In Jerusalem this Easter week thousands of Christians from around the world will be joining worshippers in the city to process for Palm Sunday and Good Friday and to celebrate the Resurrection in many churches, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

• We praise you Lord and thank you for how you made your light shine upon us: ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Psalm 118:26. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Sabeel Jerusalem organised a retreat in Jericho for six groups of women, totalling one hundred women altogether, on Friday, the 12th of April.

• We thank you Lord, for this precious opportunity for Palestinian women to meet together in your name to worship and to prepare themselves for the Easter celebrations. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Tuesday, the 9th of April the Israeli Civil Administration distributed notices to Palestinian residents in the Tubas area, informing them that they plan to seize 384 dunams, (95 acres) of Palestinian-owned land. The seizure of the land is for the purpose of building Israeli-only roads between settlements.

• Lord, we pray for those whose land is seized and who have no recourse to justice. We pray that this Israeli land-grab will cease. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Benjamin Netanyahu rallied his right-wing base to deliver the votes he needed to form a new coalition government. In the final days of the election Mr Netanyahu announced that any government led by him would annex Israeli settlements in the West Bank. These settlements are considered illegal under international law.

• Oh Lord, we pray for Israel as we see it being transformed into an apartheid state where Israeli citizens enjoy full rights, while Palestinians lack political and other human rights. We pray that international lawmakers will act over the illegal annexation of Israeli settlements. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Over 100 Palestinian prisoners entered their fifth day of hunger strike on Friday, the 12th of April, following the failure of talks with the Israel Prison Service (IPS) over worsening conditions in Israeli prisons.

• Lord, we pray that the authorities will respect the human rights of Palestinian prisoners and reconsider the harsh new regulations. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

This week’s Kumi Now initiative focuses on the work of Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association. Addameer is a Palestinian institution which works to support Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli and Palestinian prisons. It has also launched a global campaign to stop administrative detention. This procedure allows the Israeli military to hold prisoners indefinitely on secret information, without charging them or allowing them to stand trial.

• Lord, we thank you for the work of Addameer which seeks to support prisoners, especially those who have no right to plead their case.  At Easter time we remember how our Lord Jesus was arrested, and suffered mocking and beatings while in prison, abandoned by even his closest friends. Help us to remember those who suffer in prison. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Hundreds of Palestinians took part in the ‘Great March of Return’ along the Gaza/Israel border on Friday, the 12th of April. One teenager, 15-year-old Maisara Shallouf died from Israeli live fire, while 93 civilians, including 17 children, four women, three paramedics, and a journalist, were injured.

• Lord, we pray for the family of Maisara as they mourn their loss. We pray for an end to the killings at the border and the injuries sustained by the people of Gaza week after week. We pray for an end to the blockade and the right for refugees to return to their homes. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The Israeli Settler organization, Regavim movement, demanded that the Israeli High Court compel implementation of the commitment to demolish the Palestinian Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar. Last week the community of Khan Al Ahmar  inaugurated a new library in a show of defiance and resilience.

• Lord, we continue to pray for the safety of the village and community of Khan Al Ahmar. Continue to bless the courageous people who are resisting the demolition orders of the Israeli occupation.  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Muaddi Craft Distillery in Bethlehem has been awarded a gold medal and ‘Arak of the Year’ at the Berlin International Spirits Competition for their traditionally made Arak. Muaddi Arak is an Arabic spirit drink using indigenous Palestinian ingredients and techniques.

• Lord we thank you for the ingenuity of the large numbers of Palestinian entrepreneurs who, despite occupation and control of resources, are able to produce world class products. Grant them the perseverance and faith to continue in their work despite the challenges they face on a daily basis. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Friends of Sabeel North America, (FOSNA), hosted the Palestinian Narrative Training Days on March the 30th and 31st, at the University of Houston. These days provided the opportunity for Palestinians living in the diaspora to develop their storytelling skills and to strengthen their community voice.

• Lord we thank you for the opportunity for Palestinians to reconnect with their family histories and to record them for future generations. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.