We
congratulate our Muslim brothers and sisters as they prepare to celebrate Eid
al-Adha next week. We pray that it will be a blessed time with friends and family. We also wish for our Jewish neighbors who are
keeping Yom Kippur that they will have a peaceful day of prayer and reflection.
Lord in your mercy…
Lord,
we pray that Israel’s military might is replaced with compassion, so that
freedom of religion can be practiced throughout this land. We pray that Israeli authorities will stop
the unjust practice of limiting Palestinian movement and prohibiting access of
Muslims to their holy sites during the Jewish holidays. The Jewish settlers will be allowed to visit
the Al-Ibrahimi Mosque (Sanctuary of Abraham) in Hebron at this time while
thousands of the city’s Palestinian worshippers are banned. Lord in your mercy…
Lord,
as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas seeks majority support in the UN
Security Council for his initiative to end the illegal occupation of
Palestinian lands within a specific time frame, we pray that the world
community can come together and support Palestine’s legitimate cry for sovereignty
with action. The Palestinian people are
waiting as illegal Jewish settlements expand around their communities, choking
their movement, farmland and livelihoods. Lord in your mercy…
According
to a recent report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA), so far in 2014 as many as 41 Palestinians in the West Bank were
killed and 4,266 have been injured by Israeli forces during clashes that erupted
and during Israel’s search and arrest operations. The Palestinian people are crying out against
Israel’s illegal occupation, Lord; set the oppressed free. Lord in your mercy…
We
thank you for your generous blessing on Sabeel as we continue to work for peace
and justice in Palestine and Israel. We
also thank you for the Sabeel local and international volunteers who donate
their time and service so humbly. Lord in your mercy…
We
pray alongside the World Council of Churches for the countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Lord in your mercy…
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