14/1/2016 English

Lord, the Christmas  season has come and gone, and a New Year now lies before us, full of fresh possibility. Yet for those living in Palestine, it is hard to sense that any real change is on the horizon.  Lord, almost half a century of Israeli occupation is stirring violent resistance especially among youth who see no ray of light in the never-ending tunnel of the Israeli occupation. It is a new month dear Lord, a new year, grant us hope in the midst of this despair, show us your light in the midst of all this darkness.

Lord in your mercy............

God of justice, the greatest obstacle to peace in our land is the accelerated grabbing of essential Palestinian land and the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements. Recently Israeli minister Moshe Ya'alon granted permission to incorporate a southern West Bank Church compound into the illegal Gush Etzion settlement bloc. This will create a continuous line of settlements that further fragments the West Bank. God, we pray for justice in this broken country through an urgently needed peaceful political solution.

Lord in your mercy............

God of mercy, there are now 207 Palestinian children ( 12 - 17 years ) held in Israeli military detention - an increase of 138 percent since September, and the highest number since March 2009. Five of these children are being held without charge or trial in administrative detention. Reports of physical abuse and the denial of basic legal rights persist confirming UNICEF's 2013 findings. Be with them God, help them to know that you alone are ultimately in control. God, we pray for an end to this unbearable situation that makes victims of these children.

Lord in your mercy..........

Lord we often feel helpless and not in control of our own lives. We can see this especially in the life of Mohammad al Qeq, a Palestinian journalist who was arrested on November 21st, and who is being held for six months under a renewable administrative detention order. He has been on a hunger strike for

49 days in protest against his detention without charge or trial, and his condition is rapidly deteriorating. Lord your people cry out for the freedom to raise our voices against  the Israeli occupation.

Lord in your mercy............

We pray alongside the World Council of Churches for the countries of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Wave of Prayer: This prayer ministry enables local and international friends of Sabeel to pray over regional concerns on a weekly basis. Sent to Sabeel’s network of supporters, the prayer is used in services around the world and during Sabeel’s Thursday Communion service; as each community in its respective time zone lifts these concerns in prayer at noon every Thursday, this “wave of prayer” washes over the world.