11/10/12 - English

Lord, this week we lift up the continued violence against both Palestinian children which is perpetuated by occupation. Last Wednesday, at the Ibrahimi School in Hebron, a group of soldiers entered a playground full of children, harassing and threatening them. Jesus, give the soldiers eyes to see the absurdity of the situation, and prevent them from continuing this harassment. During this time of olive harvest, we also pray against increased settler aggression toward Palestinian farmers as many of the trees are uprooted, burned, or cut down, destroying much of the harvest. We ask for legal accountability for those responsible for these crimes. Lord, in your mercy...

We pray for the tiny country of Bahrain, still weathering political turmoil and violence since the Arab Spring reached it in February 2011. We thank you, God, for the acceptance of 158 of the 176 UN recommendations to Bahrain last month, and pray for their swift implementation, the alleviation of grave human rights abuses, and the realization of democracy. Ultimately, we pray for a lasting peace and justice in the country. Lord, in your mercy...

Lord, we lift up this week’s conference hosted by Sabeel and Al-liqa’ concerning the important role school curriculum plays in nurturing Muslim-Christian relations. We pray that the Palestinian Ministry of Education would see the importance of including multiple faith narratives in the classroom as we guide our children toward understanding and tolerance. Lord, in your mercy...

We pray finally for the various Sabeel programs this week, especially the important strategic meeting this Saturday, which will involve discussion and prayer over the vision and goals for the coming year. We pray that you would bless those who attend the Sabeel Nazareth youth film discussion on racism, that you would inspire them to act in love and fight racial hatred. And we ask a blessing on the Nazareth women’s book study, which highlights the problem of high rates of Palestinian emigration. We pray for courage for Palestinians to stay in the land despite the challenges, and for those who leave to someday return to stand with their people. Lord, in your mercy...

Along with the World Council of Churches, we intercede for the countries of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Lord, in your mercy...