving Islam is punishable by death. Religious freedom doesn’t exist, as described here by Open Doors:

Saudi believers must keep their faith completely secret. Christians from other countries risk arrest or being deported if they share their faith with Muslims. Some Saudis have had dreams and visions of Jesus; many others have responded to Christian content on TV or the internet.

Pray for Saudi Arabia here.

Christians have to keep a very low profile in Saudi Arabia.
(Photo cred: VOM USA via Facebook)
DISCLAIMER: This is a representative photo.

Deena began following Christ several months ago, and it’s been a lonely journey.

“Deena has been a believer for less than two years, and she has never met another believer,” JoAnn Doyle tells MNN. Doyle began Not Forgotten, a division of Uncharted Ministries.

Deena’s isolation isn’t surprising. Since Christianity is illegal, even discussing a non-Muslim faith is dangerous. Many foreign workers in Saudi Arabia are believers, but they’re not allowed to share their faith with Saudi citizens. In several ways, the Islamic Kingdom seems impenetrable.

Nevertheless, recent changes opened the desert kingdom to tourism and Gospel opportunity. Previously, “the only way you [could] get into Saudi Arabia is by an invitation, or you had to have work there with one of the oil companies,” Doyle explains.

“Their economy is starting to plummet. They’re afraid that, within the next 20 years, their oil is going to decrease and their economy’s going to flatline. So, they’re wanting to bring in tourism… doing that opens the gate for Christians to come into this once-forbidden kingdom.”

However, the coronavirus pandemic threatens to close Saudi Arabia’s doors once again.

Thankfully, before coronavirus travel restrictions went into place, Doyle and the Not Forgotten team spent a few days with Deena during a visit to the Arabian Peninsula. “I cannot tell you the joy that was on her face when we met for the first time,” Doyle recalls.

“We talked for a little while, and then we introduced her to the rest of our team. She goes from knowing zero believers to 25 believers in one day!”

Find your place in the story

In a land that forbids Bibles and believers, it would be understandable if Deena had a limited understanding of God’s Word. However, “her knowledge of Scripture was phenomenal,” Doyle shares.

(Photo courtesy of 8thirty8 via Facebook)

To Doyle, it confirmed two facts: “Number one, the Holy Spirit is the best Teacher, and number two, there is awesome solid, biblical teaching on the internet.”

Praise God for Deena’s salvation and for the solid biblical teaching she discovered online. Pray Muslim seekers who want to know the truth about God will discover the Gospel message.

“Pray for the secret believers around the world: that the Holy Spirit will teach them, that they can get their hands on a copy of God’s Word, and that they will be directed to the really solid, sound Bible teachings on the internet,” Doyle requests.

“Prayer truly is the work of missions; [it] is a big way for all of us to get involved.”

*— Name changed for security purposes.

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy chzaib from Pixabay.

During the Hajj, Muslims spend several days circling the black cube called the Kabaa and performing other rituals. They earnestly seek Allah’s favor and desire to grow closer to God.

Something else Muslims seek on the Hajj — dreams and visions.

In Western culture, dreams and visions are not as revered as they are in the East. Especially in Muslim contexts, dreams and visions are highly sought.

(Photo courtesy of Prayercast)

Perry LaHaie with Frontiers USA explains, “Muhammad is said to have had visions when he received the Quran. So, in the tradition of their prophet, they want to have a dream. They want to have a vision. They want to hear from God.”

However, some Muslims like Yusef end up having a very different dream from what they thought — and completely changes their life.

In LaHaie’s words, “All his life, Yusef, a Muslim in Asia wanted to see the Prophet Muhammad in a dream. This was his longing. One night he had that dream but he was very troubled by it.

“In his dream, Muhammad was kneeling before Jesus, and Jesus was on a throne.

LaHaie says, “[Yusef] was really troubled and perplexed by this. Why would Muhammad, the greatest prophet, be kneeling before the Prophet Jesus?”

Often, when Muslims ask their Imams about these dreams of Jesus, their Imams dismiss the dreams as satanic. “But Yusef just was convinced that it wasn’t a satanic dream.”

(Photo courtesy of Frontiers USA)

Yusef had the same dream the following night. “Jesus is on the throne. Muhammad is kneeling before him. But in this dream, Jesus takes a hold of [Yusef], lifts him up into the air, and they rise up over Yusef’s neighborhood…. Jesus takes him several blocks away and they hover over this building and it’s a church. Inside the church, they can hear believers praying for Muslims — praying that Muslims will come to know Jesus.”

In his dream, Jesus then told Yusef to go to the church and talk to the pastor. Yusef noticed the church in the dream was close to his house, but he didn’t even know a church was there. When he went, sure enough, there was the church from his dream!

LaHaie says, “He met the pastor there. He told the pastor about the dreams he’d had and the pastor was able to share the Good News with him. Yusef decided to follow Jesus!”

Yusef fell in love with Jesus — and it all started with a dream. “Yusef describes being with Jesus like having liquid love pouring all over him and all through him.”

Christians in the Muslim world and on the mission field hear many amazing stories like Yusef’s. God is showing how much He loves Muslims by miraculously revealing Himself to them through His Son, Jesus.

(Photo courtesy of Frontiers USA)

LaHaie says the Hajj is a timely period to ask the Holy Spirit to move in the Muslim world. As Muslims seek spiritual truth on the Hajj, pray for Jesus to meet Muslims where they are in dreams and visions.

Secondly, it may seem outrageous, but there are believers from a Muslim background who are in Mecca — the heart of Islam — covertly reaching fellow Muslims with the Gospel during the Hajj.

“They are doing God’s work, even as we speak. So pray that these Muslim-background believers will win Muslims to Jesus right there in Mecca!”

You may even know some Muslims in your own neighborhood and circles. Consider using the Hajj as a conversation starter!

“A great way to just move into a conversation would be to say, ‘Hey, I understand that the Hajj is going on right now. Tell me about that! What does that mean with your faith? How does that play into your worship?’ Find out as much as you can about it. Be interested and curious and show that you respect the fact that they want to seek God,” LaHaie suggests.

“Then use that as a bridge…. Tell your story of what Jesus Christ has done for you. I think, rather than get into a debate, be curious about their faith, be genuinely interested in their faith and in them as a person, and then just be open about being a follower [of Jesus] and share your story.”

You can join what God is doing in the Muslim world at frontiersusa.org!

Header photo courtesy of Al Jazeera English via Flickr: https://goo.gl/9wbRyT