10 Day Prayer Guide - English 2009 LOW (1MB)

8/14/2019 10 Day Prayer Guide - English 2009 LOW (1MB)

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Table of Contents

Shiites, a People Loved by God 1

Who are Shiites? 2

What is Ashura? 4

Dates of Ashura 6

A Prayer for Shiite Communities Across the Earth 8

Day 1 Shiites and Fear 10

Day 2 Dreams and Visions 12

Day 3 Seekers of God 14

Day 4 Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone 16

Day 5 Obedient Followers of Jesus 17

Day 6 Inuential Shiite Men 18

Day 7 Shiite Households 20

Day 8 Supremacy of Jesus 22

Day 9 Prepared to Hear 24

Day 10 The Importance of Blood 26

What Next? 28

Join Gods Powerful Tsunami Among Shiites 29


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Shiites, a People Loved by God

Dear Intercessor,Followers of Jesus who live and work among Shiites have prepared thisTen Day Prayer Guide to enable you to pray for Shiite Muslims during

Ashura. We invite you and your friends to join us 24/10. That is 24hours a day for the ten days of Ashura. Thank you for joining us in

declaring that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life for Shiite Mus-lims all around the world. Each day features a specic Bible passagefrom Acts 10:1-48, NLT version, along with a true story, and specicprayer requests. Together, on our knees, lets prepare Jesus beauti-ful Shiite Bride. See you at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb!

Glorifying His Name with you,

Friends of the Shiite Bride 1


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Who are Shiites?Shiites, also known as Shia, number between 130 to 195 million, or10-15% of the worlds 1.3 billion Muslims.1 They live all over the world,from the Middle East to the Persian Gulf, and in Central and South

Asia. You probably have a Shiite family living somewhere near you!

In the early days of Islam, after the Prophet Mohammeds death, aerce power struggle began over who had the right to lead the Muslimcommunity. A group of Muslims who believed that future leadershipof the Islamic community belonged only to certain blood relatives ofthe Prophet Mohammed began calling themselvesShia, meaning the

partisans of Ali. They said that Ali, the Prophet Mohammeds son-in-law and cousin, should lead all Muslims. Imam Ali, as he is known toShiites, was assassinated in 661 AD.

Nearly two decades later, in 680 AD, Alis son, Imam Hussein, was

massacred along with seventy-two of his companions and family mem-bers during a bloody siege and battle in Karbala, Iraq. Shiites collec-tively remember this tragic event through passionate rituals markedby tears and chants every single year.

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Shiites live in strong, close-knit family communities, guided by reli-gious leaders who give them practical, everyday instruction and spiri-tual guidance.

Shiites believe the world is plagued with tyrannous injustice. At the

end of time, many Shiites believe that the Mehdi or Hidden Imam,one of their leaders who disappeared in 878 in Iraq, will reappear tobring justice to the earth and make it ready for Jesus to return.

1. Vali Nasr, The Shia Revival (WW Norton and Co, 2006), p. 34.

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What is Ashura?Ashura is a holy time of grief and remembrance for Shiite Muslims dur-ing the rst ten days of the Islamic New Year. Through collective lam-entation, symbolic rituals, and self-agellation, Shiites commemoratethe sufferings of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed,

who died along with seventy-two of his companions and family mem-bers on October 10, 680 A.D. in a bloody battle in Karbala, Iraq.

The epic story of this battle in Karbala is orallychanted in homes and mosques during

the ten days and nights of Ashura. Men,women, and children ardently partici-

pate through chanting and weeping.

Most Shiites wear black to signifytheir overwhelming grief duringAshura, and many fast from foodand drink during the ten days.

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On the tenth and nal day of Ashura, Shiite families march throughtheir neighborhood streets chanting Oh, Hussein! Some men andboys in the community cut a small incision on their heads with a razoror knife, and some use chains to beat their chests and backs. As theymarch through the streets and chant in unison, men and boys hit theiropen wounds, causing blood to ow over their faces and bodies.

Ashura is deeply spiritual for Shiites and denes them as a commu-nity. Although self-agellation is not practiced by all Shiites, and iseven condemned by some Shiite leaders, the ten days of Ashura are aunique time of communal remembrance and grief for both devout andnominal Shiites.

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Approximate Dates of Ashura:The following dates are approximate because the Islamic Calendar is

a lunar calendar with events occurring at various times each year. Theten days of Ashura may begin or end a day or two earlier or later thanlisted below.

December 29, 2009 January 7, 2009

December 17, 2009 December 26, 2009

December 7, 2010 December 16, 2010

Did you know?

The term Ashura comes from the Arabic word for the number ten. On the tenth day of Ashura, Shiites believe God answers prayer and

forgives them more readily than on any other day.2

The tenth day of the month of Muharram, when Shiites culmi-nate Ashura, was actually a Holy Day of atonement and fastingin pre-Islamic and Jewish custom, long before the martyrdom ofHussein in 680 AD. The Prophet Mohammed also ordained it as aday of fasting.3

2. Nasr,The Shia Revival, p. 33.

3. Moojan Momen,An Introduction To Shii Islam (Yale University Press, 1985), p. 327.

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A Prayer for Shiite

Communities Across the EarthMost Gracious Lord of Heaven and Earth,

You are the One who sent down Your Special One to this blood stainedearth to form a New Kingdom that is not of this world. We humbly ask

You to reveal your Special One, Jesus, to Shiite communities all overthe earth.

We ask You to change Shiites mourning into dancing. Lead them fromthis season of great grief to passionately celebrate You.

Lord of the nations, You know the extent to which many Shiites alreadyunderstand how blood shed in a battle for earthly power has formedtheir communities today, but we ask that You reveal to them how theblood of Jesus cleanses from sin and brings people into the Commu-nity of the Redeemed.

May we see many Shiites fall down with that Great Community inHeaven before Your Throne and worship You, our Precious Lamb andour Great Redeemer!

All for Your Glory!

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Day 1Shiites and Fear

He (Cornelius)was a devout man who feared God,as did his entire household.

Acts 10:2a

A follower of Jesus sat quietly praying for her Shiite neighbor as

she listened to her friend recount the difculties of her past month.My daughter was released from the

hospital after fracturing her skull afew weeks ago, then two days ago I

received a phone call from my sons

school telling me he had his bookbag wrapped around his neck andalmost passed out. I just spent twonights in the hospital myself with

dehydration from a stomach

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virus, and now my husband is sick! What has caused all this? Have Idone something that has brought evil on my family, or has someones

envy brought evil on us?Shiites are a people who genuinely fear God, and many of them fearevil spirits and curses. Today, on this rst day of Ashura, pray thatmany Shiites will know Jesus and will experience His supreme powerover the spirit world.

Pray that millions of Shiites will ex-perience Jesus authority oversickness and death. Pray thatmany Shiites will be miracu-

lously healed from illnessand that many Shiites

will take notice and giveJesus honor.

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Day 2Dreams and Visions

One afternoon about three oclock, he (Cornelius) had a visionin which he saw an angel of God coming toward him.

Cornelius! the angel said.Acts 10:3

Two Shiite sisters had the same vision of Jesus at exactly the same timeone night. Jesus came to them, stood at the foot of their bed and calledthem by name. Then they heard Jesus say, Come, follow Me.

Shiites place high importance on their dreams and visions. Just as Godsent an angel to prepare Cornelius for the message about Jesus, askGod to send His angels to Shiites. Ask Him to give Shiites dreams and

visions that will help them follow Jesus.

On this second day of Ashura, pray that thousands of Shiite familieswill receive the same dream or vision from God and be compelled to

give their collective allegiance to Jesus.

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Day 3Seekers of God

As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of hishousehold servants and a devout soldier, one of his per-sonal attendants. He told them what had happened andsent them off to Joppa.

Acts 10:7-8

A young Shiite man sat in the home of some believers. He toldthem how he had seen Satan from his childhood and was terried.The believers asked the young Shiite man if they could pray with himto see Jesus. They prayed together, asking Jesus to grace the young man

with His presence. Then the young man said, You know when (not if!)Jesus reveals Himself to me, Ill have to go and tell everybody!

On this third day of Ashura, when Shiites see Jesus in a dream or vision, pray that they will be eager and bold to tell others about

Him. Just as Cornelius immediately did what the angel instructedhim to do, pray that Shiites will respond with quick obedience toGod when He tells them to do something.

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Day 4Stepping Out of

Your Comfort ZoneIf God says something is acceptable, dont say it isnt.Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean?

Acts 10:15-17a

Over a period of time studying Gods Word, and through various expe-riences, a believing family who live and work among Shiites knew God

was telling them to change their dress, adjust their daily lifestyle, andmove to an area where foreigners like them are disliked.

They said it surprised them and did not make sense, but they could notdeny Gods clear and specic instructions! They are now joyfully re-sponding to Gods unique assignment for them and are experiencingquality time with Kingdom-focused Shiite families.

On this fourth day of Ashura, pray that followers of Jesus among Shiites

will have spiritual wisdom and understanding. Ask that they will hearGods voice and be prepared to do whatever He tells them. Even if itmeans being, doing, or saying something that seems uncomfortable orimpossible, ask God to move believers all of us out of our comfortzones to reach more Shiites.

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Day 5


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Day 5Obedient Followers of Jesus

The Holy Spirit said to him (Peter), Three men havecome looking for you. Go down and go with them withouthesitation. All is well, for I have sent them.

Acts 10:19-20

A follower of Jesus was in a mosque worshiping the King of kings and in-terceding for Shiites who were praying at a shrine. The Holy Spirit saidto her, Go to that woman over there. She immediately obeyedand walked over to the Shiite woman and prayed, Maythe God of all creation, in Jesus name, heal you, my

sister. The Shiite womans body began to shake. Thatday the Shiite lady was healed and God was gloriedbecause a follower of Jesus obeyed His instructions.

On this, the fth day of Ashura, ask God to give fol-

lowers of Jesus boldness to obey Him without hesita-tion among Shiites. Ask God to grow them into men,women and children of faith who will live and de-clare His truth among Shiites in ways the Shiites canreceive, no matter the cost to them as His followers.

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Day 6

Inuential Shiite MenHe (Cornelius) is a devout man who fears the God of Jacob andis well respected by all.

Acts 10:22b

One day as a follower of Jesus talked with his well-respected Shiite

neighbor, he was surprised to learn more about his neighbors under-standing of God. The older Shiite man told the follower of Jesus that heknew the only way to know God was through faith and not works. ThisShiite man understood the importance of faith and not works!

Imagine how much more prepared his entire household is to hearabout Jesus because of his leadership. Shiite men set the religious tonefor their households. Husbands and fathers inuence their wives andchildren, and even their entire communities, through what they sayand do.

Like Cornelius, pray that Shiite men will be devout and respected menof God who will lead their entire households and communities to fearGod. Ask that Shiite men will lead their families and communities tofollow Jesus.

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Day 7


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Day 7Shiite Households

Cornelius was waiting for him and had called together hisrelatives and close friends to meet Peter.

Acts 10:24

One evening a family who follow Jesus visited a local Shiite family. The

believing family was joyfully received and questioned with great inter-est about their relationship with God. Three generations were gath-ered together, ready to listen to what the followers of Jesus had to say!

Shiites are gathering together each day and evening during the tendays of Ashura, listening and weeping to the epic story of the bloodybattle when Imam Hussein was killed long ago.

On this seventh day of Ashura, just as Cornelius gathered his relativesand close friends to hear Peters message, pray that Shiite households

will gather together to hear Gods Word. Pray that Shiites will hear, un-

derstand and tell the story of Jesus in their homes and throughout theircommunities.

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Day 8Supremacy of Jesus

As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell to the oorbefore him in worship. But Peter pulled him up and said,

Stand up! Im a human being like you!Acts 10:25-26

What color do you like to use on your ngernails? a follower of Jesus

asked a young Shiite woman in a beauty shop one day. Oh, I dontpaint my nails, she responded. My religious leader says that is for-bidden for us.

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Many Shiite communities adhere to the teachings of specic men who serve as religious guides called marjaa, an Arabic word refer-ring to the one you emulate. High ranking Shiite religious leaders

give judgment on all points of life, while lower ranking leaders pro-vide guidance on how to live within the judgments decreed by the topleaders. An example of a famous high-ranking marjaa from recenthistory is Ayatollah Khomeini from Iran, and more recently, AyatollahSistani in Iraq.

On this eighth day of Ashura,pray that Shiite religious lead-ers will hear the truth of theGospel and will adhere to the

teachings of Jesus as theirSupreme Leader and Lord.Ask that Shiite communitieswill give their allegiance com-pletely to Jesus. Pray that they

will emulate Jesus and followHis teachings.

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Day 9Prepared to Hear

Now here we (Cornelius and his family) are, waiting before God tohear the message the Lord has given you.

Acts 10:33b

During a season of seeking God, Ali went to the mosque every day to

pray. As Ali was praying, he felt a Presence behind him as he soughtearnestly to hear from God. Ali says that this was the start of his en-counters with Jesus, whom he now calls Lord.

Today, on this ninth day of Ashura, pray that Shiite men, women, andchildren will be prepared by the Holy Spirit to hear, understand, and

embrace Jesus as Lord.

Ask that Shiites will see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and under-stand with their hearts Gods message for them. Whether it is throughHis spoken or written Word, through followers of Jesus, or through a

dream or miraculous healing, pray that Shiite Muslims will encounterJesus and follow Him.

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Day 10


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The Importance of Blood

Good Newsthere is peace with God through JesusChristGod anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the HolySpirit and with powerthey put him to death by crucify-ing him, but God raised him to life

Acts 10:36-40

A young Shiite girl had a dream that she was walking in a desert whensuddenly she saw a rope of blood. She could not pass over the rope ofblood so she grabbed it with both hands and began to cry. After herdream, she asked a follower of Jesus to explain the meaning of the

dream to her, and today she acknowledges Jesus is her Lord!

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O hi h d l d f A h Shii M li h d


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On this tenth and nal day of Ashura, some Shiite Muslims are shed-ding their blood and marching in unison, passionately chanting thename of their slain Imam Hussein, while millions of other Shiite Mus-

lims are watching and weeping.As Shiites all over the world commemorate the bloody events of Karbalatoday, pray that God will reveal to them that Jesus is the Lamb withoutblemish, whose blood was shed to redeem people from every tribe,

tongue, language, and nation including them!

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Join Gods PowerfulT A S


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G PTsunami Among Shiites See more pictures of Shiites and discover what God is

revealing to intercessors like you. Visit our Blog:http://www.shbride.blogspot.com.

Tell others what God is saying to you as you prayand fast for Shiites, and register

the times and locations whereyou are praying. Email:[email protected].

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This 24/10 Day Prayer Guide was prepared for you by

Friends of the Shiite Bride.

To discover ways you can join Gods Powerful Tsunami

among Shiites, email us at: [email protected]

10 Day Prayer Guide - English 2009 LOW (1MB)

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