Last week, our community received the sad news that Layan Nasser’s administrative detention has been extended for an additional four months. Layan is one of nearly 3,500 Palestinians under administrative detention. In this procedure, no charges are filed, and therefore, no appeals can be raised. Moreover, the detention can be extended indefinitely. 

God of the imprisoned, bless Layan and the Nasser family who are being persecuted. Lord, we call on the Churches to use their power to show that Layan is not alone in her suffering. Lord, help us be salt and light as we struggle for all those in prison unjustly so you may say “I was in prison and you came to visit me” (Matthew 25:36).  

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer  

Last week, dozens of interfaith leaders and activists gathered in Washington DC to disrupt a Capitol Hill visit by Christians United for Israel (CUFI). CUFI, which claims to be the largest pro-Israel and Zionist group in the United States with around 10 million members, funds and hosts trips to Israel for US Congress members. 

□ God of inclusivity, it is heartbreaking that your name is used to justify violence and supremacy. Illuminate how these theologies of supremacy kill, and forgive those who subscribe to Christian Zionism, unaware of its consequences: “‘…for they do not know what they are doing…’” (Luke 23:34). Lord, as we call upon those who justify violence through the Christian faith, to repent, help us guard ourselves against the temptation of self-righteousness. 

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer   

Last week, the Druze town of Majd Al-Shams in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights was hit by a rocket which killed 12 children and young people. Israel immediately blamed Hezbollah for the attack which was quickly denied by the Lebanese group. Following the attack, Netanyahu postponed the departure of 150 sick and wounded children in Gaza to receive treatment in the UAE. Israeli government officials who visited Majd Al-Shams were met with protests by the Druze town, calling them to leave.    

God of peace, comfort the families who are mourning their loved ones. Protect their mourning from being appropriated by political agendas and assure them you see and know their pain. Lord, we plead you to stop the abusive power games by empires who cause so many lives to be lost.  

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer 

Last week, the head of the World Health Organization stated that the spread of polio infections amongst children in Gaza is only a matter of time if preventative measures are not quickly taken. Furthermore, there are over 100,000 cases of Hepatitis B recorded in Gaza. The detection of polio and the spread of Hepatitis B in Gaza is another reminder of the dire conditions Palestinians in Gaza are facing.  

□  God of hope, we come to you tired, broken, and afraid, crying out, “How long, O Lord?” We are losing faith and falling into despair. Save the people of Gaza from their suffering, save us from our lack of faith, and have mercy on the wicked. Let us remember the words of the Psalmist: “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine” (Psalm 33:18-19). 

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer  

As the number of Palestinian prisoners being released from Israeli prisons increases, more accounts of torture are emerging. Last week, eight Palestinians released from Israel’s Ofer Prison reported being tortured and interrogated before being sent back to Gaza. All Israeli prisons and detention centres are overcrowded and have poor humanitarian conditions. 

• God of the imprisoned, assure all those suffering and unjustly imprisoned that you see them and care for their freedom. Lord, help us not forgot those who are imprisoned and held hostage. Lord, strengthen the families of Palestinian prisoners and comfort them with your liberating love. 

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer 

Last week, Tel Aviv’s district court has extended Israel’s ban on Al Jazeera Media Network for another 45 days, according to Al Jazeera. The ban initially came in early May when Israel’s cabinet unanimously voted to shut down Al Jazeera in the country, immediately ordering the closure of its offices and a ban on the company’s broadcasts. 

• God of truth, we come before you recognizing that there are those who actively oppose the truth, preferring darkness over light. Lord, we lament how wickedness thrives when the truth is suppressed, and righteousness is overshadowed by deceit. We thank you by using the journalists in Gaza who are voices to the voiceless, making them agents of truth. 

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer 

In the next few weeks, Sabeel will be hosting multiple delegations of influencers and will be taking them around Palestine. Since the 7^th of October, there has been a significant decrease of internationals, tourists, and pilgrims in Palestine, making these delegations a rare occurrence in these times of war. 

• Holy God, we are thankful for the opportunities of hosting delegations so that they bear witness to our colonization, creative resistance, and Sumud. We ask you to protect each delegation and give us discernment to recognise the Holy Spirit at work. Lord, make us an instrument of your love, bearing witness to Christ the liberator.  

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer  

Since the 7^th of October, Israel has taken advantage of the world’s attention in Gaza in demolishing many houses on a weekly and sometimes daily basis in Palestine. Furthermore, new settlement outposts are being built and several communities have been displaced with no place to go, rendering them homeless. The refugee camps in Jenin, Nablus, and other places have become unrecognizable since the 7^th of October.   

• God of love, how has this violence been normalised? How has the beautiful landscape of Jenin turned into a place of death? Lord, we dream of a day where Masafer Yatta is not known for house demolitions and settler violence, but for a place of harmony and bursting Palestinian beauty. Lord, we thirst for your justice.   

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer  

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United States Congress regarding the current realities in the Gaza Strip and Israel’s conduct of war in which more than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed. Fact checkers have proven that many of Netanyahu’s claims were false. Moreover, families of some Israeli captives held in Gaza were evicted from the Congress building for demanding answers from the Israeli Prime Minister. Nevertheless, Netanyahu received 52 standing ovations throughout his speech. 

• God of the oppressed, we know that you were mocked, abused, and shamed publicly, whilst the corrupt rulers in their times were praised and handing each other awards of nobility. Lord not much has changed. We hold on to our belief that your kingdom and power is contrary to the powers of the empire. As we pray for Gaza help us live out our faith that “…many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first” (Matthew 19:30).  

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer  

The devastation in Gaza continues to escalate, with thousands of Palestinians fleeing Khan Yunis with no safe place to go. According to UNRWA, 9 out of 10 people in Gaza are displaced. Recent findings by the World Health Organization have confirmed the spread of polio in Gaza’s sewage, exacerbating the already unimaginable suffering. The spread of polio in Gaza could affect other countries unless a ceasefire allows vaccinations to resume. 

• Divine Creator, as time goes by, the suffering in Gaza reaches unimaginable levels. Lord, how deep must the corruption of the powerful be to partake in this devastation? Have their hearts hardened so much that they no longer see Palestinians as worthy of life? Lord, protect your children in Gaza and heal the wicked who are plagued with hate. 

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer