As of the 25^th of December, Palestinian health officials report over 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and over 53,000 have been injured since the 7^th of October. The “safe” areas which Palestinians were told to flee to are now heavily bombarded, and a UN-backed report warns that more than half a million Palestinians in Gaza are facing catastrophic hunger and starvation. Indeed, everywhere in Gaza is unsafe. The trauma of this humanitarian crisis will affect generations to come. 

God of the oppressed, whilst our souls are heavy with the suffering in Gaza, haunting us day and night, we feel anything we do is wrong. Lord, help us not to become numb to the pain. We pray that you would use our pain to stir in us a zeal for acts of righteousness and steadfastness when we are faced with trials and tribulations. God, help us fathom that the number killed, injured, and displaced in Gaza are not statistics but humans created in your image. In your name, we call you to save the people of Gaza.       

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer

On the 25^th of December, many celebrated Christmas day, the day the western church remembers the birth of Christ. Some people commemorate Christ’s incarnation by praying special liturgies and singing carols and songs of worship which focus on Christ’s birth. Others celebrate Christmas in a more secular manner, buying gifts and holding parties and festivities for the holiday season. However, here in Palestine, things are not normal. Due to the horrific scenes in Gaza and the West Bank, in Palestine, the birthplace of Christmas, we decline any form of joyous Christmas festivities, but stand in solidarity and in mourning with all suffering from injustice in our land.  

Immanuel, while many in the world are celebrating in ignorance, unbothered by the suffering of so many, we Palestinians understand more than ever the true meaning of Christmas. We and other oppressed peoples understand that Christmas is not for those who arrogantly think they do not need God, but it is for those desperately yearning for your deliverance. The superficial, materialistic meaning of Christmas is stripped away by the suffering of our martyrs, and the true meaning of Immanuel is revealed. Christ, we thank you for becoming one of us. We await the day of your return.

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer

On the 12^th of December, the World Health Organization reiterated its call for the protection of health care and humanitarian assistance in Gaza. Overall, only 11 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza are partially functional, services and supplies are limited, and the two major hospitals in southern Gaza are operating at three times their bed capacity, while also sheltering thousands of internally displaced persons.

Lord, we pray for the healthcare workers who continue healing and saving lives in impossible conditions. Honor their courage with your strength and provision. May governments quickly act in the way of justice to allow all necessary aid, supplies, and fuel to reach the few hospitals that remain in Gaza, so that no more lives may be lost. 

Lord, in your mercy…. hear our prayer

Despite the cancellation of normal Christmas festivities in Palestine, this Saturday, December 23^rd, Sabeel Jerusalem is holding a Christmas play for the local community. The play is entitled “Emmanuel” and is meant to reflect on the current situation while also focusing on the hope that “God is with us” in the birth of Christ. 

Emmanuel, God with us, we thank you for how the arts can bring depth and beauty to our human experience, even into the somberness of this Christmas season. May this play provide a source of community and a sense of hope to all who will attend or take part in this event. 

Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer 

Sunday, December 17^th marked the third Sunday of Advent, when Christians light the third candle of “joy”. The winter solstice, the longest night of the year, also falls during this week. Many around the globe are using the holiday season to inspire creative activism in solidarity with Palestine, changing lyrics of popular Christmas songs to calls for a Ceasefire, but many others remain complicit or ignorant to the horrors that civilians in Gaza must endure this winter. 

Lord Christ, when you walked on this earth you proclaimed, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). This Advent, when joy feels so distant, we ask that your light pierce through the darkness of our suffering. As we approach the longest night of the year, we remember the long nights of waiting and watching that Gazans have endured now for over two months. We pray for your light to come in the form of deliverance from all violence and injustice. May our firm hope in this coming deliverance be the source of our joy. 

Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer

On the 12^th of December, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire. 153 members voted for the resolution, 23 abstained, including the UK, and 10 voted against, including the U.S. Although the General Assembly resolution shows an increase of international pressure for a ceasefire, the resolution is non-binding. This comes after the U.S. vetoed a UN Security Council Resolution for a ceasefire on December 8^th, which if it had passed, could have been binding. 

God of all nations, as a majority of the international community are calling for an end to the violence, we lament that a few nations with a disproportionate amount of power are allowing the atrocities in Gaza to continue. May your Spirit guide these leaders to conviction and repentance and increase all global efforts to bring about a ceasefire. We pray with the prophet Isaiah, “Let the wicked forsake their ways, and the unrighteous their thoughts” (Isaiah 55:7). 

Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer. 

From the 11^th-14^th of December, the Israeli military conducted a raid in Jenin, leading to the reported deaths of 12 Palestinians, 34 injuries, and over one hundred arrests. Since the 7^th of October, 271 Palestinians, including 69 children, have been killed in the West Bank, and more than 3,481 Palestinians have been injured by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank. 

Sovereign God, we pray that your comfort for the families of those killed would come in the form of true and lasting justice. In your power, bring an end to all violence. We trust that you are the source of all justice and goodness. We long to see you, “judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in faithfulness” (Psalm 96:13). 

Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer. 

On the 16^th of December, two Christian women, Nahida Anton and her daughter Samar Anton, were shot and killed by Israeli military snipers as they walked within the grounds of the Holy Family Parish in Gaza. Seven others were shot and injured as they tried to protect those sheltering inside the church compound. Earlier the same morning, a rocket fired from an Israeli tank targeted the Convent of the Sisters of Mother Teresa, damaging the building and displacing the 54 disabled persons who live there. 

Almighty God, we are distraught over the deaths of Nahida and Samar, and there are no words that can be said to express our grief and outrage. We trust that you are weeping now with the families of the martyrs, and we hold onto your words from Matthew, “blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Comfort the Christians in Gaza who continue to seek shelter in the Holy Family Parish and provide for all the disabled who were displaced by the attack on the Convent. 

Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer. 

As the violence in Gaza continues to intensify, the colder weather and heavy rains have caused flooding, worsening the humanitarian crisis. UNRWA has stated that its shelters for internally displaced persons in the middle and southern areas of the Gaza strip are over nine times their capacity, hosting the 1.9 million internally displaced persons. Additionally, the spread of disease has increased, with health authorities documenting 360,000 cases of infectious diseases in shelters, including diarrhea, influenza, meningitis, hygiene related conditions such as lice, and 1,500 cases of intestinal disease are reported daily due to food shortages.

Almighty God, we call to you in anguish over the sickness and suffering your people in Gaza are experiencing. How long, O Lord? We remember that you were born in the likeness of humans, and you know what it is to experience pain and bodily suffering. Bring healing to all who are sick and bring protection to all who seek shelter. Ultimately, we pray for a ceasefire and for lasting healing that will come only through your complete justice. 

Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer.

On the 8^th of December, the United Nations Security Council voted on a resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The vote came after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made a rare move on the 6^th of December to formally warn the 15-member council of the global threat from the two-month-long war. 13 members voted in favor of the ceasefire resolution, the United Kingdom abstained, and unfortunately, the United States vetoed the demand for a ceasefire. 

All-knowing God, we are baffled by the United States’ veto and the United Kingdom’s abstention. God, as each day passes, you are the only one who knows how many lives could have been saved if there were a ceasefire. Let the outrage over these decisions increase global efforts for a ceasefire. Lord, as we struggle for justice, we remember the words of the apostle Paul, “Be angry but do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26).

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer