Sabeel Wave of Prayer: Nakba Day, Israeli coalition and Supreme Court ruling

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.

This Friday Palestinians commemorate Nakba Day, marking the catastrophe inflicted on them when the State of Israel was created in 1948. As we mark this day, we remember the Palestinian refugees and Palestinians living in the diaspora who were driven from their homes and villages and denied the right to return. Lord, we pray for these people without a land and ask that you empower the peacemakers to seek a just resolution for refugees based on international law. Lord in your mercy…

Last week Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in the final stages of putting together a right-wing coalition government when the plan for the construction of 900 homes in the Jewish settlement of Ramat Shlomo in East Jerusalem was announced. Also, this week 23 homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Semiramisreceived demolition orders by Israeli authorities. Lord, we pray that the international community not only condemns the never-ending illegal settlement building on Palestinian land, but takes actions to stop it for the sake of a just peace. Lord in your mercy…

Israel’s Supreme Court last week rejected a petition by residents of the unrecognized Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran against their removal and the demolition of the community – in order to construct a new town for Jewish residents in its place. Lord, we are disturbed by this high court ruling that says the land belongs to the state and perpetuates the historic injustice against the ancient Bedouin communities who are being removed from their lands. Lord in your mercy…

Lord, we pray for our programs this week, including a launch at Birzeit University of our book on non-violent resistance in Islam and Christianity and a Sabeel Nazareth trip to Bethlehem to visit the Palestine Museum of Natural History and the monastery of Mary of Jesus Crucified. Lord in your mercy…

We pray alongside the World Council of Churches for the countries of Kenya and Tanzania. Lord in your mercy…