Sabeel Wave of Prayer

Each Thursday at noon in Jerusalem, Sabeel holds a Communion service that is open to the community. It is a time to join together to celebrate the Eucharist, to discuss how the scriptures apply to our lives today, and to pray for the specific needs of this region. Following the 2006 Sabeel International Conference, the Friends of Sabeel coordinators met and discussed the idea of "Waves of Prayer." The premise is that in their respective time zones, individuals and groups around the world will pray together at 12:00 on Thursdays, in solidarity with Sabeel in Jerusalem and with "Friends of Sabeel" worldwide. Starting in Australia, passing through Palestine, and on around the world we will pray for Peace with Justice and focus on specific issues each week.

Wave of Prayer for Thursday, January 22, 2009

We thank God for the present cease-fire in Gaza. After 22 days of violence, this tenuous truce is a very welcome development. In the past three weeks, 100,000 people were driven from their homes, fifty United Nations facilities were attacked, 24,000 houses were flattened or damaged, more than 5,300 people were injured, and 1,300 people died. We pray that the lack of electricity, drinking water, and sewage treatment does not lead to public health crises.

We pray for Sabeel's prayer service for the people of Gaza that will be held this Friday in Haifa. We pray that this will be a hallowed time for commemorating the dead, comforting the living, and petitioning God for a just peace.

We pray that the Gaza cease-fire does not lead to a cessation of international interest in Palestine/Israel. We pray that investigations of alleged war-crimes by the Israeli military take place and that the world helps Gazans rebuild their society and economy. We hope that the world remembers that Gaza is not simply a humanitarian crisis, it is also a crisis of justice. For a lasting peace, Israel must end its siege and occupation of Gaza.

We ask for an end to the cholera epidemic sweeping across Zimbabwe. With 43,000 infected, more than 2,100 dead and a dictator in place that refuses assistance from the outside world, the situation is becoming very desperate. We pray that God will affect change in this country and in the heart of Robert Mugabe.