Sabeel Wave of Prayer: Week of Jan. 28, 2019

The ‘Great March of Return’ continued for the 44th consecutive Friday since March last year. A young Palestinian, Ihab Atallah Hussein Abed, was fatally wounded and 22 others, including 14 children, were wounded by live fire from the Israeli military.

Lord we pray for the family of Ihab as they mourn their loss. We pray too for an end to the blockade of Gaza and to the dreadful death toll and injuries sustained by the protestors along the Gaza border. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Israeli forces have assaulted a large number of Palestinian workers waiting to cross Checkpoint 300 from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, causing fainting, suffocation and bruises among the workers.

Lord, we pray that the hostile actions of the Israeli forces would cease and that workers be allowed to freely access their place of work. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The Israeli authorities at the Barzilai Medical Centre in Ashkelon now require all Palestinian residents of the occupied territories to disembark from public buses at the entrance to their grounds. They are then required to undergo security checks. Israeli citizens, residents, and internationals are not required to go through these procedures and are allowed to proceed on the buses to the hospital. Physicians for Human Rights have challenged the authorities for putting apartheid policies into practice.

Lord Jesus, we remember how you healed all ten lepers, including the thankful Samaritan. Help us, Lord, to show your care for everyone in our communities. We pray for your strength, endurance and patience with joy, as we continue to give thanks to our Father, (Col 1: 11). Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Wednesday, the 23rd of January, the funeral of Aiia Maasarwe, a young Palestinian citizen of Israel took place in her hometown of Baqa al-Gharbiyye, north of Tel Aviv. Aiia had been on a study programme at Melbourne’s La Trobe University when she was assaulted and murdered on her journey back to her apartment.

Lord, we pray for the family of Aiia as they mourn her loss and as they grieve over her violent death. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Sabeel is holding a Bible study for young women at Tantur Ecumenical Institute this week.

We pray that the sisterhood and solidarity among the young women of Sabeel be a testimony to the strength and beauty of Christ-centered friendship. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers.

A new initiative proposed by Palestinian Youth has been undertaken to draw attention to problems with the infrastructure of streets in Palestine. Since activists began planting trees in the holes in the roads, some municipalities have started to repair them.

Lord, we pray that all those in positions of responsibility in local government, that they would steward their resources in a responsible way. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

This is Week 15 of the Kumi Now initiative and the focus is on the boycott of Hewlett- Packard and the work of Friends of Sabeel, North America, (FOSNA). FOSNA is helping to lead a boycott and divestment campaign against Hewlett Packard Enterprise and the associated company HP Inc., both of which profit from their involvement with the occupation. The Kumi Action asks you to raise greater awareness of the involvement of this company with the occupation.

Lord, we pray that those involved in the business world would stop to consider how they are making money and the ethical implications of their involvement with governments. We pray for those ready to speak out about the sufferings of the Palestinians living under occupation. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Last Saturday, January 26, Israeli settlers killed Hamdi Saadeh Naasan, the father of four children as he was tending his land, and injured 30 others after they raided the al-Mughayyir village, east of Ramallah.

Lord, we pray for the family of Naaasan as they grieve for their loss, we also pray for the speedy recovery of all who were injured. We pray for justice and the end of oppression. Grant us Lord the gift to see peace and the end of violence in our country. Lord in your mercy…

We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Western Sahara and Tunisia. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.