This prayer tea guide focuses on the peoples of Afghanistan—the Pakhtun, the Tajik, the Hazara, the Uzbek and the Aimaq—but could easily be customized for any Muslim people group. Each stage of the tea is accompanied by Scripture and specific requests to guide your prayers for the women of Afghanistan. You will also learn the prayer positions that Muslims use during namaz. These positions—standing, bowing and kneeling—are often found in Scripture, especially in the Psalms, and were used by Jews and early Christians before the birth of Islam. You can use these positions while you pray for Muslim women to come to faith in Jesus Christ.
Begin by inviting a few women to your home, follow these simple instructions, and revolutionize your prayer times for unreached Muslims.
Prayer Point “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper
of the Lamb!” Revelation 19:9
Pray that the women of Afghanistan will
accept Jesus' invitation to the wedding feast. Ask God to prepare
their hearts to receive the bridegroom. Pray that they would
know the joy of being Jesus' beloved.
As you invite the women, ask them to bring a scarf with which to cover their head during the tea. Afghan women wear their finest clothes and jewelry when they are invited to tea. But your guests may want to wear comfortable clothes, because they will be sitting on the floor!
Prayer Point “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered
into the heart of a man the things which God has prepared for
those who love Him” —I Cor.2:9
Pray that new Afghan believers will enjoy
the abundant life God has prepared for them. Pray that the joy
overflowing from their lives would draw friends and family to
seek the source of their joy.
1. Clear away
as much furniture as possible in the room where you will have
the tea. If you have cushions or pillows for the ladies to sit
on, lay these out against the wall.
2. Secure enough tea pots from which to serve
tea. You will also need teacups and saucers, serving trays,
and candy or nut dishes. In Afghanistan, ladies often use a
plastic tablemat to protect their rugs from tea stains. This
is laid out after the ladies are seated, and taken up after
tea is finished.
3. Place a pitcher, large bowl and a drying
towel in the room for washing hands.
4. In Afghanistan tea is served with a variety
of treats such as almonds, pistachios, raisins, and hard candy.
Cookies or cake may also be served.
Green Tea : Chai Sabz
—1 heaping teaspoon green tea leaves or two green
tea bags for every 6 cups of water
—pinch of cardamom seasoning per pot
Keep water boiling until you are ready to serve your guests.
Add tea leaves and cardamom to tea pot and pour boiling water
over the tea just before serving. Steep for less than two minutes.
Strain the tea as you serve.
Sweet Milk Tea: Sher
Chai
—3 teaspoons black tea for every 4 cups water
—2 cups milk
—1/3 cup sugar
In a tea kettle or saucepan, add 3 teaspoons loose black tea
to 4 cups boiling water. On medium heat stir and simmer for
5 minutes. To the simmering tea, add 2 cups milk and 1/3 cup
sugar. Stir to mix. Bring the mixture to a boil. Careful! Milk
tends to foam over. Immediately reduce heat and simmer for 15-30
minutes stirring frequently. Milk tea can be kept simmering
on the lowest heat setting on the stove until ready to serve.
Strain tea as you serve.
Prayer Point
“... his
father saw him and had compassion on him, and ran and fell on
his neck and kissed him.” —Luke 15:20
Pray that women of Afghanistan will be able to understand God's
overwhelming love for them and His desire for his lost children
to come home.
1. An Afghan
hostess greets her lady guests with three alternating kisses
to the cheek, starting with the right cheek. She asks several
questions of each woman at the door. How is your family? How
is your health? Have you come by God's grace? Responses are
usually short. These questions will be repeated in detail as
soon as the women sit down!
2. Guests should remove their shoes at the
door to the house, or at the door of the room in which they
will sit.
3. The seat of honor is the wall farthest from
the door of the room. It is reserved for the oldest women. The
hostess seats each guest on the floor, being sure everyone has
a cushion. Ladies should sit with their legs crossed indian
style in such a way that the bottoms of their feet are not pointed
toward anyone. Older women and guests who have trouble sitting
cross-legged are offered a small blanket to cover their legs
and feet so they can stretch them out straight. The hostess
sits in front of the women on the floor and repeats the questions
asked at the door. This time she may ask in more detail about
each child and each member of the family.
Prayer Point
“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit
with Me on My Throne.” —Rev 3:21
The women of Afghanistan often struggle with depression and
extremely low self-esteem. Pray that they would receive the
wonderful news that in Christ they can find acceptance and honor.
4. When seated, women often remove their large shawl, called
a chaddar. Then they cover their heads with a thin
scarf as a sign of modesty and submission to God. Ask your guests
to cover their heads with the scarves they brought.
Prayer Point
“Blessed is he whose ... sin is covered.”
—Psalm 32: 1
Pray that Afghan women will understand that only Jesus' blood
can cover their sin.
5. After each guest has been greeted, the hostess excuses herself
to prepare the tea for serving. Usually, the hostess asks a
sister or one of her children to help, so feel free to enlist
a little help!
Prayer Point
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance
of faith ... bodies washed with pure water.” —Hebrews
10:22
Ceremonial cleansing will never make Afghan
women's hearts pure. Pray that they will learn that only Jesus
can purify their hearts and cleanse them from all unrighteousness.
1. Usually a child or young woman carries a
bowl and pitcher of water into the room with a towel thrown
over her arm. She places the bowl in front of a guest and pours
water from the pitcher while the guest washes her hands over
the bowl. The bowl is then moved to the next person as the first
dries her hands with the towel. Each guest should wash her hands
in this manner.
2. Put the bowl and pitcher away. At this time, a large plastic
mat or tablecloth is often placed on the carpet in the middle
of the guests.
Prayer Point
“the love of God has been poured out in our hearts
by the Holy Spirit.” —Romans 5:5
Muslim women only know of God as one
who is far off. They have never known the love of God so
beautifully and perfectly displayed in the person of Jesus Christ.
Pray that they will know the joy of personally experiencing
the love of their creator! Pray that women who accept Jesus
as Lord would immediately be filled with the Holy Spirit, who
is their comforter and teacher.
1. Teacups
and saucers, along with the small bowls of nuts and raisins,
are placed in front of each guest. Sometimes small bowls are
shared between 2 or 3 ladies. Small sugar dishes with spoons
are also shared between ladies.
2. Starting at the door and moving around the
circle, the hostess takes both tea kettles to each lady and
asks if she wants green tea or milk tea. The guest states her
preference and the cup is poured.
3. Remember to make sufficient amounts of tea!
A good guest should drink at least 2 cups of tea and a good
hostess must never run out!
4. When everyone is served the hostess sits
near her guests, usually in the center on the floor, and the
conversation begins. This is a time of enjoying good stories
and news about family and friends. As the women talk, the hostess
keeps an eye on the teacups, refilling them until all the women
indicate that they have had enough.
5. When all the ladies are finished with their
tea, the hostess clears all the dishes with trays and then the
mat is folded up and taken away.
Prayer Point
“sanctified by the Word of God and prayer.”
—I Tim.4: 5
As we read God's Word and pray His thoughts,
we are transformed into His likeness. Pray that Muslim women
will be sanctified through the Word of God and through prayer.
Most Afghan women are Muslims. Three times a day they stop everything for namaz, a form of ritualized worship or prayer. It is not customary for women to say namaz during a tea or while entertaining guests. However, we would like to introduce you to some of the positions women use during namaz to facilitate a time of concentrated prayer for the women of Afghanistan.
Because most Afghan women speak Dari or Hazaragi, they cannot understand the Arabic words used during namaz. Still, they repeat the words faithfully in order to earn sawab, or merit with God. During this prayer time you will learn some of the positions used by Muslims during namaz—standing, listening, bowing, worshiping and kneeling. Each of these positions is often referenced in Scripture, especially in the Psalms, as a legitimate position for prayer. These positions were used by Jews and early Christians before the birth of Islam.
Invite the ladies to stand and join you as you demonstrate each position. Repeat the positions as you pray. Use the first repetition to align your heart and mind with the heart and mind of Jesus. The third time through, pray for the needs of the Afghan people. As you perform each stance, read each suggested Scripture and prayer point.
It is our prayer that you find this to be a rich, new experience in your prayer life! Please share the experience with your friends.