Sabeel Wave of Prayer
July 6th, 2017
There continue to be new settlements approved in the West Bank
and East Jerusalem. There are now plans to evict several Palestinian families
from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in order to build new
homes for settlers.
·
God of justice, we watch in anger
and frustration as more Palestinian land is taken for illegal settlement
construction and expansion, and as Palestinian communities in East Jerusalem
are isolated from each other. We pray for the end of illegal settlement
building, which threatens peace with justice in this land, and we pray for the
families who are at risk of losing their homes.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer…
The water shortage in the West Bank continues. This is a result
of years of Israel’s discriminatory water policies. The amount of water allowed
to the West Bank has not been increased since 1995, although its population has
almost doubled since then. As a result, the average Israeli has access to 2-3 times
the World Health Organization’s recommended minimum water allowance per day,
while the average Palestinian living in the West Bank has access to only 75% of
that minimum amount.
·
Lord, water is a source of life, and
we pray for the people living in Occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem who
continue to live with restricted water supplies, especially during this
unusually hot summer, while others in Israel and in the settlements have
uninterrupted access to water.
Lord, in your mercy…
Palestinians
from the West Bank who work inside Israel are subject to many forms of
discrimination. This includes denial of permits, checkpoint closures preventing
workers from getting to their jobs, and lack of enforcement of laws intended to
protect the rights of workers.
·
God, we
pray for the many people who pass through checkpoints for work, prayer, medical
appointments, and to visit friends and family. We pray that the systems that
separate people and restrict their movements will be dismantled, and that all
people will be able to have equal opportunity to support their families.
Lord, in
your mercy…
We mourn
for several tragic deaths that occurred recently. One tragedy was the death of
a mother and her five children in a car accident on the way to Nablus. We also
mourn the accidental drowning of a young man in Tiberias and the injury of his
friend, who is still in the hospital.
·
Lord, be
with those closest to the people who have died. Comfort their families in this
time of grief. We also pray for a quick and complete recovery for the young man
who is still in the hospital.
Lord, in
your mercy…
Today,
Mennonite Church USA is voting on a resolution called “Seeking Peace in Israel
and Palestine,” which proposes that the church commit itself to advocacy and economic
actions such as divestment from companies which profit from the occupation.
·
Lord, we
think of the Mennonite Church this week as they consider ways to support work
for a just peace. Much careful and prayerful work has been done to bring the
resolution to this point, and we pray that the delegates will have the courage
to commit themselves and their communities to standing with people who are
suffering from occupation, violence, and discrimination.
Lord, in
your mercy…
We join
the World Council of Churches in praying for the countries of Sudan, South
Sudan, and Uganda.
·
Lord, in
your mercy…
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