Henna

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear — but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. – 1 Peter 3:3-4 ESV 

Viewpoint: Henna is a form of a temporary tattoo that Arab women put on their skin as decoration. Not just Arab women, Indian women, Pakistani women, and African women. They wear it for celebrations such as weddings. Ancient Egyptians put it on the hands and feet of their dead before mummifying them. Large, floral, and viny designs are what the women of the Middle East have on their hands and feet. Ladies use it to dye their hair. In Saudi Arabia, the use of Henna is not as prevalent as it used to be. Ladies of the older generation still wear it and like it. In the parks, there would be ladies who made a living drawing pretty designs on women’s and girls’ hands and feet. Younger ladies do not wear it, use it, or even like it as much. Some feel like it is an outdated tradition.   

 Henna has been used to share Gospel stories or different parts of the Bible. Believers can get designs drawn on their hands with Henna and use those drawings to tell people about Jesus or the Gospel or even just verses from the Bible. They can even share the stories with the people drawing the Henna.   

 Prayer Points: Pray that believers in Saudi Arabia will try using Henna to share the Gospel with Saudi ladies. Ask that those among the older generation will be curious about the designs and the fact that there are stories behind the designs. Pray that the younger generation will no longer view it as an outdated tradition. Ask that many Saudi women will come to faith through storying with Henna.