English May-17-2018

Sabeel Wave of Prayer

May 17th, 2018

Friday May 11th, marked the seventh week of the ‘Great March of Return’ protest in Gaza. Thousands of Palestinians are demonstrating at the borders with Israel to call for the right of refugees to return to their homeland. At least eighty eight Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the protests began on the 30th of March.

·        Lord, we pray for the safety of those taking part in the protest and we long for their cries to be heard. We pray too that the international community would speak out in support of the right of Palestinians to return to the land they were forced to leave. Lord in your mercy…  Hear our Prayers 

This week, our Muslim brothers and sisters in Palestine, Israel, and around the world will start observing their holy month of Ramadan.

·        Lord of all, we remember our Muslim brothers and sisters as they begin to observe the holy month of Ramadan.  We pray that this time of fasting will draw them closer to you, to each other and to all your children. Lord, in your mercy…

The Sabeel Wave of Prayer ministry enables local and international friends of Sabeel to pray over regional concerns on a weekly basis. The Wave of Prayer is sent to Sabeel’s network of supporters and is used in services around the world. It is also used in the ecumenical Ministry of the Word service held at Sabeel’s East Jerusalem office each Thursday at 12 o’clock noon. The Wave of Prayer is available in seven different languages, including Arabic, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Swedish.

·        Lord, we give thanks for all who write, edit, translate and distribute the Sabeel Wave of Prayer. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers and cries for justice and peace in the troubled land of Palestine.

Sabeel Nazareth organized a one day workshop on ‘The Nakba’, the catastrophe that befell the Palestinian people in 1948. During this time more than 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly driven from their homes and 530 Palestinian villages and towns were destroyed.

·        Lord, we continue to pray for perseverance for the people of Palestine as they struggle to live their lives. We give thanks for those who are willing to stand up and call for justice, even under threat of reprisals. Lord in your mercy…

There are a number of chapters of Friends of Sabeel around the world who are committed to echo the cry for the liberation of the Palestinian people. There are established groups in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the UK and the USA . There is a new development with three more groups starting up in the countries of Ghana, Japan, and the Philippines.

·        Lord, we give thanks for all the people who are committed to taking a stand for justice and peace. We pray that the burden for the oppressed may be laid on the hearts of your children across the world. Lord in your mercy…

The governments of Hungary, Romania and the Czech Republic blocked the release of a statement by the European Union which rejected US plans to officially open its USA embassy in Jerusalem on Monday, May 14th.

·        Lord, the Palestinians continue to suffer at the hands of the powerful who subvert international law and justice. We pray for strength for those who work to challenge the abuse of power and the denial of human rights. Lord in your mercy…

Last Thursday, the 11th Palestine International Book Fair opened under the slogan "Palestine, the homeland, Jerusalem, the capital", with the participation of more than 500 publishing houses. The exhibition is held on the grounds of the Palestinian National Library on an area of 5000 square meters. In August 2017, the Palestinian Authority decided to transform the presidential hospitality palace into the first national library in the Palestinian territories.

·        Lord, we give thanks to all the organizers of this event. May reading continue to provide imagination, inspiration and education to our people to gain back our freedom. Lord in your mercy...

·        We join the World Council of Churches in praying for the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. Lord in your mercy…