Lord, as we
begin the New Year, we come before you grateful for all your gifts from last
year – for daily needs met, for voices and actions of peace, for individual and
communal choices to act justly and love all people. We continue to ask for your
Kingdom come, that all people might flourish and have their needs met. We ask
your blessing on this New Year, that it might bring a just peace for
Palestinians & Israelis, for the region, and for the whole world. Lord, in
your mercy...
Lord we pray
for the physical needs of everyone suffering this week from severe weather
conditions that have arisen in the Middle East and Australia. Please be with
Syrian refugees stranded at the Syrian-Turkish border in this bitter wind and
rain, and for all refugees who currently lack adequate shelter, like those
living in tents in Lebanon, Turkey, and other places. Please also bring relief
from the extreme heat and quell the catastrophic wildfires raging in parts of
Australia & in Tasmania, and protect people who have had to evacuate their
homes. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray also
for women around the world, especially in India, Pakistan, and Palestine – for
their rights and dignity to be respected as they face varying challenges in
their different contexts. Lord, would horrible events like the gang rape of the
woman in India and the Taliban’s attack on Malala not end in despair. Would you
transform these evils into active change for good. We also continue to pray for
Palestinian mothers under occupation who fear daily for their children. Lord,
in your mercy...
God, having
given us at Sabeel this ministry of truth-speaking and work for peace, would
you please strengthen and embolden us for the task. May we embody your hope and
your reconciliation in this world, acting justly, loving mercy, and dwelling
always on your goodness. Please accompany us in our preparations for Sabeel’s
involvement in three conferences this year and sustain all our ministries, in
both Nazareth and Jerusalem, and the work of Friends of Sabeel around the
world. Thank you for Hiba Dahdal, who will be leaving us soon, and for her
dedicated work over the past year. Lord, in your mercy...
Finally, we
pray alongside the World Council of Churches for the countries of Egypt, Syria,
Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, Iran, and Iraq.
Lord, in your mercy...
No comments:
Post a Comment