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, July 2, 2009

In spite of the Israeli government's claim that home demolitions will be slowed, a new policy of "self-demolitions" has gone into effect. Palestinian residents of the Old City of Jerusalem are being forced to destroy parts of their own homes against their will in order to avoid costly fines and prison. This will have traumatic implications emotionally, financially, and on the stability of these families. May God hear the cries of these families and bring about a swift end to this unjust and illegal policy.

A final round of negotiations between Fatah and Hamas is under way in Cairo this week. It seems increasingly likely that the call for unity of the Palestinian people is being heard and that an agreement will be reached between the opposing sides. We praise God for this hopeful development and pray that this spirit of unity and progress will continue to move Palestine closer to a just peace.

This week, another Free Gaza boat, "The Spirit of Humanity," sailed from Cyprus to Gaza with medical supplies, reconstruction materials, and a crew that included Nobel laureate Mairead Maguire and former U.S. congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. On Tuesday, Israeli ships threatened to open fire on the boat if it did not return to Cyprus. We pray for the safety of the crew, hope that the next attempt to reach Gaza will be successful. We beseech God for an end to the siege on Gaza.

Later this month, Sabeel will host its 4th International Young Adult Conference. Nearly 40 young adults from Palestine and around the world will join together in learning about the theme "Palestinian Christians and the Challenges of Today." We pray that in their two-week trip, the participants will develop strong friendships, have their eyes opened to injustice, and be inspired to advocate and work for justice and peace in this land.


This week we join with the World Council of Churches in praying for: Bolivia, Chile, Peru