Sabeel Wave of Prayer
June 15th, 2017
The government of Israel
has recently approved thousands of new housing units in illegal settlements in
the West Bank, including over 3,000 which are scheduled for “immediate
construction.”
·
Creator God, the Israeli
government continues to illegally grab Palestinian land. We pray that the
international community will have the courage to follow up the implementation
by Israel of UN resolutions. We pray also that the eyes of the oppressors will
be opened so that they may see the humanity of their fellow people and stop
building these settlements which cause so much suffering.
Lord, in your
mercy, hear our prayer…
Last Wednesday, businesses and
schools were closed during strikes in Palestinian-majority cities inside Israel
after a guard at an Israeli police station shot and killed Muhammad Taha during
clashes with the police in Kafr Qasim protesting police negligence and
brutality. Leaders of the strike said that Taha posed no threat to the police
and called his death “cold-blooded murder.”
·
Lord, we pray for an end
to the violence and death. We thank you for people who are willing to use
nonviolent resistance, such as strikes, to protest against the powers which
devalue human life. We hold the family of Muhammad Taha in our prayers as they
grieve for their loved one.
Lord, in your
mercy…
The amount of electricity that
Israel supplies the Gaza strip is scheduled to be reduced, despite the ongoing
power shortage there already. This announcement comes as a result of conflict
between the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and Israel.
·
Lord, the humanitarian
situation in the Gaza Strip continues to worsen. We pray for an end to
divisions among Palestinian leadership which make it more difficult to meet
people’s needs. God of abundance,
provide for your people in Gaza, and give them hope for themselves, their
children, and their communities. We pray also for an end to the blockade which
makes the people of Gaza so vulnerable to inability to meet their basic needs.
Lord, in your
mercy …
For Palestinian young people,
education is a source of hope for a better future. This week,
students across Palestine and Israel are finishing the school year, and many
who are completing secondary school are taking national exams that will
determine their ability to enter university.
·
God, please give these
students clarity of mind and the confidence to do their best, despite the
uncertainties that surround them, and let the summer holiday be a welcome rest
for all the children. We pray especially for our high school students as they
take the exams that shape their future. May our young people never lose
hope for a future of freedom and peace.
Lord, in your
mercy…
Prime Minister Netanyahu called
for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to be dismantled and
accused it of anti-Israel bias. UNRWA provides aid to over five million
Palestinian refugees around the Middle East.
·
Lord, Palestinian
refugees are still not allowed to return to their homes, and now Netanyahu is
calling for the dismantling of aid programs that work to meet their basic
needs. We pray that leaders around the world will make decisions that will help
the refugees rather than minimizing their needs.
Lord, in your
mercy…
We join the world Council of
Churches in praying for the countries of Botswana and Zimbabwe.
·
Lord, in your mercy…
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