Sabeel Wave of Prayer: Week of Feb. 17, 2025

The gospel reading for the upcoming Sunday, to be reflected on at Sabeel’s online Thursday service at 6 PM Palestine time, is Luke 6:27-38.  

Christ the Liberator, you call us to the way of nonviolence—a love so radical that it refuses to hate even in the face of injustice. Teach us to see our enemies as fellow image-bearers of God, to resist the temptation of vengeance, and to reject the lie that violence can bring peace. We confess that we are all sinners, in need of your grace. Help us not to confuse love with passivity or justice with revenge. Strengthen us to hold one another accountable, especially those in power, without losing sight of our shared humanity. May our resistance to oppression be shaped by truth and compassion, so that in seeking justice, we do not become what we oppose.

Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer.

Israeli police arrested bookstore owner Mahmoud Muna and his nephew Ahmad Muna of The Educational Bookshop in East Jerusalem, a cultural hub that has promoted Palestinian literature and culture for 40 years. The raid involved searching the store and seizing books alleged to incite violence, including a children’s coloring book. The arrests have been criticized as part of broader efforts to suppress Palestinian cultural expression. The detained men were placed under house arrest and banned from returning to the store for 15 days.  

God of Freedom, we lift up Mahmoud and Ahmad Muna, whose only crime is preserving the stories and culture of their people. Illuminate to the world that this repression is not just an isolated injustice, but part of a larger pattern of erasing Palestinian culture and identity in Jerusalem. Strengthen Mahmoud and Ahmad, and let their courage inspire others. We pray that the stories silenced by force will be amplified by the resilience of those who care for justice and liberation.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers

Last Saturday, Hamas released 3 Israeli hostages for 369 Palestinians as part of the ceasefire agreement. Earlier in the week, the fragile ceasefire was on the verge of breaking when Hamas threatened to delay the release of Israeli hostages due to Israeli violations of the ceasefire which included attacks that killed 110 Palestinians since its start. In addition, released Palestinian prisoners, many who were detained without charge or indictment, reported policies of immense torture and neglect while in Israeli prisons. 

God who dwells among the oppressed, our hearts cannot fully grasp the suffering of those held hostage and tortured. We remember all the Israeli hostages and the Palestinians released in exchange who endured isolation, torture, and neglect.  Lord, as Hebrews 13:1-3 calls us, let us “remember those who are in prison, as though [we] were in prison with them” and “those who are being tortured, as though [we ourselves] were being tortured.” Stir us to love one another as siblings in struggle, refusing to turn away from their pain. We pray for the freedom of all unjustly detained, for an end to occupation, and for liberation from violence and oppression.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

The year 2024 was the deadliest one for journalists and media workers in over three decades according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Of the 124 journalists killed, 70% were Palestinians killed by Israel while reporting on the war in Gaza. In addition to the journalists killed, many have also been arrested and detained in Gaza and the West Bank. As of February 14, 2025, 45 of these journalists are still under arrest.  

God of Truth, we mourn the 124 journalists killed in 2024. We remember those still imprisoned in Gaza and the West Bank, and we cry out for the 45 who remain detained. You call us to bear witness to truth and justice. We ask you to strengthen the will and faith of those who risk their lives to speak truth to power and to protect all who courageously expose injustice and oppression. Stir us to continue their work by amplifying their voices and standing in solidarity with those who seek justice. May their sacrifices not be in vain, but instead awaken the world to truth and righteousness. 

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

Devastating Israeli assaults continue in the northern West Bank which have already displaced 26,000 Palestinians from their homes in Jenin and Tulkarem in the past few weeks. Last week alone, the Israeli military killed two young women—Sondos Jamal Muhammad Shalabi and Rahaf Fouad Abdulla al-Ashqar—during a raid in Nur Shams refugee camp. Sondos was 23 years old and pregnant, but medical teams were unable to save her fetus because the Israeli military prevented them from transferring her and her injured husband to a hospital. 21-year-old Rahaf was also killed by Israeli forces in her home. 

God of Justice and Mercy, we lift our voices in lament for the people of Jenin and Tulkarem, for the 26,000 displaced, for the families shattered, for Sondos, for Rahaf, and for the unborn child never given a chance to live. O Christ our Redeemer, you walked among the oppressed and you stood with the persecuted. In our immense grief, our only comfort is knowing you are close to the refugee, to the wounded, the imprisoned, and the forgotten.  We ask you to defend the afflicted and deliver the poor from the hands of the wicked. (Psalm 82:3-4) We pray that the cries of Palestine will echo through the world, stirring hearts to action and bringing justice to the oppressed.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

Friends of Sabeel North America recently launched a public campaign to block Mike Huckabee’s Confirmation as US Ambassador to Israel. As US Ambassador, Mike Huckabee, an extremist Christian Zionist, would only cause further division and violence to the region. The campaign highlights Huckabee’s history of inflammatory statements, support for ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, and advocacy for military aggression in Gaza. To take action and contact Senators, people can visit FOSNA’s website. 

God of Love, we cry out against theologies that justify violence and oppression. Break the chains of hatred masked as faith, and dismantle ideologies that bless injustice. As you guide Friends of Sabeel North America in their efforts to promote peace and dignity, we also ask you to awaken hearts numbed by apathy. Stir in us a holy unrest that refuses to accept oppression as destiny and protect the people of Palestine and Israel from further harm. Holy Spirit, fill us with a love that seeks justice, a faith that demands peace, and a hope that overcomes fear.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

We join the World Council of Churches in their prayers for Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer