September 1st, 2016

 In a report produced by the Israeli ministry of education, schools run by the Churches in Israel rank on top of the quality list. For the second year running, Christian schools in Israel have not received their promised, rightful, state- funding and are under threat of collapsing financially.

• Lord, we are grateful for your Church and its ministries in the land we call holy. Continue Lord to guide schools and teachers to be an inspiration for students to grow up and change the discriminatory system. Lord in your mercy…

Last Friday, Israeli occupation forces shot dead Iyad Hamed, a 38-year-old man, with special needs, and a father of three children. Initial army probe said in a statement: “he most likely did not pose threat to soldiers nor was a ‘terrorist’”. Iyad, an American Palestinian, was on vacation with his family in the town of Silwad near Ramallah when he was killed by the Israeli Military.

• Lord, we hold the family of Hamed in our prayers as they grieve for the loss of the husband and father. We pray for the long-overdue implementation of international law for Israel’s withdrawal of its legions from our country’s streets, villages and cities so we might live in freedom and peace. Lord in your mercy…

During a football match against an Israeli team in Scotland, Celtic fans waved dozens of Palestinian flags as a token of support for Palestinian rights. The game’s governing body began disciplinary proceedings with a £15,000 fine expected for Celtic. In solidarity with Celtic Ultras, Ibdaa, a Cultural Center in Dhaisha camp in Bethlehem, together with Palestinian children in the camp are raising money to participate in covering the Uefa fine.

• Lord we thank you for all our friends who take an honorable stand with justice regardless of the consequences. Let them know my Lord we are grateful and thankful. We also pray for the beautiful and innocent Palestinian children in Dhaisha refugee camp who refused to let Celtic club stand alone to face the penalty. Lord in your mercy…

Israel is threatening to demolish 30 of the 100 structures in the Palestinian village of Sussiya.  According to a draft of the state’s response to the Israeli High Court of Justice, the overall fate of the Palestinian village rests with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and right wing Israeli defense minister Avigdor Liberman.

• Lord, we echo the psalmist in Psalm 43 who wrote in anguish:

“Vindicate me, my God,
and plead my cause
against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me from those who are
deceitful and wicked.
You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”

Lord, empower us to rebuild if they destroy, plant if they uproot, forgive if they sin. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

• We pray alongside the World Council of Churches for the countries of  Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

Wave of Prayer: This prayer ministry enables local and international friends of Sabeel to pray over regional concerns on a weekly basis. Sent to Sabeel’s network of supporters, the prayer is used in services around the world and during Sabeel’s Thursday Communion service; as each community in its respective time zone lifts these concerns in prayer at noon every Thursday, this “wave of prayer” washes over the world.

August 25^th, 2016

1.2 million Palestinian students and 65 thousand teachers return to school after a long summer holiday this week. It is also worth mentioning that a Palestinian businessman also donated a generous amount to build a school in the North of the West Bank.

• Palestinian children in the West Bank and Jerusalem are returning to school this week. Lord, give them safe passage as some cross checkpoints or travel near settlements or walk along busy roads. Loving God, provide Gaza with safe school structures and the capacity it desperately needs so that the children there too can return to school and enjoy their childhood.  Lord in your mercy…

In Nablus city, the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) shot and killed two gunmen, suspected of criminal doings and the killing of two PASF officers last week in a gun fight.  Another Palestinian prisoner, accused of criminal activities, was murdered shortly after his arrest while in the custody of the Palestinian police. The city of Nablus suffers from a rise in crime and violence in comparison to other Palestinian towns.

• Lord, our hearts ache as we receive the news of our beloved city Nablus. We ask you God to watch over the city and its inhabitants. Protect Lord the law-enforcement officers from harm as they perform their duty to stop crime and violence. We also pray for the awakening of people who fall into the temptation of crime and revenge. As you have commanded your disciple Peter “Sheathe your sword” John 18:11, we echo your message to see the sword no more in the hands of our community. Lord in your mercy…   

Israel launched up to 50 strikes on Gaza after a rocket attack on the Israeli town Sderot. Several Palestinians were injured ending a pattern of limited retaliation during relatively quiet periods.

• God of justice and mercy, we continue to pray fervently that the fragile Gaza-Israel cease-fire will hold and the bloodshed will be prevented.  We value all human life and hold it dear. We worry for the wounded, the displaced and the traumatized.  Lord in your mercy…

700 British artists pledged to boycott Israel last Saturday in reaction to what they termed “the Palestinian catastrophe”. The initiative is known as Artists for Palestine. A full list of the cultural figures who signed on to the boycott is available here.

• Lord, we are grateful for all who stand in solidarity with Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation. We bless all nonviolent actions that challenge unjust systems and structures. Lord of Justice and mercy open the hearts and minds of all the peoples of Palestine and Israel to desire a life of freedom and safety. Lord in your mercy…

• We pray alongside the World Council of Churches for the countries of Oceania* Lord, in your mercy…
  *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.

 

Wave of Prayer
August 18^th, 2016

 Kamal Tarazi and Hatem Khrais both live in Gaza and are friends for over 15 years. In the past 5 years Khrais lost his eyesight and relies totally on his Christian friend Tarazi to take him to the mosque for daily prayers and to run errands. The two friends and their friendship have gone viral on social media inspiring today’s divided Middle East.

• Lord, thank you for this beautiful friendship and servant-hood. We ask you God to continue to bless their friendship as they walk silently hand in hand echoing loudly your love and honoring your commandments. Lord in your mercy…

The 2016 Summer Olympics is being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5-21 August 2016. More than 11,000 athletes from 206 countries are taking part. Ten refugee athletes are participating in the Olympics to act as a symbol of hope for refugees worldwide, and to bring global attention to the magnitude of the refugee crisis. Also, six athletes are representing Palestine this year.

• Lord, we pray, especially, for the Palestinian and the refugee Olympic teams.  We pray that the participation of the two teams open the eyes of the world and acknowledge our existence and our aspirations. Lord in your mercy…

A group of Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian girl in a west bank village last Thursday. The girl who was herding her sheep in the village, sustained injuries and trauma from the attack. 11 of her sheep were also reportedly stabbed, several of the sheep died of their stab wounds.

• Lord, they beat the shepherd, and her sheep were killed and scattered. The good shepherd stood her ground and laid her life to protect the sheep, but the wolves were more powerful. Lord, what is happening is not pleasing in your eyes. We ask you open our hearts and minds to find nonviolent creative ways of  resistance. Lord in your mercy…    

 According to a recent report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in July 2016 as many as 56 Palestinian structures and homes have been demolished by Israel making 89 people homeless.

• The Palestinian people are crying out against Israel’s illegal occupation, Lord; set the oppressed and the oppressor free.  Lord in your mercy…

 

•  We pray alongside the World Council of Churches for the countries of Aotearoa/New Zealand, Australia. Lord, in your mercy…

 

 

Wave of Prayer
August 11^th, 2016

Israeli lawmakers have legalized the imprisonment of Palestinian minors as young as 12 in-case they are convicted of grave crimes such as “acts of terrorism against the state of Israel.” The so-called Youth Law has already faced criticism in Israel and abroad.

• Lord, the children shouted in the temple courts “Hosanna” (save us now) with faith when you overturned the tables of the money changers and challenged the injustice. The children today shout “Hosanna” from unjust systems that ignore The Convention on the Rights of the Child. Lord, we pray Israeli lawmakers will treat Palestinian children as they treat their own children. Lord in your mercy…

An Israeli border police officer was suspended after being caught on camera throwing a Palestinian eight-year old girl’s bike into a thorny bush. A second officer caught on camera confiscating the bicycle goes unpunished. The officer claimed he was trying to prevent the eight- year old from entering a Jewish street.

• Lord, in the rest of the world children have fun and enjoy riding their bikes. In segregated Hebron, bike rides are a dangerous thing. Lord, we pray you would help the children being bullied by the Israeli army, and strengthen the international presence in Hebron to defend them. Lord in your mercy…

More than 300 Palestinian political prisoners have taken part in separate hunger strikes at Israeli prisons to voice their outrage over mistreatment, and show solidarity with Bilal Kayed.  Bilal Kayed has been on hunger strike for over 57 days in protest of his administrative detention after he completed serving his fourteen- and- a half prison sentence.

• Lord, the writer of Hebrews asks us to remember those in prison as if we were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if we are the ones suffering(Hebrews 13:3). Lord, Palestinian prisoners in chains were the first to feel the suffering and show solidarity with Bilal Kayed.  Lord, we pray we may also stand in solidarity and be faithful to your message. Lord in your mercy…

 

• Lord, we are thankful for the continuing Sabeel contextual bible study sessions with the community in Palestine. We, specifically, raise before you the commitment of the Jerusalem women who met at the Sabeel office, last Monday, to reflect on the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Lord in your mercy….

 

• As last week, the World Council of Churches prayer cycle is dedicated to the 16 poor  countries of 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; We also pray alongside the World Council of Churches for the two rich countries of Canada and the Unites states of America. Lord in your mercy…

 

Wave of Prayer
August 4th, 2016

On Tuesday the 26th of July Israeli forces demolished 11 Palestinian homes in the town of Qalandia, north of Jerusalem, under the pretext of construction without permission. On the following day, Israel announced the approval of 323 tenders for housing units in East Jerusalem, and plans to build 770 units in the Gilo settlement which is constructed on confiscated land stolen from residents of Beit Jala and Bethlehem.

• Lord, we try to hear your word and act on it (Mathew 7:24). We build our homes on the rock but the Israeli bulldozers demolish them. The Israeli government builds settlements on our sand yet they stand. Lord, we have faith in you and in your word that you bring new life out of grief and loss. In your mercy, we pray that you will comfort all who have lost their homes and for all who are traumatized by this evil. We pray you will provide for them security, a place to live, neighbors they trust and the faith and hope that will sustain them: Lord in you mercy…

Anwar Salaymeh, 22 years old, was shot dead by Israeli soldiers on July 13th while driving his car with two friends. His young wife, pregnant with their first child, said that Anwar was on his way to get her cookies which she was craving for, when the army “mistakenly” killed him and injured one of his friends.

• Loving God, welcome into your arms Anwar Salaymeh. Comfort his family and especially his wife. Help us Lord in our fear and uncertainty, and bless us with the knowledge that we are secure in your love. Strengthen all those who work for peace and renew our spirits with bold actions for creative nonviolent resistance that will in the end bring your peace to our troubled land: Lord in your mercy…

Pope Francis stated in Poland this past Sunday that it was wrong to identify Islam with violence and that social injustice and the idolatry of money and selfish consumption were among the prime causes of terrorism.
We are thankful that many Muslims attended Catholic mass on Sunday in places of worship across France and Italy in solidarity with the church and people of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in Normandy for the barbaric slaying of the elderly priest, Father Jacques Hamel by the so called “Islamic State”, as he was celebrating mass on Tuesday, July 26.

• Lord, although you told us to build bridges and cross borders we are often afraid. We give thanks for your children who refuse to give in to their fears and to be suspicious of their brothers and sisters. Help us learn to welcome You in the face of the other, and act as those embraced by your welcoming and enduring love. God of all nations, we pray that you will empower us with hope and faith that transforms evil and violence so that we will be humble but strong stewards of your peace-making, and live with a vision for a new community that embraces everyone as your daughters and sons; Lord in your mercy.

• We pray that our new Sabeel edition of the Cornerstone, titled “To Set the Captives Free” would reach many people around the world with your message of setting both the prisoners and those consumed with destructive violence free and truly liberated, especially the children and all who are trapped in the vicious cycle of administrative detention, torture, and the dehumanization in the Israeli prison system. Lord, in your mercy..

• We pray alongside the World Council of Churches for the countries of the Caribbean*, Lord in your mercy…
  *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 . Lord, in your mercy…

Wave of Prayer: This prayer ministry enables local and international friends of Sabeel to pray over regional concerns on a weekly basis. Sent to Sabeel’s network of supporters, the prayer is used in services around the world and during Sabeel’s Thursday Communion service; as each community in its respective time zone lifts these concerns in prayer at noon every Thursday, this “wave of prayer” washes over the world.

Wave of Prayer: This prayer ministry enables local and international friends of Sabeel to pray over regional concerns on a weekly basis. Sent to Sabeel’s network of supporters, the prayer is used in services around the world and during Sabeel’s Thursday Communion service; as each community in its respective time zone lifts these concerns in prayer at noon every Thursday, this “wave of prayer” washes over the world.

Wave of Prayer
July 28, 2016

In a 62-47 vote, the Israeli Knesset on Tuesday night passed an impeachment law that enables Members of Knesset (MKs) to expel fellow elected lawmakers found to have “incited” against the state of Israel. Analysts say the law is aimed mainly at Arab legislators and defies the basic principles of democracy.

Acts 18:9 “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.”

• Lord, they conspire to keep the truth silent. We pray for courage for the Arab members of the Knesset to keep crying out and not be silent. May the different perspectives and voices of the Arab Knesset members continue to disturb the unjust structures that exist. Lord in your mercy…

Dozens of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli military jails have launched a hunger strike in solidarity with Bilal Kayed, a 35-year-old man from Nablus. Bilal Kayed, has been hospitalized in Israel as his health deteriorated because of his own 40-days extended hunger strike protesting his detention without charge or trial.

• We pray for Palestinians who are courageously choosing to resist injustice in various non-violent ways, like hunger strikes. We pray especially for the Palestinians who have been detained without charge or trial. Lord please sustain them and all fellow hunger-strikers, and protect Bilal’s family who has been repeatedly abused in various ways. Lord, in your mercy…

On July 15th , the Sabeel women of Jerusalem visited Nazareth in an educational trip to learn more about their Palestinian heritage. Also on Friday the 22nd, Sabeel held a leadership training workshop for the Sabeel bible study group facilitators at Zababdeh village.

• We give thanks for the optimism, energy, and enthusiasm of the many women who participate in the programming of Sabeel’s activities, from the grassroots to the leadership level. We also give thanks for the gracious commitment of the Sabeel contextual bible study groups. Lord in your mercy…

On July 20th three young Palestinians took their musical instruments and performed on the streets of Ramallah. The unprecedented street performance was cheerfully welcomed by people of the city. Also, this year’s edition of the Palestine International Festival for Music and Dance will open on 27th July and will run until 8th August, with concerts scheduled to take place in Ramallah, Jenin, Jerusalem and Hebron.

• We thank God for the resilience of the Palestinian spirit as shown in the cultural and performing arts that continue to thrive in Palestine. We pray especially for the young artists who creatively direct their anger and frustration to empower their creative resistance. Lord in your mercy…
• We pray alongside the World Council of Churches for the countries of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico. Lord, in your mercy…

Wave of Prayer: This prayer ministry enables local and international friends of Sabeel to pray over regional concerns on a weekly basis. Sent to Sabeel’s network of supporters, the prayer is used in services around the world and during Sabeel’s Thursday Communion service; as each community in its respective time zone lifts these concerns in prayer at noon every Thursday, this “wave of prayer” washes over the world.

Wave of Prayer
July 21, 2016

Bishop Edmond Lee Browning (March 11, 1929 – July 11, 2016) was the 24th Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Bishop Browning played an important role in the founding of Friends of Sabeel USA. Although Bishop Browning passed away on July 11th he still speaks to us today with words of inclusivity and justice.

• Lord, we give thanks for the life and ministry of Bishop Browning. Dear God, Bishop Browning resembles to many of us your Simon of Cyrene. We give thanks for all the prophetic voices who journey with us, the Palestinians, and the many others on the margins. Lord in your mercy…

World Youth Day (WYD) is an event for young people organized by the Catholic Church. The World Youth Day 2016, will be held 25–31 July 2016 in Kraków, Poland. World Youth Day was initiated by Saint Pope John Paul II in 1985. Hundreds of Palestinian youth are on their way to Poland.

Lord, we give thanks for the young people of Palestine as they start their journey to Poland. Dear God, as you have commissioned your disciples to be sent in pairs may you bless our hundreds of young people to build fellowship with their brothers and sisters to become aware of our presence and challenges. Lord in your mercy…

Abdullah Issa is a 12 year old Palestinian refugee who was brutally tortured and killed by a fundamentalist Syrian rebel group as an act of revenge. Ugly footage of the beheading is circulating widely on the internet.

• Lord, it is the little children whom you loved and called to your side who are paying the heaviest price of our hardened hearts. Lord our hearts weep for all the innocent refugee children, the abandoned children, and those trapped in conditions of war. Lord for the sake of the children we pray that this ugly war in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East may come to an end. Lord in your mercy……………..

The Palestine Youth Orchestra, of the Edward Said Music Conservatory, is holding its first ever performance in the UK. They will hold six performances across the UK, with a last one on the 1st of August in the Royal Festival Hall in London. The 85 musicians met in Glasgow yesterday to begin rehearsing, something which is difficult to do in Palestine.

• Dear lord we give thanks to all the Palestinian candles that defy the darkness of occupation. Lord, this is the true image of young Palestinian youth. Give them the opportunity and peace of mind to reflect your beauty, God of light and love. Lord in your mercy…………
• We pray alongside the World Council of Churches for the countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama. Lord, in your mercy…

Wave of Prayer: This prayer ministry enables local and international friends of Sabeel to pray over regional concerns on a weekly basis. Sent to Sabeel’s network of supporters, the prayer is used in services around the world and during Sabeel’s Thursday Communion service; as each community in its respective time zone lifts these concerns in prayer at noon every Thursday, this “wave of prayer” washes over the world.

Wave of Prayer
July 12, 2016

Twelve years ago (July 9), the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion at the request of the United Nations General Assembly on the legality of the wall Israel has constructed in the West Bank. The ICJ affirmed that all of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are “occupied Palestinian territory”, and that Israel’s wall, as well as its settlements, violate the Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel continues to ignore the opinion of ICJ.

• Lord, the construction of the Wall continues and Israel’s restrictions on Palestinians have only intensified. We pray that Israel will stop treating international law with such disdain. Lord in your mercy…

Following more than a decade of lawsuits, the Israeli high court ruled in May last year that the state is legally authorized to demolish the Arab villages of Atir and neighboring Umm al-Hiran in the Negev. Atir will become an extension of the planted forest of the Jewish Settllment of Yatir, while Umm al-Hiran will become the Jewish settlement of “Hiran.” Israel is in preparation to demolish the two villages.

• Lord God, the courts did not deliver justice and betrayed the people. Today children play in the fields of Umm Al Hiran and Atir with fear it will be their last games in their villages. Neighbors and friends are drinking coffee that might be their last gathering under the trees of their villages. We pray for the steadfastness of the people of the villages and for the brave prophetic voices that they will be loud and not allow the villages to be destroyed. Lord in your mercy…

The Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee has approved a bill mandating prison terms for anyone who dissuades Christian Arabs from volunteering for military service, or persuades them to desert once they’ve joined. The Knesset has also passed the the so-called “NGO bill” by 57 – 48. The law mandates special reporting requirements for nongovernmental organizations that get most of their funding from foreign governments, and, according to critics, disproportionately targets human rights organizations.

• Lord, you blessed the peacemakers, and promised they shall be called your children; dear God, you blessed those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, and promised them your kingdom of heaven. To live in your kingdom and be your children comes with a price, a price we pray we will be faithful and brave to pay. Lord in your mercy…

The results of the Tawjihi (National exam for Palestinian students completing 12th grade) are out with outstanding performance in comparison to previous years. Tawjihi exams are a source of incredible pressure for students and their families, as the students’ admission to university is dependent on how well they perform. 1061 Palestinian prisoners are currently sitting for Tawjihi inside Israeli military jails.

• We pray for the thousands of young people who are celebrating their achievement and we remember the students who did not reach their target grades. May the students of Palestine use their education to better their communities and to strengthen the society in which they live. Lord in your mercy…
• We pray alongside the World Council of Churches for the countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela. Lord, in your mercy…

Wave of Prayer: This prayer ministry enables local and international friends of Sabeel to pray over regional concerns on a weekly basis. Sent to Sabeel’s network of supporters, the prayer is used in services around the world and during Sabeel’s Thursday Communion service; as each community in its respective time zone lifts these concerns in prayer at noon every Thursday, this “wave of prayer” washes over the world.

Wave of Prayer
July 7, 2016

Acts of ugly violence continue to target both Palestinians and Israelis. A 15-year-old Palestinian boy, Ra’fat Badran, was shot and killed “by mistake” by the Israeli army while traveling with his family after a family trip. A Palestinian youth stabbed and killed a 13-year-old girl, Hallel Yaffa Ariel while asleep at home in an illegal West Bank settlement. Also a harmless 23-year-old Palestinian, Arif Jaradat with Down Syndrome was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers, who fled after the killing without even looking back.

• Lord, the Israeli occupation continues to thrive on hate, violence and fear while the innocent continue to pay the price. O lord, empower us to put an end to this evil occupation that continues to trigger the darkest sides of human behavior. Help the people of this land not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good. Lord, in your mercy…

Sion Asidon, a Jewish citizen of Morocco, is leading a campaign to boycott Israeli dates planted in the occupied West Bank. Also, Tahunia Rubel, an Ethiopian-born, actress, model and Israeli celebrity, spoke out bravely on the racist policies of the Israeli government against Israeli Ethiopians and Arabs. According to a report by the Berl Katznelson Foundation, the interview stirred particularly violent posts against her on social networks.

• Lord we are thankful for all the people who work for justice and speak truth to power. Grant us a vision of your world as your love would have it: a world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love. Lord, in your mercy…

This week, Muslims in Palestine and around the world, will be celebrating a major religious holiday, Eid-al-Fitr, marking the end of the month of Ramadan. This past week has also witnessed numerous terrorist attacks in the predominantly Muslim countries of Turkey, Bangladesh, Iraq and Saudi-Arabia.

• May this time of feasting and celebration bring a measure of peace and tranquility to friends and families of this land and to all Muslims around the world. We also remember the victims and their families and loved ones. Lord, In your mercy

Israeli authorities have approved the building of 800 illegal settlement units in the occupied West Bank and East-Jerusalem. This comes in the wake of the report of the Quartet (the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia) calling on Israel to end settlement building, if it is serious about a two-state solution to the conflict.

• Lord, the arrogance of the Israeli government is frustrating but we refuse to lose hope. God of justice, we are thankful that the world is recognizing the damage illegal settlements have caused in this region and to the Palestinian people. We ask for your presence and your light in this conflict. Help us good lord, to find the energy to carry on. Lord, in your mercy…

After a drive-by shooting last Friday at an Israeli settler-car that caused the killing of the man and injuring his wife and children; the car they were traveling in lost control and flipped over. At that point they were saved by a Palestinian, formerly imprisoned for political activities, who happened to be driving by immediately after the attack.

• Lord, we continue to read and reflect on the story of the good Samaritan in your land. We are very thankful for the people who do not allow differences to affect their humanity, Lord, in your mercy….
• We pray alongside the World Council of Churches for the countries of Bolivia, Chile, Peru . Lord, in your mercy…

Wave of Prayer: This prayer ministry enables local and international friends of Sabeel to pray over regional concerns on a weekly basis. Sent to Sabeel’s network of supporters, the prayer is used in services around the world and during Sabeel’s Thursday Communion service; as each community in its respective time zone lifts these concerns in prayer at noon every Thursday, this “wave of prayer” washes over the world.

Wave of Prayer: This prayer ministry enables local and international friends of Sabeel to pray over regional concerns on a weekly basis. Sent to Sabeel’s network of supporters, the prayer is used in services around the world and during Sabeel’s Thursday Communion service; as each community in its respective time zone lifts these concerns in prayer at noon every Thursday, this “wave of prayer” washes over the world.

Wave of Prayer
June 29, 2016

Forty seven church-run Arab schools in Israel, who serve about 33,000 Christian Muslim and Druze children are in danger of financial collapse. These schools launched a strike in protest of the Israeli Education Ministry’s diminished funding of their institutions last year; the strike ended with Israeli promises that never materialized.

• God, you have given us a mind to think and a desire to learn. We pray that Israel’s discriminatory policy against these schools will end so that all children can enjoy their natural right to education equally. Lord in your mercy.

Yusra Mardini and her sister Sarah fled their home in Syria with 20 others, by boat. Thirty minutes into their journey, the motor stopped and the boat almost capsized. Yusra, Sarah and another woman got into the water, pushing and pulling the dinghy until they reached the shore in Greece. This August, 18-year-old Yusra will be one of 43 swimming athletes across the world who will be vying for the chance to compete in the Rio Olympics.

• Thank you lord for the inspiring story of Yusra and Sarah as they start a new life in Germany. O God, be with all the refugees who are fleeing the Herods of today, hunger, war, persecution and drought. Lord be also with the people who remain in their countries, unable or refusing to leave, as they see their land continue to lose its amazing human gifts, now called refugees. Lord in your mercy.

The month of Ramadan has witnessed beautiful stories of Christian-Muslim fellowship in Palestine. Fr. Manawel Mussalam from BirZeit, hosted freed Palestinian prisoners who were held under administrative detention, at his home, for breaking-the-fast meal. Christian Young adults in Nablus, Ramallah, Nazareth and Bethlehem, distributed food and water to Muslim brothers and sisters stuck at checkpoints or in road traffic at the time for breaking the fast. Also a Palestinian Christian in Akka volunteers to go around the city at dawn to wake up Muslims for a meal before their 16-hour fast.

• Lord, we thank you for all the people who refuse to surrender to fear and isolation. We are grateful for the witness of your church members who stubbornly remain faithful to you and build bridges in the community of your children. Lord in your mercy.

Fr Pierbattista Pizzaballa OFM has been elevated to the position of Archbishop and appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem upon the retirement of Patriarch Fouad Twal.

• God, we give thanks for the work of your church and the ministry of Patriarch Fouad Twal. Continue, dear Lord, to be with the Church and with Fr Pierbattista Pizzaballa at this time of transition. Lord in your mercy.