Sabeel Wave of Prayer: Week of Nov. 18, 2024
A recent UN report released this month found that 70% of those killed in the ongoing war in Gaza are women and children. Overall, 44% of the victims were children, with the biggest single category aged five to nine. In 88% of cases, five or more people were killed in the same attack, pointing to the Israeli use of indiscriminate carpet bombing. U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Turk called the “unprecedented killing” a “systematic violation of international humanitarian law.”
God of Justice, we lift our voices in lament for the innocent lives lost in Gaza caught in the horrors of violence and genocide. You who wept for the suffering of the innocent, hold close the souls of the little ones, who should have been dancing in playgrounds, not counted among the dead. Protect the life of all the children in the region and bless the land with your intervention and safety. We pray that your peace will break through the chaos, for the end of violence, and for the preservation of life above all.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Last week, Israel forces detained 12 Palestinians during overnight raids in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Prisoners Society reported that the raids targeted Hebron, Nablus, Jenin, Qalqilya and Salfit. Amidst mass detaining campaigns, settlers continued violent rampages. This included storming a local mosque in the Palestinian village of Marah al-Baqqar near Hebron and setting fires in the Palestinian village of Beit Furik outside Nablus.
God of liberation, just as your Son turned over the tables in the temple in the face of desecration, so too we ask you to stand against all acts of aggression and protect the vulnerable. Let no evil deed go unnoticed by your divine justice but rather, let your light of justice extinguish the flames and shadows of destruction. Let the cries of all the captives, detained and displaced stir the hearts of the world, moving us to act with compassion, courage, and unwavering resolve.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Last week, United States President-elect Donald Trump identified his picks for several positions likely to shape his administration’s role regarding Palestine and Israel. One of the nominees, Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is expected to assume the position of U.S. ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch Christian Zionist and has cited the Bible on several occasions to argue that the occupied West Bank is part of Israeli territory, referring to the West Bank exclusively as “Judea and Samaria.” Other nominations, including Marco Rubio as Secretary of State and Elise Stefanik as United Nations ambassador, are also known to have far-right pro-Israel stances.
God of the Oppressed, we cry out against the theologies of empire and Christian Zionism that twist your word to justify oppression. Tear down the walls of all ideologies that seek to replace your kingdom of justice and peace with systems of radicalization and domination. We pray for repentance and guidance of those in power who weaponize your name to displace the vulnerable and harm the innocent. Awaken all hearts to your boundless love and to the truth that your promises are for all people.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
In honor of World Children’s Day on November 20th, Defense for Children International Palestine (DCIP) will be hosting a webinar at 7 PM Palestine time (12 PM ET) to hear directly from Palestinian children in Gaza. To attend and learn how you can take action, you can register with this link.
On World Children’s Day, we remember all the children, especially those in Gaza. For the voices that will be heard in the webinar, we pray for their protection and that their testimonies will awaken the world to action. Bless the work of organizations like Defense for Children International Palestine, who amplify these voices and call for change. Let this be a day not only of remembrance but of resolve—a global commitment to ensure every child, regardless of birthplace, lives a life free of fear, occupation, and violence.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Last week, the United Church of Canada issued a call to support the work and recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967, and to uphold the work of the UN Secretary General, UNWRA and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The statement explicitly mentioned genocide and apartheid and urged the government of Canada to abide by international law and human rights.
God of all nations, we give thanks for the boldness of the United Church of Canada in speaking truth to power. May their call for justice inspire governments around the world to act courageously and stand against systems of genocide and apartheid. Strengthen the UN Special Rapporteur, UNWRA, and all who tirelessly document and challenge the injustices in the Palestinian Territories. May the seeds they plant grow into a harvest of accountability and peace. Holy Spirit, let the call for justice echo until it transforms systems and hearts alike.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Friday Nov 15th, Rabbis for Human Rights and participants of Sabeel’s pre-pilgrimage tour attempted to go to Dir Jrir, east of Ramallah, to support Palestinian farmers in their olive harvest. Over 100 volunteers joined the day but were blocked by a large security team who claimed it was a “Closed Military Zone Order” for the fields they had planned to harvest in Dir Jrir. Security vehicles and the military continued following and threatening the group of non-violent activists to leave. Just a few days before, a Rabbis for Human Rights activist group had been violently attacked by extremist settlers at the same site with the Israeli military turning a blind eye.
God of Hope, we pray for the Palestinian farmers who work the earth under threat of violence. For those at Rabbis for Human Rights, friends of Sabeel, and all nonviolent activists, we give thanks for their courage to stand in solidarity, even in the face of military blockades and settler violence. May the olive trees, symbols of peace and sumud, remind us of the deep roots of resilience in these communities and strengthen our resolve. Holy Spirit, give strength to the peacemakers and protect the vulnerable.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of East Timor (Timor Leste), Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer