Sabeel Wave of Prayer
November 15 marks Palestinian Independence Day. Unfortunately, 28 years since the state was declared, true independence remains a dream.
- God, we offer thanks for all the people and organizations working to bring about a just peace that will allow Palestine to experience actual independence. We pray for transformation and freedom in this land. Lord in your mercy…
Mohammed Ja’abis was forced to demolish his house under the pretext of being built without a permit. “I demolished it with my own hands to avoid paying over $35,000 in demolition fees if Israeli bulldozers demolished it,” he said. Israel rarely provides Palestinians living in East Jerusalem with building permits forcing them to build structures “illegally”.
- Lord, we pray for the family of the twelve people as they become homeless. We remember especially the six children as their entire life changes to the unknown. God we ask you not to allow the community of Jerusalem, Palestine and the rest of the world to surrender to hopelessness and apathy. Lord in your mercy…
Three Palestinian brothers have been on hunger strike for 14 days to protest being held in solitary confinement in an Israeli prison.
- God, we continue to remember the Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails. We ask your spirit to guide us to mobilize the efforts of the peacemakers to set the captives free and to put an end to this occupation. Lord in your mercy…
The Israeli organization Zochrot, with Erik Ader, a former ambassador of the Netherlands, is organizing an event for the destroyed and depopulated Palestinian village of Bayt Nattif. The event is organized to apologize for the fact that the Jewish National Fund has planted 1100 trees on the land of Bayt Nattif, to honour his father, the Reverend Bastiaan Jan Ader, who saved Jews during the 2nd World War. On Nov. 20th, in the village Far’ata near Qalqilia, the Olive Tree Campaign and the Dutch Plant an Olive Tree foundation, will have a ceremony of planting of 1100 olive trees, donated by Erik Ader on the anniversary of the death of his father, Nov. 20th 1944.
- Lord, we pray for your blessing on this event, so that it will be a consolation for the families of Bayt Nattif and everybody who suffers until this day, the consequences of the Nakba. May this event contribute to a better understanding of the injustice done to the Palestinian people. We ask for such events to contribute to opening the eyes of the world to the Palestinian people’s just cause. Lord in your mercy…
- We join the World Council of Churches by praying for the countries of the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe. Lord in your mercy… 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.