Sabeel Wave of Prayer

28^th February 2019

On Friday evening, 22 February 2019, in excessive use of force against, mainly peaceful, protesters on the 48th Friday of the ‘Great March of Return’ and ‘Breaking the Siege’, Israeli forces killed a 15-year-old Palestinian teenager and wounded 115 civilians, including 16 children, 10 women and a journalist, in the eastern Gaza Strip. The injury of 3 of the wounded civilians, including a 12-year-old boy were reported as serious.

 

• Lord, we continue to pray for the safety of the Palestinian protesters and the commitment of many to non-violence. We pray that those who have been injured may soon recover and that grieving families may find solace. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

On Friday, the 22nd of February, Palestinian worshippers opened the al-Rahma Gate at the eastern end of the Al Aqsa Mosque, which had been sealed off by the occupying Israeli authorities since 2003. In addition, Israeli authorities have banned top Islamic officials from entering the compound for one week.

 

• Lord, we pray for peace and order in the city of Jerusalem. We pray that the occupying Israeli authorities would respect the rights of all its residents to worship without obstruction at their holy sites. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

Palestinians and internationals have gathered to mark the anniversary of the Ibrahimi Mosque/Cave of the Patriarchs Massacre, where Dr Baruch Goldstein entered the Mosque and killed 29 worshippers, injuring another 125, and to protest against Israel’s expulsion of the international observer mission that was set up in the aftermath of the massacre. The demonstrations were relatively peaceful, but they highlight how divided, tense and militarised the city remains.

 

• Lord, we remember those who lost their lives in the Massacre. We pray for justice and peace in Hebron, and that those who volunteer to protect, document, and talk about injustice are free to carry out their work. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

Thirty Palestinian pupils from an elementary school in the Old City of Hebron suffered tear gas suffocation when Israeli soldiers fired tear gas bombs around and inside their school. One pupil’s condition was so serious he had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

 

• Lord, we pray for the Palestinian residents of Hebron, particularly the children who are witnessing harassment and aggression on a day-to-day basis. We pray that these tear gas attacks from the Israeli military will cease as the harmful effects on health in the long term may be extremely serious. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian shepherds and prevented them from herding their flocks, in Tarami in the southern area of Hebron. Under the protection of Israeli occupying forces, the settlers repeatedly beat the shepherds.

 

• Lord, we pray for the Palestinians trying to care for their livestock and their land. We pray for an end to the settler attacks and for the complicit support of the Israeli authorities. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

Israeli authorities released Palestinian prisoner, Abed al-Rahman Khalil Mahmoud, 38, from occupied East Jerusalem, after 17 years of imprisonment, on Sunday. On release he was banned, for unknown reasons, from entering Issawiya neighbourhood where his family live.

• Lord We pray for the successful reintegration of former prisoners like Abed into their families and societies, and that their freedom will release a collective wave of nonviolent struggle for justice in this land. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

This week the Kumi Now initiative focuses on the Hebron based work of Youth Against Settlements, (YAS). This non-violent, direct action group, which was formed in 2008, helps to educate young Palestinians in how to use media and advocacy to resist the Israeli occupation of Hebron. There are two large settlements adjacent to Hebron, which are illegal under international law.

 

• Lord, we pray for the work of Youth Against Settlements as they try to help young Palestinians in Hebron cope with the harassment and oppression they face in their daily lives under the occupation. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

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Sabeel Wave of Prayer

21^st February 2019

 

For the 47th consecutive Friday the “Great March of Return” continued along the border between Gaza and Israel. At least sixty Palestinians were injured by Israeli soldiers using live ammunition.

 

• Lord, we pray for all those injured in the protest. Lord, we pray for a breakthrough in the peace talks so that there may be a just end to the blockade of Gaza. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

When the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) force was unilaterally expelled by Israel last week, a group of Palestinian activists set up their own group as a protective presence in the city. On their first day of escorting Palestinian children to school the group members were harassed by Israeli settlers.

 

• Lord we pray for all those who set out to protect the weak and to witness oppression. Lord, guard the paths of justice and watch over those who seek to walk the ways of righteousness and justice (Prov 2:6-9). Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

On Friday the 15th of February, two Palestinians were shot in Urif village, southern Nablus. Clashes took place when farmers tried to remove the dirt mounds dumped by Israeli forces to prevent them from reaching their land.

 

• Lord, we pray for the Palestinians who are trying to earn their livelihoods on the land or at sea. We pray for an end to the violent treatment of the Palestinians by the Israeli authorities. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

In its monthly report, the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, (OCHA), in occupied Palestine stated that 40 Palestinian-owned homes and other structures were demolished or seized by Israeli authorities during January. One of the demolitions took place on punitive grounds and the others happened due to the lack of permits. Building permits for Palestinians are almost impossible to obtain.

 

• Lord, it is so difficult to imagine how it feels to have your home, school or business broken up before your eyes. We pray for families who suffer this trauma, that they may have the strength to recover and start their lives again. We pray for those who carry out this demolition work that they may question this heartless policy and cease what they are doing. Lord, in your mercy …hear our prayers.

 

Dozens of Israeli ministers and political officials have signed a petition to settle two million Israeli settlers across occupied Palestine. The petition has been put forward by the Nahala Movement. They demand a rapid expansion of Jewish-only settlements, as well as an end to the two-state solution. There are already between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis living in settlements in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, in violation of international law.

 

• Lord, we pray that international laws would be respected by the Israeli government. We pray that international organisations like the UN would bring pressure to bear on Israel to halt the illegal expansion of Jewish-only settlements in occupied Palestine. Lord, in your mercy…

 

This week’s Kumi Now initiative focuses on the work of the Regional Council of the Palestinian Unrecognised Bedouin Villages (RCUV). Bedouin villages have no legal recognition in the Israeli state and no access to municipal services like water or electricity. They wish to continue to follow their traditional way of life, rearing livestock and farming. Bedouin villagers, like those in al-Araqib, live under constant threat of demolition. The Israeli government wants to relocate them to urban centres without regard for their rural way of life.

 

• Lord, we pray for the work of the RCUV as they seek to protect those who have no rights in their own land. We pray that the way of life of the Bedouin people would be respected and that they would be left to farm in their traditional ways. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of France, Germany and Monaco. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

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Sabeel Wave of Prayer

Thursday 14^th February 2019

 

The “Great March of Return” continues along the border between Gaza and Israel. Two teenage boys; Hassan Shalabi, aged 14 and Hamza Muhammad Ishteiwi, aged 17, were killed by Israeli live fire. Israeli forces continue to use live fire, tear gas, and skunk water against protestors on a weekly basis.

 

• God of life, we pray for children and young people caught up in terror beyond their understanding or control. We pray for those who have been killed, maimed, bereaved; those who have had their future torn away from them; those whose lives are bleak, lacking opportunity, mobility and hope. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

On the 7^th February, Israeli occupation forces demolished the Bedouin village of al-Araqib in the Negev desert, southern Israel, for the 140^th time. This is the second time in two weeks that the village has been demolished leaving families without shelter during winter rains.

 

• Lord, we thank you for the courage and stubbornness of the people as they continue to rebuildand refuse to be forced out of their land. We pray that you will help the Israeli decision makers accept that truth and justice always triumph over the power of violence. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) programme has withdrawn all accompaniers from Hebron on a temporary basis. This is due to increasing violence from settlers and Israeli occupation forces. On the 7^th of February, Rabbis for Human Rights walked in solidarity with accompaniers through Hebron and have agreed to hold meetings with the Jewish community with the aim of allowing EAPPI to return.

 

• We thank God for this program and the support given to it by other organisations in spite of the harassment and violence incurred. We pray that the situation in Hebron will soon allow accompaniers to return and continue their vital work. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

The Canadian government has revoked the charity status of a Jewish organisation following a government audit that found it has funded Israeli military projects and settlements in the occupied West Bank.

 

• Lord, we pray that the example of the Canadian government becomes a beacon for all who stand for justice. May organisations who fund illegal military or civil actions be granted the grace to realise the wrong in their ways. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

The Sabeel Wave of Prayer and a number of our publications are now translated into nine languages thanks to volunteers from around the world.

 

• Lord, we give you praise for all our friends around the world who support us in many varied capacities, including those who faithfully pray with us using this Wave of Prayer.  Please bless them and all their loved ones. We give thanks for their continuous commitment and warm friendship, asking you to strengthen our fellowship with them in the work for justice and peace. Lord, in your mercy…

 

On Friday 15^th February, Sabeel will hold a meeting for local Bible Study facilitators in Jericho.

 

• Lord, we thank you for the gifts and commitment of the leaders within the community who continue to reach out to others through their faith. Send your spirit to watch over those attending this training day and help them to hear the message you would like them to hear.Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

The Kumi Now initiative continues this week with the Mossawa Centre and their topic of discrimination against Arab citizens of Israel. Kumi Now encourages you to read the information and then act by writing to your foreign ministry with the message “I demand that Israel recognize the rights of Arab citizens and the rights of allpeople to be together with whom they choose.”

 

• Loving Lord we pray for Mossawa Centre and their work supporting Arab citizens of Israel. Bless those taking part in Kumi Now and encourage them in their support for the Palestinian people.

 

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers.

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Sabeel Wave of Prayer
7^th of February, 2019

 

The ‘Great March of Return’ continued on Friday, the 1st of February. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that 32 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli occupation live fire along the border between Gaza and Israel.

 

• Lord, every week we hear of more injuries and deaths in Gaza and the situation there is desperate. We pray for an end to the suffering and the blockade of Gaza. Lord, in your mercy….

 

Mahmoud Omar Jaafreh, a Palestinian from the Jabel al-Mukabbir area of occupied East Jerusalem, was forced to demolish part of his own home on Friday, the 1st of February.

The municipality would have charged him to carry out the demolition, had he not carried out the work himself. The Israeli authorities use the pretext of building without permits to carry out frequent demolitions of Palestinian-owned homes. For Palestinians, building permits are almost impossible to obtain from Israeli authorities.

 

• Lord, we pray for those who are forced to tear down the walls of their homes. Lord, we pray for an end to the Israeli policies of discrimination. Lord, in your mercy..

 

UNICEF and UNESCO expressed deep concern over the rise in Israeli interference in Palestinian schools in the occupied territories. These incidents are impacting children’s safe access to education. In 2018 five schools in the West Bank were demolished or seized by the Israeli authorities. Fifty other schools in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem are presently under threat of demolition.

 

• Dear God, we know that there is a special place in your heart for children. You told your disciples to let ‘the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God’,(Luke18:16). Lord, may we care for the safety of all our children, especially for those subject to violence and abuse as they go to school. Lord, in your mercy…

 

Lina Osama Quteineh, a Palestinian geneticist from occupied East Jerusalem won second prize in Switzerland for the best published research in 2018 on the subject of organ transplant.

• Lord, we thank you for the insights you give to our doctors and researchers into the intricate workings of our bodies. Thank you that their work may be used to help those who are sick. Lord, in your mercy…

 

The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas suspended the new Social Security Law. The Palestinian Authority had begun to implement the law on the 15th of January. However the President listened to the widespread protests over its implementation and agreed to enter into further negotiations over it.

 

• Thank you, Lord, that a general strike has been averted in Palestine as the new law will be reconsidered. We pray for all those in positions of authority that they would fulfill their roles with honesty and integrity. Lord, in your mercy…

 

This is Week 16 of the Kumi Now Initiative. The focus this week is on taking a well-earned rest from activism. Take this opportunity to rest and renew your energy by enjoying a walk or preparing a healthy meal.

 

• Lord, we give thanks for all those with a burden for those suffering injustice in Palestine and in other places around the world. We pray for their refreshment and renewed commitment for the work you have prepared for them to do. Lord, in your mercy…

 

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Andorra, Italy, Malta, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Vatican City. Lord, in your mercy…

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Sabeel Wave of Prayer

31^st January 2019

 The ‘Great March of Return’ continued for the 44th consecutive Friday since March last year. A young Palestinian, Ihab Atallah Hussein Abed, was fatally wounded and 22 others, including 14 children, were wounded by live fire from the Israeli military.

• Lord we pray for the family of Ihab as they mourn their loss. We pray too for an end to the blockade of Gaza and to the dreadful death toll and injuries sustained by the protestors along the Gaza border. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Israeli forces have assaulted a large number of Palestinian workers waiting to cross Checkpoint 300 from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, causing fainting, suffocation and bruises among the workers.

• Lord, we pray that the hostile actions of the Israeli forces would cease and that workers be allowed to freely access their place of work. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The Israeli authorities at the Barzilai Medical Centre in Ashkelon now require all Palestinian residents of the occupied territories to disembark from public buses at the entrance to their grounds. They are then required to undergo security checks. Israeli citizens, residents, and internationals are not required to go through these procedures and are allowed to proceed on the buses to the hospital. Physicians for Human Rights have challenged the authorities for putting apartheid policies into practice.

• Lord Jesus, we remember how you healed all ten lepers, including the thankful Samaritan. Help us, Lord, to show your care for everyone in our communities. We pray for your strength, endurance and patience with joy, as we continue to give thanks to our Father, (Col 1: 11). Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 On Wednesday, the 23rd of January, the funeral of Aiia Maasarwe, a young Palestinian citizen of Israel took place in her hometown of Baqa al-Gharbiyye, north of Tel Aviv. Aiia had been on a study programme at Melbourne’s La Trobe University when she was assaulted and murdered on her journey back to her apartment.

• Lord, we pray for the family of Aiia as they mourn her loss and as they grieve over her violent death. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 Sabeel is holding a Bible study for young women at Tantur Ecumenical Institute this week.

• We pray that the sisterhood and solidarity among the young women of Sabeel be a testimony to the strength and beauty of Christ-centered friendship. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers.

A new initiative proposed by Palestinian Youth has been undertaken to draw attention to problems with the infrastructure of streets in Palestine. Since activists began planting trees in the holes in the roads, some municipalities have started to repair them.

• Lord, we pray that all those in positions of responsibility in local government, that they would steward their resources in a responsible way. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

This is Week 15 of the Kumi Now initiative and the focus is on the boycott of Hewlett- Packard and the work of Friends of Sabeel, North America, (FOSNA). FOSNA is helping to lead a boycott and divestment campaign against Hewlett Packard Enterprise and the associated company HP Inc., both of which profit from their involvement with the occupation. The Kumi Action asks you to raise greater awareness of the involvement of this company with the occupation.

• Lord, we pray that those involved in the business world would stop to consider how they are making money and the ethical implications of their involvement with governments. We pray for those ready to speak out about the sufferings of the Palestinians living under occupation. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Last Saturday, January 26, Israeli settlers killed Hamdi Saadeh Naasan, the father of four children as he was tending his land, and injured 30 others after they raided the al-Mughayyir village, east of Ramallah.

 

• Lord, we pray for the family of Naaasan as they grieve for their loss, we also pray for the speedy recovery of all who were injured. We pray for justice and the end of oppression. Grant us Lord the gift to see peace and the end of violence in our country. Lord in your mercy…

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Western Sahara and Tunisia. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

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Sabeel Wave of Prayer
24^th January 2019

 

The Great March of Return continued on Friday, the 18th of January. Defence for Children International – Palestine (DCIP) reported that 45 children have been killed in Gaza since March 30^th.

• Lord, we pray for a breakthrough in the peace talks and an end to this pitiless siege of Gaza. Comfort those families who have lost children and cast your protecting grace over all children in Gaza. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 Riyad al-Malki, the Foreign Affairs Minister of the Palestinian Authority, stated that this year Palestine will assume the presidency of the Group of 77 and China, to negotiate development issues in the U.N. Palestine has been a non-member observer state in the U.N. since 2012. It intends to re-submit its application for full membership of the U.N. at the end of this year’s mandate.

• Dear Lord, we pray for strength and steadfastness for those working in organisations like the U.N., who devote their lives to challenging injustice and oppression. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 Students have been returning to school after their mid-year vacation. Many pupils in the occupied territories face obstacles to their access to education. Some students experience abuse from Israeli settlers on their way to and from school, others face delays at checkpoints, while others are subjected to frequent searches on their school bus journeys.

• Lord, we pray for the students as they go back to school, that they would continue to value their education. For those who face further difficulties, may they find the determination to complete their studies and use their qualifications to help their local communities. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 Human Rights Watch criticised the Palestinian Authority for restricting online freedom of speech and arresting dissidents.

• Thank you, Lord Jesus, that when you came into the world, we received your grace and truth, (John 1:17). Help us to stand firm and challenge the suppression of truth by those in authority. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 On Sunday, the 13th of January, a group of Israeli settlers destroyed nearly a thousand tree saplings in Burqa, west of the northern occupied West Bank district of Nablus. The saplings were being cultivated to transform the land around Burqa into a nature reserve.

• Lord, we pray that these frequent acts of vandalism by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank would cease. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 This week Kumi Now focuses on the work of the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs, (PASSIA) and Israel’s violations of international law in East Jerusalem. The Kumi Now action asks you to write to your local politicians, challenging them to hold the Israeli government to account for the human rights abuses it perpetrates on Palestinians.

• Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace, you will establish your kingdom with justice and righteousness, (Isaiah 9:6-7). Help us to pray in faith for those who seek to address injustice and to speak truth to those who govern us. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.
• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Cyprus, Greece and Turkey. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

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Sabeel Wave of Prayer

17^th January 2019

 

The ‘Great March of Return’ protest in Gaza continued for its 42nd Friday. A Palestinian woman, Amal Mustafa Taramsi and 14-year-old Abed Alraouf Salhah died and at least 25 other people were wounded by Israeli live fire. Egyptian representatives held talks on the day before with Palestinian delegates to prevent any further escalation of violence along the border with Israel.

 

• Lord, we pray for the family of Amal and Abed who were killed in the protest as they mourn their loss. We pray too for a breakthrough in the peace talks that there will be an end to the blockade of Gaza and to the desperate sufferings of the people under siege. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

This week the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, (PSC), successfully challenged a UK court ruling. The ruling would have restricted local authority pension funds’ ability to divest from companies on ethical grounds. If the PSC is successful in its appeal to the Supreme Court, the UK Government will not be able to interfere on ethical disinvestment decisions.

 

• Lord our God help us to seek you diligently and to walk in your way of righteousness and your paths of justice (Proverbs 8:17-20). We are thankful for those who listen to the Palestinian cry for justice and who seek to find ways to peacefully protest Israel’s human rights violations in Palestine. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

A general strike has been called for Palestinians on Tuesday, the 15th of January. On this date the Palestinian Authority requires business owners and employees in the private sector to sign up to the Palestinian Social Security Institution. This institution has been set up to provide pensions and insurance benefits. However, many protestors are mistrustful of the Palestinian Authority and its intensions.

 

• Dear Lord, we pray that the general strike will be peaceable and that the grievances of the protestors will be addressed by the authorities concerned. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

Thousands of Palestinian and Syrian refugees in the Middle East are suffering from severe wintry weather conditions. Storm Norma which started on Saturday, the 12th of January, hit Lebanon and Syria this week with heavy rains, snowfall and freezing temperatures. Many refugees had to be rescued from flooded camps.

 

• Lord, you knew what it was like to live as a refugee when you were born into this world. Help us to remember the refugee families who have to try and survive extreme cold in temporary shelters. We give thanks to all charities and NGOs who respond to their suffering with emergency shelter, fuel and food supplies. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

In the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem, five Palestinian families have received an order by the Israeli authorities to evacuate a building. According to the Civic Coalition for Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem (CCPRJ), the building would be turned over to Israeli settlers who had claimed ownership of the building.

 

• Lord, we pray for an end to the Israeli military occupation that continues to dispossess our people from their properties. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers 

 

This week’s Kumi Action focuses on the work of the Machsom Watch. Since 2001 Israeli women from the Machsom Watch have been observing and reporting on the Israeli military occupation of Palestine. They are opposed to the occupation and believe it is undermining respect for human rights and democracy in Israel. The Kumi Action asks you to stop and think as you cross a road or leave a building what it must be like for Palestinians who have to pass through so many obstacles just to reach work or school or treatment at a hospital.

 

• Lord, we thank you for those who care about human rights and for those, like the women of Machsom Watch, who are prepared to monitor and report on the injustices they see in their society. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

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Sabeel Wave of Prayer
10^th of January 2019

Friday, the 4th of January the ‘Great March of Return’ continued in Gaza leaving over 20 Palestinians injured by Israeli fire.

• Lord, we continue to pray for an end to the Israeli military occupation, the implementation of the right of return of Palestinian refugees and for true peace to become a reality in our troubled land. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers

 The world welcomes a new year this week.

• Lord, help us to trust in you as we step out into this year, knowing that you are our true light and hope. If we become fearful or downhearted, let us turn to your word to quieten our hearts and to give light to our path ahead. Lord, in your mercy…Hear our prayers

 As Christmas celebrations for many are ending, we think of worshippers in some Orthodox and Coptic churches who celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January. We also enter the season of Epiphany when we remember the wise men who came to worship Jesus and brought him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

• Help us, Lord Jesus, to keep our eyes fixed on you each day, not only during seasonal celebrations. Let us worship you with open hearts, so that you may ‘dwell in our hearts through faith, that we may know the love of Christ and be filled with all the fullness of God’ (Eph 3:17) Lord, in your mercy….Hear our prayers

Israel’s Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan has announced plans to worsen conditions for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, including rationing water supplies and reducing the number of family visits. The number of Palestinians in Israeli prisons has now reached 5,500, including 230 children and 54 women.

• We praise you, Lord, that you are a God of mercy and compassion. We bring the plight of the Palestinian prisoners before you and pray that plans to aggravate their sufferings will be defeated. Lord, in your mercy…Hear our prayers

The Palestinian Football Team is taking part in the 2019 Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates from the 5th of January until the 1st of February. This event takes place once every four years and is organized by the Asian Football Confederation.

• Lord, we are thankful that Palestinian footballers have the opportunity to travel and compete against other teams in an international competition. We thank you for their physical skills and desire to compete with other sportsmen. Lord, in your mercy…Hear our prayers

Several Jewish Settler teenagers have been arrested in connection with the fatal stoning of a Palestinian woman in the West Bank. Aisha Rabi, was the mother of nine children.

• Lord, we pray for the family of Aisha who was murdered in cold blood. We have only faith in your spirit to comfort her husband and children as they grieve for their mother and wife. Lord in your mercy…Hear our prayers

This week’s Kumi Action focuses on the work of the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, an independent human rights organisation in Gaza. Al Mezan believes Israel should lift the restrictions of movement of people from Gaza, especially those with critical health problems. In 2017 the Israeli authorities only approved permits for medical appointments for 54% of those who applied, the lowest rate since 2008.

• Lord, we pray for the work of Al Mezan as they seek to help those who are suffering and in need. We pray for an end to the blockade of Gaza and the dreadful toll it is taking on the health and well-being of the people who live there. Lord, in your mercy…Hear our prayers

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Iran, Iraq and Syria. Lord, in your mercy..

 

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3^rd January 2019

 The Great March of Return continued on Friday the 30th of December. According to UN figures more than 25,000 Palestinians have been injured in protests along the border between Gaza and Israel and more than 190 Palestinians have been killed since the protest began on the 30th of March. The majority of those who have been killed were young men, aged 29 or younger. The latest victim, Karam Fayyad, was killed east of the Gaza city of Khan Younis and eight others were wounded.

• Lord we pray for the family of Karam as they grieve their loss. We pray for a breakthrough in the peace talks and an end to the crippling siege of Gaza. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Israeli forces detained two Palestinian students from Beituniya village in the occupied West Bank district of Ramallah. The mayor of the village, Ribhi Dawleh has stated that Israeli forces are deliberately targeting students in the village with frequent raids and detentions.

• Lord, we pray for the young students in the occupied West Bank who suffer checks and delays as they travel to their schools and colleges. We pray that they remain determined to complete their studies. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The war continues in Syria.

• Lord, we pray for the people of Syria and the Golan Heights who have lived with destructive warfare and unrest over the past few years. We pray for peace in this country and the resettlement of those who have had to flee their homes. Lord, in your mercy….hear our prayers.

 There has been plentiful rainfall in Palestine and Israel this year which will soften and refresh the land ready for the farmers to plant their crops. We remember the poor who suffer in the cold and wet conditions of winter.

• Teach us, Lord, to be thankful at all times, to encourage one another and to seek to do good to one another, knowing that this is your will for us. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The United Nations’ World Food Program, (WFP), has warned that a severe funding shortfall in Palestine is expected to affect 193,000 of the poorest people in Gaza and the West Bank in January. Assistance from the WFP goes to the most impoverished and ‘food insecure’ communities.

• Lord, we pray for those who struggle to feed their families in Gaza and the Occupied Territories. We pray for the support of those in need. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

 After a ruling taken by the Palestinian Constitutional Court, President Mahmoud Abbas has announced the dissolution of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Legislative elections should now take place within six months.

• Lord, we pray that the Palestinian people will hold free and fair elections to the  Legislative Council. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

 This week the Kumi Now non-violent initiative is focusing on the work of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, (ELCJHL). The Kumi Now action requests that Christians around the world heed the cry of Palestinian Christians for justice. It asks them to offer, to speak or pray about Palestine and Israel in their local churches.

•   Lord, we pray for the work and witness of ELCJHL in this land of the Holy One. Bless the Kumi Now initiative and all those who use it as a pathway to a just peace in this land. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine

 

 27^th December 2018

 ‘The Great March of Return’ continues into its 39^th week. Four Palestinians were shot and killed, including Muhammad Muin al-Jahjouh,16, by Israeli forces at the eastern borders of Gaza, while over 40 Palestinians were injured.

 

• Lord, we pray for the families as they grieve over their loss. We continue to pray for the safety of the protestors and for them to continue to espouse non-violent means to achieve their rightful demands. Lord, in your mercy…Hear our prayers

 

The photograph of Palestinian demonstrators taken along the Gaza borders on April 6th, 2018 by the Reuter’s photographer Mohammed Salem is one of the many memorable images included in ‘The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict through the Lens in 2018’.

 

• Lord, we pray that the inspiration, passion and energy of Palestinian journalists continue to raise awareness of the plight of Palestinians. Lord in your mercy… Hear our prayers

 

Hundreds of Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli soldiers, raided the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Mar Saba, east of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank. The raid was timed to disrupt the devotions of the Palestinian Christians who had come to celebrate the feast of St. Saba.

• Lord, we pray for an end to the Israeli occupation that allows the mistreatment of Palestinian civilians and the harassment of peaceful worshippers. Lord, in your mercy…. Hear our prayers

 

Hudhaifa al-Hariri from Umm al-Fahm in northern Israel died in hospital after being shot at an incident at a petrol station near the Megiddo junction. Four other separate shooting incidents took place in northern Israel this week. Crime among the Israeli Arab citizens is on the rise, while the Israeli government ministries neglect the basic needs of the Arab sector.

 

• Lord, we pray for the family of Hudhaifa as they mourn the loss of their young son. We pray for an end to the rising tide of violence among Israeli Arabs which threatens to weaken communal ties. May your spirit, God, guide us to continue to seek equitable treatment for Arab communities from the Israeli government. Lord in your mercy… Hear our prayers

 

The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music presented the Palestinian all-girl choir

‘Banat Al-Quds’, (Daughters of Jerusalem), in a concert to launch their new CD on Tuesday, the 18th of December, at a cultural centre in Jerusalem. The choir sings together with a Norwegian choir and the Princeton Girls’ Choir from the USA on the CD.

 

• Lord, we praise you that we can express the deepest feelings of our hearts through the gift of song. Let us remember the words of the prophet Habakkuk as he sang out to you in troubled times, ‘God, the Lord, is my strength, he makes my feet like the deer’s, he makes me tread on my high places.’(Hab.3:19) Lord, in your mercy… Hear our prayers

 

At the United Nations in New York, the countries of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland reiterated the EU policy on Israel/ Palestine. It confirmed its support for a two state solution, with Jerusalem as the future capital of both states.

• Lord, we pray for an end to the Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territories and for a just and lasting peace. Lord, in your mercy…. Hear our prayers

 

This week the Kumi Now non-violent initiative is asking its participants to give feedback on the Kumi actions. This will be the first of three specific times throughout the year when feedback will be especially welcome at: feedback@kuminow.com.

 

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of     Japan, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan. Lord, in your mercy…..