Sabeel joins organizations in Palestine and around the world to endorse the 2025 “Call for a Global Feminist Strike for Palestine.”  Together, we mobilize a global front demanding an immediate ceasefire, ending the apartheid and occupation of Palestine and the oppression of women.   

God of Liberation, we remember the words of Mary in the Magnifcat: “He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. “(Luke 1:52-53) Hear the cries of the oppressed and the marginalized, especially the women of Palestine, who bear the weight of suffering with strength and hope. We pray for their liberation, for the breaking of chains and the end of all forms of violence, patriarchy, oppression, and injustice. Like Mary, may we trust in your promise of freedom, knowing that you are at work in the world, even in the darkest times.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

Friends of Sabeel North America recently launched a campaign to connect congregations in the United States with Palestinian Christian detainees and their families. The campaign aims to personalize and humanize the reality of thousands of Palestinians detained in Israeli jails and prisons. Congregations in the pilot will be matched to a Christian Palestinian detainee and their family members with the goal of building relationships that can be sustained. More details on how to participate can be found on FOSNA’s website. 

God of justice and compassion, we lift up all Palestinian detainees and their families, who endure separation, suffering, and hardship. You see their pain, and you are near to the brokenhearted. We pray for the campaign launched by Friends of Sabeel North America, that it may build lasting connections of solidarity, love, and hope between congregations and those unjustly detained. May these relationships remind each detainee and their family that they are not forgotten, and that their struggle for justice is shared by a global community. Lord, may the power of your love and justice break through the walls of imprisonment and occupation.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

Despite the suffering of our people, the Palestinian Christian community continues keeping hope alive in Palestine and Israel . This Advent season, Churches and Palestinian Christian institutions have been hosting several Christmas bazaars to support the community. Sabeel is also planning its annual ecumenical Christmas dinner, to be held this year on 21st December, 2024. 

Emmanuel, God who is with us, we thank you for the light that shines through your living stones. Despite the trials they face, they continue to keep hope alive in the land of your birth. We lift up the churches and institutions that offer support and solidarity, and we ask for your blessings on the upcoming ecumenical Christmas dinner. May it be a moment of joy, unity, and shared faith. Strengthen the hearts of those who work tirelessly to bring hope to their communities. This Advent, may the peace of Christ reign in the hearts of all, and may the light of your love break through the darkness, guiding us toward justice and freedom.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

Tensions in the West Bank continue to worsen. Last week, dozens of Palestinians have been detained by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank. Raids were accompanied by assaults, threats against detainees and their families, and widespread destruction of homes and property. 

God of the Oppressed, we cry out as our brothers and sisters continue suffering under the weight of oppression. Yet you, O Lord, are a God who sees, a God who acts. We ask you to shatter all systems of violence that defy your peace.  In the face of destruction and unjust imprisonment, let the promise of freedom endure. Holy Spirit, strengthen the weary, uphold the imprisoned, and embolden the brokenhearted to hope.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

Last week, Israel, which already illegally occupies the Golan Heights, recently seized Syria’s Mount Hernon to extend its “buffer zone” after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. Along with its continuous bombing in Gaza, Israeli forces have also continued air strikes in Syria and Lebanon. 

God of all nations, you who love justice and defend the oppressed. As the Syrian people stand on the threshold of a new era, we include them in our prayers. We ask for an end to violence and peace for the country. We pray for all who suffer from occupation, war and oppression, that they may soon experience justice and peace. 

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

The Israeli occupation continues committing massacres every single day in Gaza and bombing supposed “safe zones.” Just last Thursday, the Israeli occupation committed three horrific massacres, the largest of which was in the al-Nuseirat refugee camp.  

Holy God, we cry out to you as massacres in Gaza erase entire families. Even “safe zones” bring no refuge, and the hungry are struck down while seeking bread. We grieve the loss of so many lives, each one a world unto themselves—precious and irreplaceable. Though we cannot name them all, you know their faces, their stories, their dreams.  We remember your promise: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). Be near to those who grieve, to the wounded, and to the weary. Intervene for the people of Gaza, oh Lord, and bring justice to the oppressed. 

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

This Advent season, Friends of Sabeel throughout the world continue to hold steadfast in their solidarity and commitment to leading the church towards just peace. For example, last week, Friends of Sabeel Germany and the Kairos Palestine Solidarity Network Germany issued a prophetic letter to the EKD Synod, urging stronger advocacy for justice and peace. They called for acknowledgment of the suffering in Gaza and beyond, a ceasefire, and efforts to end the occupation, highlighting the church’s role in standing with those striving for equality and peace. 

Gracious God, we give thanks for the steadfast witness of those who stand in solidarity with the oppressed. We lift up the prophetic letter from Friends of Sabeel Germany and the Kairos Palestine Solidarity Network, calling the church to act with courage and compassion. As we await the coming of the Prince of Peace, we pray that the church is called upon to speak out boldly and clearly and to act. May the light of Christ shine brightly, leading us all toward a future where peace reigns and every person is treated with dignity and respect. 

On 5th December, Birzeit University students Layan Naser and Layan Kayyad were released from Israeli prison after Israeli forces abducted them from their homes in the West Bank and incarcerated them for 8 months without charge or trial. They were targeted for their organizing activities at Birzeit University, which included organizing nature walks and visiting students recently released from prison.  

God of Justice, you shatter chains and bring captives to freedom. We give thanks for the release of Layan Naser and Layan Kayyad. We hold steadfast to your divine timing, knowing the days of captivity will not last and that your light will break every darkness. O Emmanuel, as we await this day, we ask you to abide with the weary and the oppressed. We lift up in prayer all those imprisoned and held hostage, including the 3,428 Palestinian administrative detainees in Israel and the 101 Israeli hostages in Gaza.

Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer.

Israel plans to confiscate more than 23,000 dunams (around 5,900 acres) in the occupied West Bank and declare it as “state” territory with the aim of illegal settlement expansion. The move is being described as the largest Israeli land grab since the Oslo Accords in 1993. Several settlements will be expanded and linked together as part of the land grab. 

O Lord, We pray for the protection of the land and all its people. We seek your intervention, righteousness, and justice for those who are oppressed. Lord, we cry out for an end to the Israeli occupation and for the cessation of the ongoing theft of Palestinian land. May justice, rooted in the principles of human dignity and international law, prevail.

Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer.

Last week, Amnesty International released a detailed report confirming that Israel’s actions meet the legal threshold for genocide. While many scholars, activists, and citizens across the world have already used this term to describe Israel’s war on Gaza, Amnesty International became the first major human rights organization to accuse Israel of carrying out a genocide in Gaza.  

Lord, in witnessing the endless suffering of Gaza, we echo the words of the Psalmist: “You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry” (Psalm 10:17). You are the God of the oppressed and the weak. We seek your intervention in the face of injustice. Lord, let those who perpetrate these crimes be held accountable. We ask for an end to the killing, an end to the suffering, and for the restoration of dignity and peace for all people.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer