30/6/11 - English

We pray for the passengers including the journalists from around the world who are joining the Gaza Freedom Flotilla II which sets sail soon.  We continue to hold in prayer the over 500 people from 22 countries on board the 9 boats heading for Gaza in an attempt to break Israel’s illegal blockade of the Strip.  We pray for the 1.6 million people of Gaza who continue to live without freedom and human dignity, may those who come on the Flotilla with humanitarian aid bring awareness to the world about these realities and may all be surrounded with your presence for peace and justice. 

We pray for peace and justice as 100 gravestones from the Mamilla Muslim Arab Cemetery were destroyed on Sunday night by the Israeli authorities who plan to build a Museum of Tolerance on this 12th century cemetery in Jerusalem.  We pray that the Israeli authorities stop the desecration of Muslim cemeteries and the confiscation of the Waqf Land (Muslim Religious Trust).

We give you thanks for the return of about 150 acres of the 490 confiscated acres of land to the village of Bil’in after years of legal procedures, non-violent demonstrations and loss of life.  We continue to pray for communities whose land has been taken from them illegally and violently.  We thank you for the persistence and non-violent resistance of the Palestinian people in the midst of the legal proceedings.

We pray for the participants and leaders of the Annual International Women’s Methodist conference in the UK.  We also pray for Hind Khoury member of the Sabeel Executive Board and a former Palestinian diplomat, who will speak at the conference and will raise “The Voice of a Palestinian Christian Mother.”  We also pray for participants and leaders of the Sabeel 6^th Annual International Young Adult Conference as preparations are being made and plans finalized.  May all who participate be moved by Your spirit in truth.

With the Prayer Cycle of the World Council of Churches, we pray for: Bolivia, Chile, Peru