Mighty God, please watch over and
protect those caught up in unrest and fighting in Lebanon this week. As the
assassination of Lebanon’s security chief Wissam Al-Hassan has aggravated sectarian
divisions, we pray that Lebanon would not slip back into civil war. Please
provide peaceful, rational ways for the country to respond to these latest
events and prevent the further spread of violence. Lord, in your mercy…
Prince of Peace who wept over
Jerusalem, we weep with you today over our divided city. We implore you, who
conquered death, to help all your children triumph over the death that
threatens to control our cities in the forms of hatred, racial division, and
injustice. We hear of discouraging developments such as 800 newly-approved
settlement units on confiscated West Bank land in Gilo or the Israeli military
academy to be constructed on the Mount of Olives in occupied East Jerusalem. We
beg you to show us your hope for the people of this city. Please, God, may Jerusalem
truly become the City of Peace – an open city, shared respectfully by followers
of all faiths and backgrounds. Lord, in your mercy...
Life-giving Creator, we bring
before you the siege on Gaza that continues to deprive people of food, water,
and other human necessities. Moreover, the blockade on Gaza deprives residents
of what you endowed to all men and women when you created them: the gift of
freedom. We praise you for those who would resist the blockade, like the
Swedish ship Estelle that carried goods to deliver to Gazans. We pray
for success in future efforts, and that no such groups who attempt to defend
human rights would be treated instead as criminals. You have promised strength
for the weary and justice for the oppressed. Please end the suffering and
imprisonment of Gaza. Lord, in your mercy…
We also lift up the three Sabeel
Witness Visits during October and November, asking that your Spirit would lead
these groups into all truth and help them to respond in love. We pray
especially for Bob & Maurine Tobin – long time volunteers at Sabeel and
Coordinators of this year’s US witness visit – as Bob will be prevented from
coming due to illness. We thank you that he is in recovery, and we pray for
full healing. We also pray for effective ministry through this week’s Jerusalem
& Nazareth Sabeel programs, such as Tuesday’s Open Forum, olive picking
with the youth in Bethlehem over the weekend, and Nazareth youth volunteer
work. Lord, in your mercy…
We pray, in solidarity with the
World Council of Churches, for our brothers and sisters in India, Pakistan, and
Sri Lanka – for joy in all the beauty with which you have endowed these
cultures, for relief from poverty and environmental challenges, for sustained
peace and harmony. Lord, in your mercy....
No comments:
Post a Comment