Sabeel Wave of Prayer
April 5th, 2018
Last
Friday, seventeen Palestinians were killed and more than a thousand
Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire as thousands of protesters marched to
Gaza’s border with Israel. The protest on Friday, named the ‘Great March of
Return’, was planned by several Palestinian civil society organizations and
backed by all political factions to mark forty two years since the first
commemoration of Land Day in Palestine.
·
Lord, on Friday we were again forced to
recognize that the guns of the Israeli occupation forces continue to be louder
than the resolutions of the United Nations. We pray for our people in Gaza,
especially the 1.3 million refugees. We grieve for the families of the
victims and pray for the recovery of the wounded. May the tens of thousands who
marched with courage on Friday be a powerful reminder to those in positions of
power of our cry for justice. Lord in your mercy…
It is now
official that the United States of America has ceased to fund the Palestinian
Authority (PA). This decision will not affect the budget which the United
States provides for the Palestinian Authority’s security and intelligence
forces, which is distinct from the funding which goes towards dealing with
civilian issues within the PA.
We
·
Lord, we continue to suffer humiliation at the
hands of the powerful as they force us to choose between charity and justice.
Grant our people the courage to withstand coercion and to carry the cross
towards liberation from the Israeli military occupation. Lord in your
mercy…Hear our prayers
On the 26th
of March , Rev. Naim Ateek, together with Rabbi Brant Rosen from Jewish Voice
for Peace, spoke in Chicago, Illinois, and on the following day he spoke at
Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana.
·
Lord, we pray for the students,
professors, and others in South Bend and Chicago who received Naim Ateek’s
message. God, open their ears to hear about the harsh realities of the
occupation. Jesus, open their eyes to see the United States’ complicity in
sustaining Israel’s military occupation, which continues to cause immense
suffering for the Palestinian people. Holy Spirit, move their hearts to embrace
the gospel message and inspire them with a desire to work for justice and
peace. Lord in your mercy…
On the 8th
of April we celebrate Orthodox Easter with all Christians in Palestine and
Israel and around the world.
·
Lord, we come to you with joy in our hearts as
we have the opportunity to celebrate your resurrection. We hear the words
proclaimed, “al-Mesih qam; hakkan qam!”, (The Lord is risen; He is risen
indeed). And yet, while we rejoice in this glorious event, we are saddened too
as we remember those who are unable to celebrate in their holy places as the
Israeli authorities have denied them permits or imposed travel restrictions or
‘security’ measures. Lord, in your mercy…
Israeli
Border Police briefly detained a three-year-old Palestinian boy in Hebron for
allegedly throwing stones. A video posted online shows the father asking for
his child to be returned to him
·
Lord, the occupation makes young Israeli
soldiers commit iniquitous acts. We pray for the dissolution of the military
occupation as it debases the humanity of both the oppressor and the oppressed.
Lord in your mercy…
Tensions
between Fatah and Hamas continue to escalate after the failed assassination
attempt of the Palestinian Prime Minister earlier this month while he was
visiting Gaza. As an African proverb states, ‘When elephants fight, it is the
grass that suffers.’
·
Lord, we pray for an end to the divisions
within the Palestinian political parties. We remember the Palestinian people
who pay the price for poor leadership and factional fighting. Dear God, we pray
that the Palestinian people will look for reform through exercising their right
to free and fair elections. Lord in your mercy…
The
beginning of April this year is an important time for all three monotheistic
religions, with Jews celebrating Pesach (Passover), Christians celebrating the
Resurrection of Christ, and Muslims celebrating Isra and Mi'raj, the two parts
of the Muslim Prophet’s Night Journey to Jerusalem.
·
Lord, we pray for the followers of the three
faiths and their special religious celebrations. May they grow in faith and
learn the ways of justice, mercy and peace. Dear God, help us to remember that
Jerusalem is a shared city and if one group attempts to subjugate the others,
only suffering will ensue and this cannot reflect Your glory. Lord in your
mercy…
·
We join the World Council of Churches in
praying for the countries of the The Balkans - Albania,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR of Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia,
Slovenia. Lord in your mercy…
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