Pray Network Forum

Hajj 2021 - Day 1

Sacred Act 1: Ihram (cleaning, preparation day

Pilgrims must enter into the state of Ihram (purity) which involves ritual washing and then wearing white, plain garments. These garments indicate that all pilgrims are equal. Following this cleansing, pilgrims are officially on the Hajj. As they cross the pilgrimage boundary, the men 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.” During this day of cleansing, pilgrims visit the the Grand Mosque in which the Ka'aba is located. The Ka'aba is a black building in the center of the Mosque that is considered to be the Bayt Allah (“House of God”), the most sacred site in Islam. It is equivalent to the Holy of Holies in the Jewish Tabernacle and Temple. After leaving the Grand Mosque, many pilgrims will walk to the tent city of Mina to spend the night.

Key Scriptures to Pray

“But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.” Hebrews 9:11-14

Going before the Father

• Pray Muslims would know that only the Lord Jesus Christ provides the “purification for sins” that they desire. Pray for their spiritual journey to include dreams and visions of Jesus.

• As Muslims walk into the Grand Mosque and see the Ka’aba, they feel like they are entering the most holy place on earth. Hebrews 9:11-14 says the Lord Jesus entered the “Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption”.

• Pray that pilgrims would know that only in Jesus can they have an unblemished conscience and eternal redemption.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xZZx9Qeujc&t=1s

Holy Week is a good time to reflect on the price our Redeemer paid for our salvation.

“It has been the cross which has revealed to good men that their goodness has not been good enough.”

- Johann Hieronymus Schroeder

Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer, restored to his former position as Joseph predicted, should have at least said thanks.

However, he promptly forgot all about Joseph, “never giving him another thought”  (Genesis 40:23 NLT)

This Old Testament non-example prompts Christians to remember our Redeemer.

We should remember our Savior with heartfelt gratitude – visualizing the cup of wine symbolizing His blood.

We should remember the Master by the way we humbly serve—joyfully being a cup-bearer for the King.

We should remember Christ in integrity—purifying the cup inside, not just polishing the outside.  

We should remember the Lord in hallelujahs—drinking from a cup filled beyond the brim.

We should remember Jesus by persevering—drinking a bitter cup without complaint.

We should remember Christ in hope—anticipating His toast to life in heaven.

“He took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

‘This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many.

I tell you the truth, I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.’”

Mark 14:23-24 NLT

Johnny R. Almond

                Pastor, Colonial Beach Baptist Church, Virginia

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized

GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized  (copy I& paste to browser for blog & book info)

[This devotion based on/adapted from Day 28 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity]

Being old has its benefits. And I don’t just mean the senior coffees at McDonalds.

I’m old enough to know that “what goes around comes around,” and King Solomon had it right when he observed that “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). History really does have a habit of repeating itself, particularly if we fail to learn its lessons the first time around.

But recently I’ve come to appreciate another benefit of having lived awhile: I’ve seen that God is a skilled Artist who delights in “connecting the dots” in our lives. Perhaps you haven’t lived long enough to see this fantastic divine pattern yet, but I believe you will in time.

By “dots,” I mean whatever experiences, events, relationships, successes, failures, pains, or pleasures you’ve encountered during your life. Some of these dots you’ve no doubt categorized as “bad,” and other ones you’ve probably described as “good.” And if you’re anything like me, many of the dots in life simply seem random—without any apparent purpose…making absolutely no sense at the time.

Yet I have good news for you today—news so good you probably will find it hard to believe: As time goes by during your life, the Lord will increasingly connect the dots and reveal an intricate, well-planned masterpiece. Yes, He’ll connect even the dots that once made no sense. And if all the dots still don’t seem to be perfectly connected by the end of your earthly life, He will surely finish the job in eternity.

By the time God gets done with His handiwork, EVERY dot will be connected, and NOTHING will be wasted. He will find a use even for your most painful dots or and the events you considered your greatest failures.

You see, the Bible has been right all along when it told us that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Read that one more time. It doesn’t say just SOME thing work together for good—it says “ALL THINGS!”

Now take a few minutes to consider some of the “dots” you wish you could erase from your life. Believe it or not, God can do something good even with those painful or ugly dots. In the next few weeks, I’ll be launching an e-book on preventing, surviving and recovering from church splits. Sad to say, I’m one of the world’s foremost experts on the subject—but the Lord is going to use my painful and unwanted experiences to help thousands of pastors who are dealing with such things in their own churches.

And if you still doubt God’s ability to turn around tragic events and use them for His purposes, consider King David. I’m sure he wished he could erase his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah (see Psalm 51). But Bathsheba ultimately gave birth to Solomon, and she ended up in the family lineage of Jesus, the Messiah! (Matthew 1:6) God is great in mercy, isn’t He?

And in case you think God only loves you or offers you His favor when you are “good,” let me share one more connect-the-dots illustration.

Although I’ve never been much of a stargazer or astronomer, the Big Dipper is one constellation that’s always blessed and intrigued me. First of all, note that it’s not a “dipper” at all until you connect the dots of the various stars.

But what amazes me about the Big Dipper is that it’s continually tilted in such a way as to pour out its contents. My friend, that’s exactly how God wants you to see His love and favor for you. It’s not something that comes and goes, nor is it so fragile that it can easily be lost. In fact, Paul assured us that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God…nothing (Romans 8:28).

So take heart today. Nothing has happened in your life that is too awful for God to forgive or to redeem for His glory. Go ahead and give Him the dots—all of them—and you’ll be amazed by the beautiful tapestry He’ll produce.