Sabeel Wave of Prayer: Week of Feb. 24, 2025
The Gospel reading for next week, according to the Common Lectionary, is Luke 9:28-36, [37-43a]. Sabeel holds a weekly online service each Thursday to reflect on and jointly prepare for the reading.
God of the suffering, we wait in the valley, where pain lingers, fear grows, and hope feels distant. Yet the ones who should lead us remain on the mountain, speaking of laws, prophecies, and distant glories. Stir their hearts, O Lord. Call them down from their high places, to walk among us, to see our wounds, to touch our struggles, and to share our burdens.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Sabeel is hosting its first delegation from Ireland and the United Kingdom this month. The delegation will meet with creatives, artists and activists.
God of Justice and Peace, we give thanks for the delegation from Ireland and the United Kingdom as they journey to Palestine. Bless their time with open hearts, deep listening, and a spirit of true solidarity. We put our faith in your promise of justice, trusting that you will deliver the oppressed and bring freedom to the captives. Until that day of liberation, strengthen and protect the staff of Sabeel and all who work tirelessly as agents of your love.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
The end of the week will mark the beginning of Ramadan for Muslims this year. Ramadan is an important month in Islam which is observed with fasting, daily communal prayers, and recitation of the Quran, amongst other practices.
Divine Creator, as our Muslim brothers and sisters enter this sacred month of fasting and prayer, we ask for your blessings upon them. We especially remember the people of Gaza, who lack their basic needs. May this Ramadan be a season of healing, and may your justice break forth like the dawn.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
As the ceasefire nears the end of the first phase, prospects of a permanent ceasefire are more fragile than ever. Israel has violated the ceasefire over 350 times. This includes the killing of over 133 Palestinians including children, continued military incursions and demolitions, and blocking of aid to Gaza. The largest violation occurred just a few days ago, when Israel decided to delay the release of over 620 Palestinians after Israel accused Hamas of releasing Israeli captives in “humiliating ceremonies.”
God of Peace, we long for this ceasefire to hold and for true peace to take root. Soften the hearts of those in power, that they may choose justice over oppression. Holy Spirit, strengthen those who work for peace, and protect the innocent who suffer under violence.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Last week, Israeli forces arrested at least 30 Palestinians in the West Bank. Among them was a 15-year-old boy named Karim Jarrar from Jenin, who became known for delivering water, food, and other essentials on his bicycle to patients and families trapped inside Jenin Governmental Hospital during Israel’s raid in August 2024.
God of the Oppressed, like the psalmist, our eyes are dim with grief (Psalm 88:9). We lack the words to describe the evils that unfold daily and can only cry out, how long, O Lord? We lift up Karim Jarrar, we grieve for him and for the over 30 Palestinians kidnapped last week, for all who are stolen from their families and imprisoned without cause. Lord, you see the innocent who suffer. You hear the cries of the captives. Strengthen Karim and all those unjustly detained. Let their spirits remain unbroken, and may their courage remind the world of the cruelty they endure. Stir us to act, to speak, to resist this evil. May the chains of oppression be broken, and may justice and liberation come swiftly.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a new military operation in the West Bank, following a series of explosions that struck buses in Israel the previous day and after weeks of mass destruction and displacement in Tulkarem, Jenin, and refugee camps in the West Bank. Israel is now deploying tanks to the occupied West Bank for first time in more than 20 years.
God of Justice, we decry the heavy oppression taking place in the West Bank and our hearts cry out in fear of the increasing violence. Amid our grief and despair, our only comfort is knowing that no empire built on oppression will stand forever. Holy Spirit, strengthen those who remain steadfast, and transform our anger into sustained, nonviolent resistance. Let the day soon come when the oppressors fall, the exiled return, and the land is restored to those to whom it belongs.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for France, Germany, and Monaco
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer