Eternal God, in whose perfect
kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but
the strength of love: so mightily spread abroad your spirit, that all peoples
may be gathered and reconciled. We pray
for justice for the people of Syria and Egypt. We hope for pure intentions and
wisdom in the decision-making that will affect the outcome of the Syrian and
Egyptian uprisings. Lord in your mercy…
We celebrate the successful election of the new Sabeel board. We pray that their hearts will be for the
organization. We are grateful for the
members of the board who completed their terms, who gave so much to Sabeel in
the last number of years. We pray for
the board and leadership in this time of transition. Lord in your mercy…
Isaiah chapter 55 proclaims the promise that “we shall go out with
joy and be led forth in peace. The mountains and the hills will burst into
song, and the trees of the fields will clap their hands!” But if the trees are
uprooted how can they clap? If the mountaintops are occupied by illegal settlements,
how can they sing? We pray for the Sabeel youth program as they plant trees this
weekend on the mountaintop at Tent of Nations, which is a Palestinian
Environmental and Educational Farm. We
pray that they will have an enriching experience, for the ongoing ministry of
the Tent of Nations, as well as for the Sabeel programs in Nazareth this week. Lord
in your mercy…
On December 1st, Muslim and Christian clergy will meet
in Beit Sahour. They will discuss life
together as people of different faiths, under similar occupation. We lift up the Sabeel staff working on this
event. We pray for the keynote
speakers—the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Latin Patriarch Emeritus—that
their messages may be encouraging and foster greater unity among religious
leaders in Palestine. Lord in your
mercy…
With the World Council of Churches we pray
for Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger. We trust that God knows
their needs and gifts. We pray they feel
a sense of God’s presence, and support from the global Christian family this
week. Lord in your mercy…
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