Sabeel Wave of Prayer: Week of Oct. 2, 2023
Next week, Kumi Now Online will focus on mental health in Palestine. Mental health is one of the most significant health crises for Palestinians. According to several reports and studies, over half of Palestinian adults meet the diagnosis of depression and many Palestinian children suffer from mental distress. These mental health issues stem from the extreme exposure to violence, generational trauma, poor living conditions, restrictions of movement, and more. Sadly, post trauma treatment is limited since the trauma for Palestinians is ongoing.
• Lord Christ, You understand the mental distresses and struggles that many Palestinians experience and suffer from. The sorrow and anxiety that You experienced in the garden of Gethsemane is a lived reality for Palestinians. In Your name, we ask for strength, compassion, and healing for all Palestinians suffering from mental health illnesses. May the root cause of mental suffering in Palestine be uprooted by Your healing powers of justice.
Lord in Your mercy… hear our prayer.
On September 27th, six people were killed in two shooting incidents in the lower part of the Galilee region. The victims were two brothers aged 14 and 17, a mother in her 40s with her 25-year-old son, a family relative in his 20s, and a man in his 50s. Several investigations have been made to see if the two shootings were related. A total of 188 Palestinians have been killed this year in Palestinian towns in Israel, compared to 80 last year.
• Divine Creator, we come before You shocked, saddened, and angry. We pray for the families mourning the loss of their loved ones in the recent shootings, may they be met with Your compassion and loving heart. We know that the Israeli police are systematically neglecting Palestinian towns in Israel so that they may be festered with internal violence. We call for Your intervention. Protect Your children and guide us towards a more secure and just future.
Lord in Your mercy… hear our prayer.
On the 22nd of September, A Palestinian teenager, Abdullah Abu Hasan was shot and killed by the Israeli forces during a raid near the city of Jenin. On the 24th of September, two Palestinian young men, Asid Abu Ali, 21, and Abdulrahman Abu Daghash, 32, were killed during the Israeli raid of Nour Shams refugee camp.
• God of the oppressed, every week we mourn the precious lives of young Palestinians. We are persistent in our prayers because You are a God who listens to our cries. Send Your Holy Spirit to comfort the families of the martyrs. May their blood cry out from the ground, bearing witness to the unjust reality in Palestine.
Lord in Your mercy… hear our prayer.
This advent, Friends of Sabeel North America is launching a campaign called “Preach Palestine”. The aim of the Preach Palestine campaign is to work for the dismantlement of oppression and segregation, in Palestine and beyond, through prayer, a study series, film screenings, and a fundraising event.
• God of power and might, we thank you for our friends’ work and solidarity. We pray that through the Preach Palestine campaign, solidarity will grow and translate into support for the Palestinian people and other oppressed communities around the world. May Your gospel of liberation be proclaimed and celebrated.
Lord in Your mercy… hear our prayer.
On the 29th and the 30th of September, Sabeel Jerusalem held an ecumenical training workshop in Beit Sahour for facilitation of Bible Studies. This workshop consisted of Palestinian clergy and biblical study experts who equipped the participants with valuable tools for Bible study facilitation.
• Emmanuel, You are the Word made flesh, the God who is with us. We pray that the Sabeel workshop will assist the participants as they proclaim the Word and illuminate the gospel of liberation. May we continue to liberate the Bible from theological heresies such as Christian Zionism and reflect on the Holy witness of the Bible to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord in Your mercy… hear our prayer.
On the 22nd of September, Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly held in New York regarding the potential peace accord with Saudi Arabia and the alleged threat posed by Iran on Israel. During his speech Netanyahu completely ignored the existence of Palestine. Throughout Netanyahu’s stay in New York, thousands of people, amongst them many Jews, protested Netanyahu and advocated for a free Palestine.
• Resurrected Christ, the distortion of truth and attempts to erase Palestine were on full display in the UN General Assembly. Yet, the voices of truth and insertion of Palestine’s existence was seen outside the UN and on the streets. We come before you, asking for guidance to be wise as serpents and innocent like doves in our struggles to liberate Palestine and confront oppression.
Lord in Your mercy… hear our prayer.
We join the World Council of Churches in their prayer for the countries of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
Lord in Your mercy… hear our prayer.