Sabeel Wave of Prayers

A new report by Israeli rights groups B’Tselem and HaMoked,  accuses Israel of “systematic abuse” of young Palestinians arrested after attending protests in occupied East Jerusalem, ignoring laws to protect teenagers rights, detaining those accused of throwing stones at soldiers in the middle of the night and questioning without a lawyer present.

• For boys and girls whose childhood has been stolen in the cause of war and occupation, Lord bring restoration, healing, family, love. We ask Lord that such abuse must stop. Lord in your mercy…

 

Due to American intervention Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is delaying bringing the “Greater Jerusalem Bill” for a vote during his cabinet meeting. The bill would annex a number of the illegal Israeli Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank to the city of Jerusalem in order to make the Jewish population greater than the Arab population, strengthening the Jewish hold on the city.

• Lord God lead humanity, from falsehood to truth, from despair to hope, from fear to trust, from hate to love, from occupation and war to peace. Lord bring Justice and let peace fill our hearts, our land, our world, our universe.

 Peace, peace, peace. Lord in your mercy….

 

A group of British activists, organized by our friends in Amos Trust, walked for 174 days from the UK to Jerusalem as a symbolic act of penance to apologize for the injustice of the “Balfour Declaration” which marks its 100th anniversary this November. The activists concluded their visit with a worship service at St. George’s cathedral in Jerusalem.

• Lord God we thank you for our friends who can see our suffering and oppression and respond boldly standing against those who oppress us. We thank you for their sacrifices that they might be instruments of your peace. We are grateful for their speaking truth, giving us hope and raising awareness to the impact of the occupation. Lord in your mercy…

 

The Lutheran Church last week celebrated their 500 year anniversary of the Reformation. Congregation members from the English-speaking church, the German-speaking church, the Arabic-speaking church, the Danish-speaking church, and the Swedish-speaking church filled the sanctuary of The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem.

• Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. We give thanks for the work and witness of the Lutheran Church in this Land we call Holy. Lord in your mercy…

 

Sabeel is holding its annual Ecumenical Clergy Retreat this week Monday 6th to Wednesday 8th of November. The retreat will take place at the Carmelite Convent of Stella Maris on Mt. Carmel in Haifa, and will also include the spouses of married clergy.  A number of distinguished clergy and lay people will lead the sessions, including Rev. Ateek, the chairman of the Sabeel Board.

 

 

• We pray dear Lord for your blessing on this Retreat and for the ecumenical spirit that prevails in the Sabeel programs. Guide the speakers and the participants to be nourished by this fellowship, and help them disseminate the right attitude in their parishes so that the “Other” will be a Blessing.  Lord in your mercy…

 

Seven Palestinians were killed, and 12 others were wounded after Israeli forces blew up an underground tunnel between the southern Gaza Strip and Israel last week.

 

• God of justice and mercy, we pray fervently that more bloodshed will be prevented. We remember the people in Gaza and especially the little children. We pray for the end of the ten-year-old blockade of Gaza and the end of the evil military occupation. Lord in your mercy… 
• We join the World Council of Churches in praying for the countries Oceania: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia (Maohi Nui), Kanaky, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu. Lord in your mercy…

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Sabeel Wave of Prayers

Thursday November 2^nd, 2017 marks one hundred years since the Balfour Declaration was issued and set in motion the process which led to the displacement and dispossession of millions of Palestinians over the course of ten decades. A century later, the Palestinians continue to be denied their basic rights to peace and security.

• Lord You are the Almighty, the Prince of Peace and lover of Truth and Justice! Give us hope for tomorrow. We pray for Justice and Truth in our land, that your peace may flow like a river. Lord in your mercy…

 

There are 7.2 million Palestinian refugees worldwide; one in three Palestinians is a refugee. Over 5 million Palestinian refugees face poverty and insecurity across the occupied Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Jordan, and in Syria.

• God of the journey, as we remember the Palestinian refugees we recall the Holy family who fled to Egypt. We pray for our sisters and brothers around the world and thank You for their strength, courage, and grace. We pray for a time the international community implements the United Nations resolutions and allow a safe return for our families. Lord in your mercy…

The Gaza Strip and the West Bank have been under military occupation for 50 years; the West Bank is being colonized by illegal settlers, while the Gaza Strip languishes after a decade of siege.

• We ask God almighty to give us peace and to put an end to the Israeli occupation we also pray for peace for all countries throughout the world. Lord in your mercy…

Economic and social gaps exist between Israeli Palestinians and Jews. Palestinian villages historically received less funding than Jewish, affecting the quality of Israeli Arab schools, infrastructure and social services. Generally Palestinian Israelis are treated as second class citizens.

• Lord the ethic of love and the practice of “loving your neighbor as yourself” are at the root of Your vision for a just creation. Lord may there be justice, equality and peace in Israel. Lord in your mercy…

Last week, Israel detained at least 66 Palestinians during overnight raids in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israeli raids in Palestinian towns, villages, and refugee camps are of a daily occurrence.

• Lord we pray for freedom for the falsely accused, healing for the wrongly imprisoned, and care for the tortured or abused. Lord in your mercy set our prisoners free…

The depopulated village of Lifta, one of the few intact abandoned Palestinian villages in Israel remaining from 1948, has been named by the World Monuments Fund as one of 25 at-risk sites around the world. Recently, Israeli real estate developers sought to build a luxury neighborhood there, plans that the World Monuments Fund urged officials to reject.

• Lord we pray that the “World Monument Fund Organization”, intercede and are able to protect this important site. Lord in your mercy…

We are pleased to announce that Reverend Naim Ateek launched on Friday his new book “A Palestinian Theology of Liberation”.

• We thank you Lord for Rev. Naim and for your inspiration in his work, and ask that it will be widely read. May your Holy Spirit be in the thoughts and meditations of those who read it. Lord in your mercy …

• We join the World Council of Churches in praying for the countries of Canada and the United States of America. Lord in your mercy…

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The Sabeel Wave of Prayer

Adverts highlighting the unjust Balfour declaration of 1917, when Britain promised a Jewish national home in Palestine, have been blocked by the Transport For London, on the grounds they are politically controversial.

• Lord, there may be free speech in Britain on every issue, but not on Palestine. As the powerful, unsuccessfully, attempted to silence Jesus as he was considered religiously, socially and politically controversial, may the attempts to silence the cry of the Palestinians for justice end with failure. Lord in your mercy…

 The Israeli army raided the offices of eight TV channels and production companies in the West Bank, confiscating equipment and closing some. Two Palestinian journalists were arrested.

• Lord, the powerful attempt to silence us with violence. We pray that the inspiration, passion and energy of Palestinian journalists continue to raise awareness of the Israeli violations in Palestine. Lord in your mercy…

 Israeli prime minister, Netanyahu, is pushing a bill that will stop the funding of Human rights organizations in Israel.

• Dear Lord, we suffer suppression whilst being oppressed. We pray that justice continues to be spoken by our Israeli friends. Lord in your mercy…

Currently we are making final preparations for the Sabeel Witness Visit Nov.1^st-Nov 9^th on the theme of “Christian Zionism and Colonialism.”

• Lord may your Holy Spirit be with us in our preparations. Lord in your mercy hear our prayer…

 We celebrate with the Franciscan religious order 800 Years of their presence in the Holy Land.

• We thank you Lord for their support of the Christian presence in the Holy Land, their Educational services, Health care, Housing and Humanitarian Projects.Lord in your mercy hear our prayer…

 We join the World Council of Churches in praying for the countries The Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St Kitts-Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago

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Last week, three Palestinians, including an 11-year-old boy, were injured when Israeli forces raided Shufat refugee camp in occupied East Jerusalem.
Also last week, three Palestinians were injured in clashes that erupted with Israeli occupation forces after settlers raided Jospeh’s Tomb in Nablus city.

• Lord, the humiliation and violence of the evil occupation is overwhelming. We pray for the steadfastness of the Palestinian people. May your spirit enlighten us to transform our anger into hard work to achieve the long awaited peace that you have promised. Lord in your mercy….

The Israeli government is set to approve almost 4,000 new homes in the illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

• Lord, we pray that the international community realizes the insincerity of the Israeli government for a two state solution. Dear God, we remember the Palestinian farmers who continue to have their land confiscated by the greedy Israeli occupier. Lord in your mercy…

Hamas and Fatah have signed a landmark reconciliation deal in Cairo in a key step towards ending a ten-year-long rift. The deal will see administrative control of the Gaza Strip handed to a Fatah-backed unity government.

• Lord, we thank you for this latest move towards peace and reconciliation among the Palestinian people. We pray that a united Palestinian government will be a step forward to our liberation from the Israeli occupation. Lord in your mercy…

Palestine’s national football team hosted Bhutan for a match in front of 7,250 spectators last week. At the end of the game, the Palestinian National team achieved one of their greatest victories ever, beating Bhutan 10-0 to qualify for the finals of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

• God, we thank you for this opportunity for our young people to feel a sense of pride in what they can achieve, and for the joyous opportunity to join other countries in the world’s arena of sports. Lord, in your mercy…

On Sunday, Israeli settlers stole picked olives from dozens of trees belonging to Palestinian farmers from the occupied West Bank districts of Ramallah and Nablus. Israelis rarely face consequences for such attacks committed against Palestinians.

• Lord, we pray for justice as we suffer from the violence of Israeli settlers. May the Palestinian people continue to stand steadfast in the lands of their ancestors and not lose hope in a peaceful solution. Lord in your mercy…
  
• We join the World Council of Churches in praying for the countries of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. Lord in your mercy…

 

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The olive harvest has started in Palestine. Many Palestinian communities, who earn their living from this harvest, are unable to reach their olive groves due to the separation wall, or their proximity to illegal settlements, or because of military intervention.

• God, we lift our prayers for Palestinian farmers who are taking the risk to harvest their produce. We give praise to you lord God, who through the mouth of your prophet proclaimed that one day “…they shall sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees and no one shall make them afraid” (Micah 4:4) Lord in your Mercy… 

Rev. Naim Ateek, a co-founder of Sabeel, has published his third book “A Palestinian Theology of Liberation: The Bible, Justice, and the Palestine-Israel Conflict”.

• Lord, we give thanks for the successful publishing of Rev. Naim Ateek’s new book. We are grateful for all the people who helped in the process to finalize the book. May the prophetic words of Rev. Naim continue to echo in the Churches around the world and bring attention to the need for justice in Palestinian and Israel. Lord in your mercy…  

Last week, Israeli forces demolished the Bedouin village of al-Araqib for the 119th time. The temporary aluminum shelters, which had been put up since the last time the village was demolished, were bulldozed, and the residents of the town have been ordered to pay for the cumulative cost of demolitions. Members of the village committee say that residents will continue to rebuild their homes and remain in the village.

• Lord, we thank you for the courage and stubbornness of the people as they continue to rebuild, and 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…

Around the world, the month of October is dedicated to raise awareness on Breast Cancer. Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women in Palestine. Also, Gaza has only four mammography machines – one of which is out of order – for a population of two million.

• Lord, on the cross you worried about your mother (John 19:27).We pray for our mothers, sisters, daughters and wives who are struggling with breast cancer. We ask you to strengthen them and give them healing in body and spirit. Lord in your mercy… 

On Thursday night, October 5^th, 2017, several Israeli settlers attacked with stones Palestinian cars in the city of Hebron, wounding a child. Yaffa Jaber, a seven year old child, suffered various cuts in her face and head.

• Lord, we pray for the speedy recovery of Yaffa Jaber. We give thanks for the doctors who continue to provide Yaffa with treatment and care. Dear God, be the companion of Palestinian children, guide and protect them in their journeys. In You we place our hope and trust. Lord in your mercy… 

• We join the World Council of Churches in praying for the countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama.
  Lord in your mercy…

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Tuesday, September 26^th, 2017, two Israeli security officers and a border policeman were killed in the Settlement of Har Adar outside Jerusalem. In the attack, the Palestinian assailant was also shot dead.

• Lord, the zealots continue to challenge the injustice with swords.  We are reminded that in the time of trial, You told Peter to put away his sword. May we, your followers, stand firm and face the powers using non-violence. We pray that the unjust Israeli military occupation, that continues to breed hatred and violence, come to an end. Lord in your mercy…  

Since the beginning of September, Israeli forces demolished parts of the three Palestinian Muslim cemeteries in Jerusalem. Israel claims that the demolitions are necessary to make way for building a national park in the area or to expand two existing streets. The Palestinians of Jerusalem are outraged as photos emerge of open graves exposing the remains of their dead.

• Lord, neither the living nor the dead have peace under the Israeli occupation. We pray that the unreasonable Israeli occupation will come to an end soon. Lord in your mercy…

 Since 2009, over 50 Christian and Muslim holy sites have been vandalized in Israel and the West Bank, but only nine indictments have been filed and only seven convictions handed down. Moreover, only eight of the 53 cases are still under investigation, with the other 45 all closed. The Palestinian community accuses Israel of failing to protect the Churches and Mosques from extremist Jews.

• Lord,Lord, there is no peace in our land. Our olive trees are uprooted, roads are blocked, homes are demolished, children are arrested and the sites we call holy have become battle grounds. Our hearts are weary from the Israeli military occupation. We pray Lord for your peace to wash over our land. Lord in your mercy…

Israel’s Civil Administration is expected to advance plans, as early as next week, for 2,000 new homes in West Bank settlements.

• Lord, empower us to have hope in the midst of hopelessness. Grant us the courage needed to continue to speak truth to power. Enlighten us God with new actions that will open the eyes of the greedy oppressors of our humanity. Have mercy on us lord as our neighbors continue to confiscate our land, demolish our homes, erase our history and build their settlements. Lord in your mercy…

In Bethlehem, the Dar al-Kalima’snew Library and Multimedia Resource Center is completed. The Library and resource centre is another milestone towards educating generations of creative leaders in Palestine.

• We are grateful to the Lord and for all friends in the USA, Germany, and in Palestine who helped complete the new Library and Multimedia Resource Center. May Dar al-Kalima continue to be ‘a city on the hill’ that provides light to a brighter future. Lord in your mercy…

 

• We join the World Council of Churches in praying for the countries ofBolivia, Brazil, Chile and Peru.
  Lord in your mercy…

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The United Nations Human Rights Council plans to publish a list of companies operating in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and the Golan Heights, in spite of immense diplomatic pressure from the United States and Israel. American Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has threatened that the US will cut funding to the UN Human Rights Council if the list of international companies operating in the occupied territories is released.

• Lord, we are reminded of your scripture: “No one can serve two masters…. You cannot serve both God and money.” We pray that the UN will not succumb to pressure and expose the companies who make profit from our suffering. Lord in your mercy…

The United Nations General Assembly is holding its annual meeting this weekend in New York, 193-member states are represented including Palestine as an observer state.

 

• Lord, we hold the Palestinian people living under occupation in our prayers as the powerful and the weak meet this week for the United Nations General Assembly. May the meetings bring tangible results that would put an end to the injustice in the land of our Holy One. Lord in your mercy…

 

Israeli rights group, B’Tselem, critiqued the Israeli government’s plans to forcibly expel two Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank. In a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, B’Tselem said that such a move would constitute a “war crime.” The forcible transfer of Khan al-Ahmar will enable future expansion of settlements, including in the area designated E1 – a plan being promoted in part by the settler lobby.

 

• Lord, grant all people of conscience the courage and strength to continue to speak truth to power. May the voices of justice and equality continue to echo in the ears of the Israeli decision makers and may they surrender to your will of peace. Lord in your mercy…

 

On Thursday September 14^th, Israeli bulldozers demolished a Palestinian home in the Negev, south of Israel, for the eighth time. The Israeli authorities raided the village of Umm Qabu and demolished a house belonging to Salman Abu Sabileh, whose home was demolished seven times before by Israeli authorities for allegedly lacking almost impossible-to-obtain building permits.

 

• Lord, once again we are reminded of your scriptures: (Matthew 18:21) “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” We pray that the family of Abu Sabileh continues to rebuild their home regardless of the number of times the Israeli state sins against them. Lord in your mercy…

 

The Sabeel office in Nazareth is organizing a theatrical play that focuses on Palestinian heritage and identity. The play aims to strengthen the Palestinian narrative and deepen our roots in the land. The play comes at a time when the Israeli government is trying to redefine our own identity.

 

• Lord, bless the work of Sabeel locally and internationally. We ask you to be with the young people on stage as they challenge the narrative of the Israeli state by being who they are. Lord in your mercy…

 

• We join the World Council of Churches in praying for the countries of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
  Lord in your mercy…

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At the beginning of this school year, over two thousand classrooms are lacking for Palestinian students in Israeli occupied east Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Municipality and state authorities have failed to provide the lacking classrooms as ordered by an Israeli High Court ruling five years ago. The Jerusalem municipality allocates most of its funds to its Jewish residents and deprives the Palestinian community from its basic needs.

• Lord, our Palestinian students are being taught about discrimination, by the Israeli government, outside the classrooms. We pray that the day will come when Israel will end its ugly occupation and Palestinians will gain back their freedom. Lord in your mercy…
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On Wednesday September 6^th, 2017, the Supreme Court held a hearing regarding the secret procedures governing the work of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, despite the opposition of the Israeli state. The Supreme Court decision came following an appeal representing 108 petitioners. The petitioners demanded the establishment of legislation to regulate operations of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, its roles, authority, form of organization and management, and to require monitoring of its activities and facilities.

• Lord, we give thanks for the people of courage who challenge the Israeli State and its nuclear program. We pray for a world free from nuclear weapons and reactors. May the court hearing bring transparency and raise awareness to the Israeli public about the dangers of their government’s nuclear program. Lord in your mercy…

On Monday September 4^th, Palestinian security forces detained Issa Amro, a prominent human rights activist. Issa’s arrest came a day after he posted comments on his Facebook criticizing Palestinian forces for arresting a journalist. Issa was released from prison on Sunday September 10^th, 2017.

• Lord, we pray for all prisoners, and especially the prisoners of freedom of speech. Dear God, may the people of goodwill work for justice for all people regardless of their color, religion or nationality and especially regardless of who their oppressors are. Lord in your mercy… 

Activists and residents of the village of Jubbet al-Dhib in the southern occupied West Bank district of Bethlehem rebuilt their school in one night. The school was destroyed by Israeli forces two weeks ago.

• Lord, we give thanks for the courage and commitment of the activists who defied the Israeli orders and rebuilt the school. May the stubborn Israeli state come to realize that the Palestinian people demand the right to education. God, give us strength to build when our enemy destroys, grant us power to plant when our enemy uproots, and grant us the ability to love when our enemy spreads hate. Lord in your mercy…

Israeli police evicted a Palestinian family from their East Jerusalem home. The Shamasnehs vacated the house, where they had lived for 53 years, after Israeli courts ruled in favor of the alleged heir of its original Jewish owners pre 1948. The case was brought by the Israel Land Fund, a right-wing non-governmental organization that advocates, for ideological reasons, the takeover of Palestinian land.

• Lord, since 1948, Palestinian families continue to become homeless due to religious extremism and Zionist ideology. We pray for justice to the family of Shamasneh, and for all Palestinian families that lost their homes by force, deception or through legal abuse. Lord in your mercy… 

• We join the World Council of Churches in praying for the countries of Ghana and Nigeria.  Lord, in your mercy…

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On Monday, September 4^th2017, the National Coalition of Christian Organizations in Palestine (NCCOP), a coalition of 36 organizations, met in the Bethlehem area to improve coordination and networking.

• Lord, we give thanks for a successful meeting and for the strengthened fellowship. We pray for the spirit of cooperation to continue so we may stand stronger to serve our Palestinian community living under occupation.

Leader: Lord in your mercy…
People: Hear our prayers

In Jerusalem, Palestinianand international organizations are facing increased pressure from the Israeli bank sector.The new bank restrictions appear to be politically motivated and aim to limit the work of the civil society in Israeli occupied East Jerusalem. This Thursday, Sabeel is organizing a meeting for non-governmental organizations to consult and coordinate ways to face the challenge.

 

• Lord, the powerful continue to plot against the marginalized. We pray for the strengthening of the Palestinian civil society and the continuity of their work in East Jerusalem. Dear God, grant the different organizations the wisdom and courage to remove the obstacles that hinder their important work. Lord in your mercy…

 

Last week, MohannadYunis, a twenty four year old writer, committed suicide at his home in Gaza. Mohannad,was extremely talented and his work was very popular among Palestinian young people.

 

• Lord, help us cast away the demons of depression and hopelessness in Gaza. We pray for the family of Mohannad and all the people of Gaza who live under the Israeli military siege. May the memory of Mohannad and his work be eternal and deliver hope in the midst of hopelessness. Lord in your mercy…

 

The local school at Al Khan Al Ahmar, a Palestinian Bedouin community in Jerusalem, is under the threat of demolition from the Israeli authorities. 175 students attend the school from different Palestinian communities. Israel blocks the roads to the school and deprives it from electricity and water forcing the students to learn under unbearable conditions. Many students are forced to use underground tunnels, intended for sewage systems, to make their way to school.

 

• Lord, although we arereminded that you walk with the students on the way to school, yet we fear for their safety from Israeli soldiers and settlers. Dear God, we know you are the light of the world, yet the classrooms are dark and miserable. We pray for an end to the Israeli occupation that continues to show no mercy to our Palestinian people. Lord in your mercy…

 

During the past month the world has witnessed many devastating natural disasters like the floods in South Asia, the floods in Texas and the fires in California.

• Lord, we pray for a generation of leaders with the courage to take responsibility for our changing climate, and the part we play in it. Dear God, we intercede for politicians and leaders – cause them to act in the best interests of all nations today, and all peoples in the future, in order to avoid catastrophic changes. Lord in your mercy…

http://www.thesanctuarycentre.org

 

• We join the World Council of Churches in praying for the countries of Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo.  Lord, in your mercy…

 

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